[SEL] Didn't want to sell --- THANKS GEORGE !!!

Judge Tommy Turner lcjudge at scrtc.com
Wed Jan 23 16:21:29 PST 2008


Sorry this is so long.  I've told this story before but for some of our 
newer members, here it is again.  A good friend of mine (now gone) O.B. 
Malloy of TX, used to travel the country side hunting for old iron.  He 
would stop at stores, barbershops and other places and would leave a 
calling card. 

He stopped once at a store and went to a table where some gents were 
sitting.  He asked them if they knew where there were any old engines 
like the one on his card.  One of the gents said yes, he had worked a 
construction job in west TX and had to pick up some items at one of the 
local worker's home and saw an old engine the guy had in his barn.  OB 
asked if he knew the person's name and the guy said he didn't but would 
call OB and let him know. 

About a week later the guy called OB and gave him a name and phone 
number.  OB called the guy one evening, who lived about 400 miles away,  
and said he heard the guy had an old engine.  The guy said yes, he did 
and he recently dragged it out of the barn and it was now sitting behind 
his shop.  OB asked if the guy wanted to sell it.  Yes he did.  How much 
OB asked?  $100 the guy told him.  OB asked if the guy knew what kind of 
engine it was.  The guy said he didn't but it had a brass tag on it and 
if OB would call back in 15 minutes he could tell OB what it said.  OB 
called back and the guy said "It says Springfield Gas Engine, Type A, 4 
HP".  The guy asked if OB was still interested.  OB said yes.  The guy 
told him to stop by the next time he was in far west TX and if he still 
had the engine OB could look at it.  OB hung up and told his wife he was 
headed to west TX. 

The next morning when the guy walked out of his house, OB was sitting in 
his driveway.  OB told him he was the guy who had chatted with him the 
night before.  The guy showed OB the engine and then told OB that if OB 
had driven all night to get the engine, he knew it was worth a lot more 
than $100.  He told OB he would need to do some research on what the 
engine was actually worth and and would decide on a price.  He told OB 
he would have the first chance to purchase it.  OB was distraught.  He 
asked the guy repeatedly to sell him the engine and the guy told him he 
would in due time. 

OB finally asked the guy to please put a price on it as OB had drive all 
this way to see it.  The guy said $500.  OB knew that if he jumped and 
said OK the guy would probably run him off.  OB said he got in his truck 
and told the guy thanks but the engine just wasn't worth that to him.  
OB said he could feel the sweat popping out on his forehead as he put 
the truck in reverse.  He backed up about 50 feet and the guy hollered 
and said "what would you give".  OB pulled back up and told him $300.  
The guy said no but he would split it at $400.  OB hum hawed around for 
about 30 minutes and finally agreed to the price. 

OB told me this story shortly after he got the engine.  Its still owned 
by a collector in TX.

Tommy Turner
Magnolia, KY




Alan Bowen wrote:

>Thanks George,
>This is a great topic.
>
>Keep 'em coming folks.
>
>
>  
>



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