CHAPTER EIGHT - INGENUITY

Saturday started out a little overcast and cool. Perhaps a reminder that even though there were four weeks of summer left, fall would not be far behind. After the chores were done, the boys presented their plan to bring water to the butcher house and furnace. Josh was the chief presenter.
He said, “We decided to use the pump from Larry’s weed sprayer. It has high capacity, is fairly new, and is self-lubricated. It’s direct driven, by power-take-off now, but we can easily install a sprocket on the main drive shaft and rig up a bicycle to spin it by pedal/people power. We thought we’d set it up halfway between the spring and the butcher house, pitching the water line downhill to the pump so gravity would help to get the water started. We can build a little shelter around it so whoever’s pedaling would be out of the weather.”
“We know we’ll have to flush and reflush the pump several times to make sure there are no residual pesticides in it,” added Larry. “In fact, we might even disassemble part of it to make sure.”
Josh continued, “We think we should use a narrow diameter line, no bigger than one inch. We’d be sacrificing volume by using a small line so it will take more time to pump, but to our advantage the weight of the water in a smaller line will be less, requiring much less power to pull and push the water. It appears there is enough one inch plastic line in the barn. When we get nearer to the butcher house, we can switch to regular metal piping and tubing, some of which Dad brought from our old house.”
“What do you plan to store the water in?” Harvey asked.
“I’m getting to that,” Josh responded. “We had to really strain our brains to decide. We wanted to have a large capacity tank, so it would not be running empty all the time. Our two largest tanks are the sprayer tank itself at 500 gallons and the milk tank at 1000 gallons. We are recommending that we install the milk tank in between the butcher house and the furnace, high enough so the water feeds by gravity out of one end into the heating tank in the furnace for hot water and out of the other to an outlet into the butcher house for cold. We know it will be quite a project. We’ll have to use the backhoe to move it and lift it into place. And we’ll have to build a good base to support it. Its capacity was not the only determining factor in our decision, however. It is well insulated to keep the milk cold, so we reasoned it would keep the spring water cooler until we used it. But more importantly it should prevent the water from freezing in the winter.”
Dennis chimed in, “Our intention is to further insulate the outside of the tank and enclose it to protect it from both the sun and wind. We’d place it in the east side of the enclosure, and then in the rest of the enclosure we’d like to rig up showers. We can scrounge up enough piping to do that and both hot and cold water are right there. The shower room would have the furnace on one side and the butcher house with its stove on the other, so it should stay pretty toasty.”
Josh concluded, “Aaron’s working on a sieve to install on the end of the hose in the springhouse, so no critters like snakes, mice or frogs clog it, and we also realize that the line will have to put under ground to prevent it from freezing this winter. Another chore for the backhoe. So… what do you think?”
Harvey and Dad must have been thinking. You couldn’t see the wheels turning inside their heads nor was there any smoke coming out of their ears, but both of them were rubbing the beard on their chins.
Dad spoke first. “You all did a great job of thinking this project through. I only have one suggested change that I’ll mention later.” He turned toward Harvey and said, “But first I need to know if it suits Harvey to use his milk tank. Isn’t there a chance that we will get electricity again and then the tank will be needed to refrigerate the milk, especially if the milking herd increases toward its former numbers?”
“Yeah, I’ve certainly been pondering that,” Harvey responded. “Right now, my thinking is that we’ll take really good care when disconnecting the tank, while moving it and while repositioning it. Enough care that the whole project could be reversed in the future. Larry’s a co-owner here. Do you agree?” he asked Larry.
“Of course I had more time to think about it, and I’m OK with it. You put it well Pop,” Larry said. “Good care must be taken. We needn’t rush it either. We have water in the meantime. And thanks for your confidence.”
He turned to Dad and asked, “What is your suggestion for the project?”
Dad answered, “When Harvey’s and my grandfather lived here, before the wells were drilled, the water was pumped from the spring to the house by a pump in the cellar. Back then even that old pump was able to pull the water all the way across the meadow. Before you go too far, why don’t you just lay your lines on top of the ground and try your pump from the butcher house itself or from the cellar, where it might be even lower than the spring. That way the people doing the pedaling do not need to worry about the weather.”
“And besides,” Harvey added, “the meadow floods once or twice a year, then your pump and pedal contraption would be under water.”
“You’re right,” said Larry, “we forgot about that. We’ll definitely try it your way first. Additionally we’d like to move one of the hot water tanks from either the milk house or one of the houses. The tank in the furnace only heats about 35 gallons. The other tanks are 60-80 gallons. We have the materials and the know how to tie it into the system; it would help a lot with showers and laundry. We agree it’s doable, but what we haven’t agreed on is how to heat Harvey’s house.”
“It’s a dilemma,” Jake said. “Dennis and I keep looking and looking at it. We just can’t figure out how to drive that circulator pump in the furnace mechanically.”
“And if we come up with a way to make enough electricity to run the circulator pump, and it takes a lot, we’d have electricity to pump water, too. We could use the shower in the house. Then all this design and work to bring water to the butcher house becomes unnecessary,” Dennis said.
“But we haven’t figured out a way to make electricity, so we’ll have to come up with something else,” Aaron said.
“We can build a wood stove for the house out of a 55 gallon drum or other materials around the farm,” Jeremiah said.
“Or we could get our coal stove from the old house,” Josh said. “Right Dad?”
“Well, not exactly. I left that for the landlord; it was the only heat in that house.” Dad responded.
“You what!” Josh exclaimed, “What did you owe him?”
“I didn’t owe him anything. I guess I made a heart over a head decision. Something we all need to remember to do once in awhile. And I didn’t just give it to him. He’s giving me a couple things in return.”
“Like what?” Josh asked.
“Oh, we’ll see when I come back from our next trip over there. It’s kinda like that ‘player to be named later’ in a baseball trade.”
Joe jumped in, “I can see where we all need to step back at times and remember there are others in worse shape than we are. Our problems aren’t the worst in the world and can be overcome. The solutions won’t always be perfect. We will have disagreements, but things will work out.”
“Dennis,” he went on, “I’m wondering; couldn’t the hot water be circulated anywhere in the circuit? I’m not sure I’m phrasing that right. Do you know what I’m asking?”
“Yes I do,” Dennis answered. “And I think you’ve solved the problem. If we eliminate or bypass the circulator pump in the furnace and install one in the heating line somewhere in the house and use another pedal/people drive, then we can keep the hot water circulating around the house.”
“It’s a lot of pedaling when it’s cold,” said Josh.
“Another way to stay warm,” Harvey chuckled.
“Only until we figure out another way to drive the pump, like animal power or steam,” Aaron said.
“I like your positive thinking,” Jake said, “but we’ll still need a pump.”
“I know,” Aaron answered, “one thing at a time. Let’s get the spring water here first. We’ve time to find a suitable pump for the house.”
“But I have to come back to the possibility that just maybe,” Dennis said,
“we might come up with a way to make enough electricity to power both pumps, so we can shower in the house.”
“You just don’t give up, do you?” Aaron snapped.
“Boys! Knock it off!” their father yelled.
“It’s all right, Joe,” Harvey said, “they’re thinking. And as with most dilemmas there are two or more opinions. The boys are just defending their opinions with passion. We need passionate thinkers. Think of all the people you worked for or worked with who lacked those qualities. Dennis, you just go right on trying to find a way to make some electricity for the farm. Although,” Harvey continued, “even if we could make enough electricity to keep the showers in the houses operating, would we want every Tom, Dick and Harry who might join us traipsing into our house for a shower?”
“What do you mean,” Larry asked, “By ‘join us’?”
“What I mean,” Harvey answered, “Is that we have food, water, shelter and fuel. Four things a lot of people don’t have. And they’ll soon be out looking for some. People are going to find it here. We’ll share or trade with them, then some will move on; others may want to stay. We’ll only know a few of them; the rest will be strangers. I’d rather have them using outside shower and bathroom facilities instead of our home unless they’re ill, elderly, or otherwise incapacitated.”
“I see,” said Larry. “How many people might join us?”
“We just don’t know,” Dad interjected. “Let’s not dwell on it, but let’s recognize that as we come up with solutions to our challenges that the solutions might have to meet the needs of more than just the 21 people who are here now.”

To be continued… Mort