We had a David Bradley Tractor while growing up.I was pretty young but I was about the only one able to start the Wisconsin Engine it had.Perhaps Dad made it feel that way, I know that I felt like a Hero being masterful at 8 or 9 years of age.Many things were off limits growing up however the David Bradley I was allowed to use freewill.It didn't have a job for a few years however it finally had a job of making electricity for our camp.That somehow
turned out to be my job.I can't recalled what time
of day we fired up however I can tell you it was
lights out at 9 pm.It was a game to me and I enjoyed to the maximum.Being about 8 or 9 years old it was job to shut it down at 9 pm sharp. I never missed a beat.Mother would always dottle going to bed but I would throw her into
darkness.Something I rather enjoyed.Mother
would hollar at me from inside the house trailer "You can wait until im in bed "and I would shout back "you wont go to bed unless I shut it off".Its kind of the the only time I got away with being a wise guy.Dad would be in bed all
ready he knew I was going to jurk the plug besides I would here him giggle when silence came back to the woods. Looking back Mom I think knew I enjoyed that and we had that interaction for a few years.About 1966 (ball park)The Vermont CO-OP ran power lines up the town road and my dad hooked onto the High line and it ended the job of the David Bradley and making power.We left the tractor at the camp but I took the generator home and put it up in the loft in our barn.I pulled it out of storage 34 years later,It still had the same rope tied to the pulley end I had pulled it up through the hole with.I used the same rope to let it down. In the early 70s one of my sisters and here husband built a new house at our camp.The tractor stayed there.I dont recall ever seeing the tractor again all though my sister and her husband are still there.
Almost 30 plus years later I wanted another David Bradley.Now I am neck deep into it with No regrets . 
|
