A Gaar-Scott salesman speaks
November/December 1951
Mr. E. C. Foreman
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The Gaar Scott Line and an outfit sold by Mr. E. C. Foreman of Tacoma, Ohio. Mr. Foreman is leaning on the tool box. One owner is on the platform and the other leaning against the drive wheel. It is a 13 hp engine and a 28 inch plain thresher.
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Tacoma, Ohio, for many years the representative for Gaar Scott Company of Richmond, Indiana, has many interesting stories and tells some here.
The history still vivid to my memory and most interesting to me is that of threshing machinery. Especially the old steam traction engine, now remote and relegated to oblivion. A power I loved so well. I have seen the greater part of its development and the vast use of its wonderful power. Then vanish when at the height of perfection. No vacation appealed to me more than the operating of that great piece of machinery, the steamer. Several I have owned and many I have sold.
This great industry of more than forty mammoth plants, together with numerous small shops building steam engines and threshers is now only a. history of yesteryears.
My mind still reverts to the grand old days when running machinery powered by the old steamers and the selling of machinery for many years. Many of the instances come to my memory as though yesterday. Many of these sales was just luck, sudden and remarkable. Some few I will relate.
Some years ago when I traveled by rail I boarded a train and a gentleman shared his seat. Some way I took him to be a thresherman. I soon found out he was, and from West Virginia, and on his way to Columbus, Ohio, to look for a thresher. On arrival at Columbus I asked him to look over our line. He did and bought.
Once, when going by rail, I had a catalog. A young fellow spied it and asked for it to send to his father who was a. thresherman. This resulted later in the sale of two machines, one to his father and one to the uncle some few miles apart. Both were shipped on the same car.
One time a postal card came to the office wanting a catalog at once. This the office considered a 'hot prospect'. They sent me at once. It was some fifty miles away. We went right away as seemingly it looked at least like a warm prospect. I got to the depot and inquired of the Railroad Agent the way to see the party. He said, 'one mile, out. Expect you are a machine agent, if so I can save you a trip.' I told him I was. He informed me that it was just a ten year old boy writing for catalogs. Three agents have already gone out, so why should you be fooled. To make sure I asked a man loading lumber nearby who gave me the same information. He stated further that his boss was in the market for a new engine. He said the mill was a short distance up the creek.
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