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The Seaforth News, 1956-07-12, Page 3tors ythi They do say that recently a fun - loving U.S. citizen clamped an out- board motor to the stern of en old bathtub (with the stopper in) and navigated this cast-iron contrap- tion down part of the MississippL And couple of years ago, an equal- ly enthusiastic but more practleal mariner named De Blicgny, piloted an outboard -powered scow about 1,200 miles from ()riffle, Ont. to Florida. Dubbed a "buugaboat" because it was half boat and half bungalow, the De Bliccluy craft was a Husky 82 -footer. Powered by a 25 -horse. power Johnson, the Betty K putt - putted at a comfortable seven or eight miles an hour down the Trent Canal, across stormy Lake Ontario, navigated the various locks of the Erie Canal, slipped down the Hud- son river to New York and finally arrived in Florida by a route known as the Inland Waterway. Troubles? Once in a while the fain- Ily dog or one of the crew would fall overboard, or the big house- boat - scow would nuzzle a mud bank, but otherwise it was just a pleasaut cruise, thank you. These two little incidents will help to make a couple of points - one, that the great joy of the out: - board is that you can clamp it to one edge of a washtub and lo, you've got a boat and two, that to- day's outboard is a highly reliable box of tricks, and a flue piece of engineering. These are also the reasons for the great popularity of this little power package through- out the world, and especially in North America, the home of the outboard. This year it's estimated that about half a million outboards will be sold in the United States, about 40,000 in Canada. By the end of 1005 there were 4,173,000 out- boards in the U.S., some 700,000 in Canada. Each year, recently, has Been 10 percent more outboards sold than the previous year. The outboard is used all over the world. Much of the barge traf- fic through the canals of the Netherlands is outboard -powered, as are some Hong Kong fishing junks. Eskimos of the Bering Sea have taken to attaching outboards to their skin uplinks, for faster pur- suit of the walrus and seal. In Canada, the outboard has helped the airplane open rap the north country. Many a pilot, com- ing down unexpectedly on a north- ern lake, has clamped his trusty kicker to a pontoon and motor - boated his ailing plane to shore, or hailed a passing trapper cruising the lake with his outboard. Inside the Arctic clrele, many a mission- ary goes his rounds with the aid of FIXED FOCUS - He sure did. What the editor said was chimp- ly awful when he learned that the news photographer let "Tar- zan" examine the paper's cam- era, Bellows on the camera is in poor shape, but the bellows In the office were in top condi- tion. his outboard. On Ilndson Bay, Esk- imos chase white whales from big freighter canoes driven by out- boards. The Royal Canadian \fount;, cd Police, working sea patrol out of Ralifax, carry outboard -driven skiffs on the big patrol boats -- for chasing poachers. One of the longest outboard sat• aria in Canada occurred in the sum- mer of 1054, when four govern- ment men traveled from Water ways, Alta. to Tuktoyaktuk on the Arctic ocean - 2,500 miles in a heavily -laden 18 -foot boat. They made only one portage, to get past the Rapids of the Drowned on $lave river. The party was seldom near a garage, but their outboard got them there. During the devastating wiuntipeg flood of 1000, only outboard -power- ed small craft were able to work in the shallow waters that cover- ed city streets, doing most of the jobs usually ,done by ears --freight- ing in food and medicines, form- ing police patrols. The same handy little engines pumped out basements using small pumps coupled in place of propellers, a method also used by those who fight forest fires All this no doubt would prove astonishing to the inventor of the outboard, but nobody can say for sure who lie was. In 1870 a French- man named de Sanderal invented a sort of raft, to be held up in the water by four horizontal propel- lers, with a fifth vertical propeller to push. The „poor fellow had notb• Ing but steam engines to work with and they were pretty heavy, so the raft didn't float too high. In fact, it didn't float at all, It sank. Then there was Gottlieb Daimler, of auto fame. lVillianh Steinway, the piano man, exhibited one of Daimler's outboards at the Chicago World's iratr to 1803. Steinway is said to have Unlit 100 Daimler motors, under license, and sold them during the 1800s, Near the turn of the century var- ious individuals and firms were working on the outboard problem. In 1805 the American Motor Co. was producing an outboard with most of the major components found in today's "kickers" - such as steering by a tiller that rotated the propeller - but the company was not commercially long-lived. In 1007, however, Cameron Beach Waterman, of Detroit, secured pat- ents on a water-cooled "outboard" -it was Waterman who coined the name - and sold 8,000 111 his first year. But perhaps Inctman who made the biggest commercial contribu- tion was the Norwegian- American, Ole Evinrude - helped by his re- markable wife, tiny Bess Cary I,vin- rnde: A Milwaukee, Wis. maker of patterns for engine castings, Erin - rude nnacle his first outboard in 1009. When Bess saki, "Make it better. That thing looks like a cot - fee grinder," Ole, a shy, gentle man, obediently went back to his shop and produced Model II. One Sunday Inc lent 1t to a friend. The friend brought the nutbord back on Mon. clay, with orders for 10 more like it, and the Evinrudes were in business, With Ole in charge of production, and Bess writing the advertising, ("Don't Row! Throw the Oars Away! Use an Evinrude Motor!") the Eviurnde Detachable Rowboat Motor Co; prospered. Then, in 101.4, Bess' health failed and Ole sold out to his partner. By this time there were n dozen other U.S. outboard - makers, none of which has sur- vived. Iu 1021, Ole Evinrude - tired of retirement - came back into the field with his Elto. The following year, the aircraft - building John- son brother's joined the outboard industry with the Johnson Light Twin. Meanwhile the original Evin- rude con -many had been ncipiired by Briggs and Stratton, well-known makers of small motors for lawn and garden implements and light- ing plants. Pinally, 10 1020, Erin- CROSSW RD PUZZLE u. Falls into 30. Think disuse 32. Enliven 6. County in 33. Talks glibly Ohio 34. Take away 7. Most excellent 30. 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SS ' '. 29 3o �.fa'. ki1��31 m`C22 .s>, 33 3 �i 3S 36,,.4h, �j,-‘13.. 3Y ;i s 38 39 tl 91 :ci;` 99.5 45 - k c46 C 47 -A.:1-413 99-.. - - 50 .ti. 51 52 x``53,_, '" 54 55 .6 ?: Pr .4 ' 6.30 Y Answer elsewhere on this page. EQUINE MINIATURES - "Maggie," 1t/2 -year-old miniature mare, above, is bracketed by a three -week-old Dexter calf, left, and a five-week old Guernsey calf for comparison of size. "Bobolink," below, is a nine-year-old miniature stallion, only 28 inches tall, Both animals are owned by Mr. and Mrs. N. Clarkson Earl, who stock their 50 -acre estate -farm with several types of small -size animals. The stallion is an import from England, where a Lady Hope has developed a strain of tiny horses. If the Earl's Lilli- putian horses breed 'True, the foal will be the first of the tiny strain to be born in the United States. rude, Ole's Elio and another firm named Lockwood formed (Inc Out- board Motors Corp. In 1036, this company acquired Johnson. Today it is known as Outboard Marine and Manufacturing, and its Can- adian affiliate, in Peterborough, Ont,, snakes all three motors - .Tohnsons, I'litos and Evinrudes. Eltos are made only in Canada. There are, of course, many other brands at outboard. In fact, a North American shopper has his choice of no less than 82 different brand names - of which 29 are American -Canadian and three are British: Anzani, Atco-Yilliers and Seagull. A couple of these, SlIvcr- trol and 'Troll -King are battery- operated electric motor's, so silent the fish are fooled completely. Two of the motors, the up -to -eight -horse- power Langan and the mighty 75- horsenower Miley (about $1,201) U.S.) are fonr-eyele motors, similar to some auto engines. The otheir; are two- cycle motors, like the gad- get that drives a power lnwu mow- er. finch type has its advantages. The four- cycle is more economical, with fuel consumption as low as half that of the two-cycle. The lat- ter is lighter, with fewer moving parts, and is simpler, although mod- ern outboards are not percisely simple. Ah, but they were simple in the old days. Or were they? To start you merely laid hold of a knob on the flywheel on top of the cast-iron contraption, and spun it and spun it and - spun it. If you were lucky, you got it started before you sprain- ed your wrist, Then your only prob- lem was to keep it going at its normal nerve -shattering roar. Igni- tion was by coil -and -battery, but the tinning device was crude ail there wee only one cylinder. If that was missing, the motor 10115 missing. The carburetor, at first, was a sort of valve. It had to be adjusted just right, or the cylin- der would either flood with fuel, or starve to death. Still, Bess Reim rule pointed Out, tt was better tbits rowing, Improvement rune gradually :,I first, then 1415101*. In 1015 c'n5(1 the swivelling mount, so that the motor would tilt up when the underwater portion hit n reek or n stviumun•. Ll 1021 roue twin cylinders - 1'rire power - and the first rase'_ of light alum inom alloys. In' 1022 chute the "float -feed" etrboretor - ((115 the one on your car, or that magical device that controls the rnehing waters in the family toilet. This made fuel flow self-regulating: no more ltungl;y motors; cylinders pent-. fug for fuel: Then, in 1024 (on this continent at least), came racing. As always happens, this improved the breed magically. The best speed that year was about 10 miles an hours Nest year, motor makers brought (1,11 more powerful units, and the speed bit a diary 10 miles all hour. In 1920, outboard - propelled skiffs broke the 20 miles -an -moue ma'lc. By 1035 they were hitting over (30 miles an hour. In 1054, an mltbowed- propelled hydro -plane did better' than 100 miles an hour for the first tinge. Of course, this is not the world's water speed record. Donald C.`amp bell, sou of England's famed speed king, Sir Malcolm Campbell, rock- eted his jet-propelled Bluebird II last November to a fantastic 210,2 mph while the inboard hydroplane record of 178.40 mph in 1052 is still held by Slo-bio-Shun IV owned by Stanley S. Sayers of Seattle, Wash. The record for outboards (100.363 mph, to be exact) was set by the Italian driver Massimo Leto de Prieto at Milan, Italy, but his mot• or was not unite the unit to power the family cabin cruiser. It was a custom Italian unit, a Lesco - four-cycle, four cylinders and super- charged, like some racing car en- gines. The Lesco developed an amazing 162 -horsepower at 7,000 revolutions per minute. Its cylinder capacity was just over 00 cubic in- ches- A ear engine developing the same power requires almost five times as much fuel -using con1bns- tion spin(•'. Poes this mean Italy has outstrip- ped the United States in out- boards? Not exactly - Italian naval officers slated for motor tor- pedo boat duty get their training on small hydroplanes powered by American-made Mereury motors. But European engineers have be- come most expert at coaxing high power out of small engines - due, no doubt, to the high cost of gas - aline on that continent. Getting back to the racing Twen- ties and Thirties, it was natural that outboard manufactures should try to outdo each other in the search for more power, greater re- liability, more convenient controls -all essential in racing. At the same time, the marine bot-rodders made a few discoveries of their MIL Tine "stock" underwater units -gear-box housing and propeller housing - were causing nndue drag, they found. So with heck - saws, files and emery clith the drivers improved streamlining. They also invented remote con- trols, When you put a fairly heavy engine and a well -muscled driver at one end of a very light, flat -bot - looted skiff, the bow goes up in the air and the stern squabs. This causes loss of control and speed. So some unknown genius installed an automobile -type steering wheel i'orlv:00 in his boat, ran airplane. type cables through pulleys to swing the tiller to and fro. Sn1e- body else Clime up with the spring- loaded safety throttle: if the driver Is tossed ant, the spring closes the throttle, and the man in the water is saved from being run down; at least by his own boat. Thus today's outboard is almost as simple to operate as a cat engine. liven starting can be done electri- cally. A separate, pressurized tank can hold enough gasoline for a fall day -''s cruising. One firth even sup• plies an attachment by which the engine bails out the bllgcs. The modern motor has been quietened considerably. The exhaust is eon- ventionally underwater. Quieter' gears are used, and there are air• intake silencers, rubber seals be- tween the engine underpay and the hinged hood, Oil companies hole kept pace with the improved en - glues and provide special Wiwi - cants and greases done rap in screw• topped or spectrally -sized packages. One development that hue brought joy to those in the out- board industry has been the io- vention of the outboard cruiser. This 1s a small craft, up to about 22 feet long, with a forward cabin and most of the comforts of home - bunks, toilet, galley. Prices start at $400 for a "kit' and the most pop- ular Blass will cost you around $1,200 although you can shell out $6,000 for something special, :The advantage of the outboard ambler against the inboard engine jobs, is chiefly that the outboarder is 1111 boat, no space wasted on engine compartment. Also, the outboard cruiser is usually built light enough to be hauled from the fam- ily garage to the lake by trailer be - Bind the family car. As you might expect, families are taking to the water like ducks - it's peaceful, and everybody wants to be a sailor, anyway. And what of tomorrow? More outboards? Yes. More power? Yes- chiefly because the outboard cruis- er is getting bigger; people are find- ing that 20 feet isn't very big for a boat, and would't it be nice if we had some place to stuff Mother? As the cruisers get bigger, they need more power. This year's biggest Evinrude is a 30 -horsepower unit, up five from last year. More out- board marinas? Yes. A marina is a sort of motel -by -the -sea (or lake) where you can park your boat or your trailer, get accessories and re- pairs, gas up, shop, or go ashore and sleep in a bed that doesn't sway. Even the Outboard Boating Club of America doesn't know how many there are, but there un- doubtedly are thousands. And the future? Well, when the first rocket ship lands on our near- est neighbor in space, a couple of the crew will be seen unloading a folding boat. To the stern they'll attach a small motor, then go hap. 117 putt -putting along the Canals of Mars. 13y Jolla Largo In Imperial Review ti RONIC. mesa" ue ID Cos The spring crop that we thought would never get seeded is now coming up in the fields - and who knows, it may be just as good a crop as usual. You don't know, d don't know, nobody knows. But one thing is certain, it was sown with faith in the old promise that seed -time and harvest shall never fail. There may be regional fail- ures of course - as there often are - but never since the flood has there been a time when crop failures have occurred the world over. Na- ture has a way of establishing a balance - drenching rains in some parts of the world, drought in others; good crops here, poor crops there. We con't see the overall pat- tern and so we can't be expected to realize that our allotment, good or bad, may be necessary to fit in- to the pattern as a whole, But now as I look around at the promising spring crop, I foresee another problem. I am wondering holy on earth it will ever get into the barns. farm help is so scarce and the farmer needs some assist- ance even if high - powered - and high - priced machinery is used for haying and harvest. Because of the acute shortage of help I'm thinking there are going to be a lot of very tired farmers and fermess' wives before the crop is in the barns. It is to be hoped that high school boys and girls will be of some assistance at home and not leave all the work to Mom and Dad while they take a vacation job for the sole purpose of getting spending money for them- selves. Remember, although we have tine promise that seed - time and harvest shall never fail we have never been given the assur- ance thiat labour will be provided to deal with therm. That is a prob- lem we have to work out for our- selves - and right now it is the toughtest problem the average farm- er has to face. We are offered help and advice in so many ways -but seldom where it is most needed. Tor instance, the report got around that we had sold our fuse, which we haven't; not yet anyway. So, on the basis of that report en investment company sent two of;, its agents out to advise us as to how and where we should invest,: our money. But the joice was On. them - .. they called at the wrong farm and talked to the wrong fann- ers, This the other farmer did not realize until the fellows were leav- ing and eaeh of them said • '`Well, goodbye Mr. Clarke, we shall likely be seeing you again!" And still more advice: We got n card in the mail the other day which informed us that the writer had a party looking for a car this sante year and model as the one we are driving. If we were prepared to make a deal he could give us a "terrific offer" on a new car. Here again there was a serious error. The writer of the card gave us the wrong telephone number; All three were pretty smart fellows,. weren't they? And still more problems: lIow are we going to cambat the one cent increase 01 the price of bread and the twenty - five cent raise int haircuts? Looks as if mother will have to get out the old pud- ding bowl and turn barber again. Ilowever, a haircut is necessary only once every few weeks but we are dependent on bread every day of the week, Eggs also have gone up in price - which helps to balance tate budget for the farmer but will hardly be welcomed by the wage- earner's housewife. But, if the far- mer should be lucky enough to get efficient hired help it will still take nn awful lot of eggs to pay the hired hand's wages. Well, let's leave farm problems for instance, I was in Toronto last week to get my eyes tested. I al- ways think it wise to consult an eye specialist rattler than an opto- metrist. During the course of con- versation I asked my doctor if he thought watching televislou was harmful to the eyes. "Not a bit," was the answer, "shot a bit - you can't hurt your eyes by using them." So there you have the opinion of an expert. But remember, he was re- ferring only to the eyes • not to the mental attitude of viewers or to the fact that too much television may mean too little physical exer- cise out of doors. I stayed overnight with Daught- er and found our new grandson growing like a weed - and a nice chubby weed at that Next dei' while waiting for my glasses. I went to a matinee performance of "Oklahoma" - the first show I have been to since the Coronation. It is a two aad a half hour show and T enjoyed every minute of it. It has been changed a little from the stage show but Of course the music is the same and the scenery is out of this world. When the show starts tour - Ing the province, and if it should come anywhere near your locality. whatever you do don't miss it. 11 you like music, colour, romance and first rate acting, you get it all in "Oklahoma." Well, I had better find out what David is doing. Ile is out with Grandpa at the moment, enjoying his last week on the farm. Iie 15 quite happy with me until Gramp goes out and then away he goes to fix fences, doing such Important jobs as carrying the pliers or a box of staples. When he gets back to the city I am afraid he will Mian his hundred - -acre playground. Upsidedown to Prevent Peeking 1®©0 ©DOQ-.©©© 0©©tI ©©©L ®®[i E]®©4::EIUM` llinzo 1111011112 111111; ©00©©Q o®®,..©o ©©o viri -orad 00 ' o©© E113, -11121E 00©uQ© u iwr c ©e© ',;5 ©710,',121J!!�}}�I I't QIIIY©013©I��14 ©0ClL:t ©kip £1101:1q! i13I11E1�0EMEI t1 GET A HORSE - Riders in Central Park give the horse laugh to the driver of a three -wheeled utility car. Named the "Star," the tiny vehicle has a streamlined body of molded fiberglos and a one -cylinder German .).LO. engine. The car has a maximum speed of 70 miles per hour, and is said to get 80 miles to the gallon. Less than three feet high, the Star is 10 feet,. five inches long, 50 inches wide, and weighs only 400 pounds.