Eric and Jack,

Don't confuse me with somebody who actually knows something.

When it comes to gas pumps, I'm a full-fledged, card-carrying novice with the vocabulary of a 1st grader; and if I converted everything I know about pumps into dynamite, I couldn't blow my nose.

So, Jack, with my vocabulary in mind, and, in response to your other e-mail question:

First: just what the heck is a "...1/2 of a St. Louis Square visible..." anyway?

Obviously, I need to read your book!..now that I know you wrote one.

If even YOU don't know much about the G-500,
then it seems possible, maybe even probable, that it is a rare piece of equipment.

Even the "Google" search engine has yet to turn up anything for me using key-words like,
"Martin & Schwartz G 500".

Second: No. My pumps came from an old Route 66 gas station/car dealership/tractor dealership/garage/cattle farm in Saint Clair, Missouri, that has been in my family for about 50 years (my brothers and I are talking about doing restoration work on the
building in the near future).

It was built in the 20's or 30's by a very colorful gentleman who became a walking-talking piece of Route 66 Americana; older than dirt and born 2-3 DECADES BEFORE my Martin & Schwartz was shipped out of the factory, brand new, in Buffalo, N.Y.

He passed away a few months ago, about a 100 years old; one of the last of the "old-time" old-timers.

Eric, a "cap" or "dome" atop the glass cylinder that holds the gas appears to be missing from mine, also. That cap is different than the "globe", above the cap, that advertised the brand of gasoline, and on mine, is internally illuminated by a small, incandescent bulb. I say "appears" because I am not yet 100% certain that there ever was a cap. Are you certain?

Both of you are welcome to "as-is" photos along with "restored" photos. I'll email them to you (.jpg format OK?) one of these days (don't hold your breath for the restored photos); and perhaps post them on this site.

Randall

[This message has been edited by Randall P (edited 12-14-2002).]

[This message has been edited by Randall P (edited 12-14-2002).]

[This message has been edited by Randall P (edited 12-14-2002).]