[AT] lessons

[jtchall at nc.rr.com]

Tyler, you need to do something I did. A couple years ago I handed my dad a 
composition book and said start writing. He filled it with all the old 
stories he could think of. I had heard every one multiple times, but 
sometimes I wouldn't get the facts 100%. The older I get the harder it is to 
remember everything, just too much stuff to process it all! This way I've 
got a record to refer back to and to pass down. If he doesn't want to write, 
you listen and write/type it out. One day you will be glad you did.

I wish we had more details on my grandfather. There are stories of him 
cutting ice for an icehouse. Considering we are in the South, there is more 
to it and climate change might be more than we think. Also tales of him 
working at a sawmill down near Charlie Hills neck of the woods. The logs 
were floated in down the river. The rivers here are too small for that.

In my forties I find myself telling the boys my farm stories from 30 years 
ago, now I know I'm getting old!

John Hall


-----Original Message----- 
From: Tyler Juranek
Sent: Saturday, July 12, 2014 10:55 AM
To: Antique tractor email discussion group
Subject: Re: [AT] lessons

John,
My grandfather is the same way. Although he doesn't teach me much
about driving the combine, etc, (we live 90 miles apart so I'm not
there often), he sure does teach me a lot about the antique stuff.
In February, grandpa bought a 88 Oliver from someplace down in
Missouri. It turned out that I was there the Sunday after. Grandpa
started it up, and I sat on the fender and he and I rode around the
yard in 4th gear, just puttin. Then he said it was "My Turn" to drive
it. Grandpa taught me to drive a foot clutch, when dad taught me, but
failed, (that's a whole other story) hahaha.
Anyway, grandpa later explained to me that my great grandfather, (the
same one with the unstyled A) had a Oliver 88 and a Oliver Hart Par
70. He also explained that the reason that my Great Grandfather bought
the Hart Par 70 in 1935 (2 years before grandpa's time) was because he
had a team of horses, (two if I remember right) that died from some
sort of infection that winter. He had a choice of buying another team
of two horses or the tractor, each for $750. So he bought the tractor
instead.
This last weekend while I was out there, grandpa and me sat on the
porch for quite awhile and visited. He told me all about how he
remembers in 1948 going to the Oliver dealership in town and buying
the Oliver 88. He said that in 1954, great grandpa traded the 88 and
the Hart Par 70 in for an MTA diesel, because diesel was $0.05, and
gas was $0.25. He then went on to say that all of the other farmers
around the area looked at great grandpa like he was dumb for buying
such a big tractor, but grandpa said that great grandpa was glad that
he bought it.
It is really sad that most of my generation, (at least around here),
doesn't give a cat's rear about this kind of stuff. People like my
grandfather and others who remember this kind of stuff won't be around
forever.
Sorry for the long email, just thought I'd take the time to share that.
Take Care,
Tyler Juranek