Here is a puzzle for you: I would be very surprised if anyone could figure out what the object in the photo to the left is. I can give you one clue. I was getting off the beaten path on Blue Moon Friday and ended up finding a very nice park in Bridgeton. I saw this object and tried to figure out what it was before I discovered the identification plaque. My guess was that it was some kind of device for raising and lowering or moving a bridge (this being Bridgeton and all.) I was wrong. You can respond via e-mail if you like
wrightj45@yahoo.com. Some people have found making comments on blogspot confusing.
While in Bridgeton, I also 'discovered' the "Old Swedish Farmstead" which was closed. Later research revealed that it IS closed but will re-open for a day on October 7th for a fund-raising and festival.
There were many other interesting things in the park, including a "Dame School" and as you who have visited my blog know, I am particularly partial to one-room schools. That brings me to another fortunate discovery much earlier on the same Blue Moon Friday. I was at Shellpile taking a photo of another school, the South Port Norris one-room school when an very nice gentleman offered to open the door and allow me to see the inside. (see the photo to the right) I've been to that school many times over the years but never had I been inside. It is in wonderful condition, beautiful floors, good chalkboards, and a fine collection of vintage shucked oyster cans on shelves above the chalkboards. The back wall was all windows facing out onto the Maurice River. What a lucky day for me and what a wonderful school room for the children and teachers who once spent their days in it.
Last note for this blog entry. Today, two of my friends and I visited Allaire State Park. They were having a wine and jazz festival, but as many of you may know, I don't drink, nonetheless, I wouldn't miss a chance to visit Allaire. I enjoyed the blacksmith's shop, the carpenter's shop, where he gave us a short talk on wagon wheels and showed us an old wheel 'jack' and a perennial favorite of mine, the general store. There were hundreds of people there - what a turn out! It was a delightful day, cool and overcast (no blazing sun or debilitating heat) and we all seemed to be enjoying our visit to this beautiful park and restored company town.
Difficult to tell from a postage-stamp-sized photo, but I'll go for some sort of valve mechanism.
ReplyDeleteJW,
ReplyDeleteThere appears to be a pulley, for a belt to some sort of engine. Not able to clearly see what it is sitting on, nor not sure the context of the setting makes it a little difficult to know what it is. But there is a belt pulley on the front of the larger wheel.
Russ
Such good guesses, especiall those like Russ Worthington who saw the belt pully part of the machine. Funny guesses were that it was an apple corer or a coffee grinder, but could have been, I guess! I would never ina million years have been able to guess it. One friend copied and pasted in order to make it larger and when he did the name of the machine came up! Thanks for the fun, all of you who participated.
ReplyDelete