"Tom Watson" wrote:

I was out visiting my Mom last weekend and I spoke with an old friend
who happens to be of the Amish persuasion. He has a woodshop that
runs off of a waterwheel and he creates some very nice, albeit
rough,
country furniture. Emil said to me, "You Englishers seem to be
having
quite a problem with this oil thing. I hope you all don't finally
decide to use the creek. It's a small creek and would only support
a
couple of Englishers, although it could probably handle fifty or so
more of us Amish.

Emil has never been a subtle man.

But he has always been truthful.

Sounds like you were in Lancaster County.

Travel 400 miles west and you are in Wayne County, Oh where I grew up
among a very sizeable Amish population.

They were allowed to use internal combustion engines for stationary
power to run saw mills.

My dad sold them grease and oil for those engines.

To this day, they still build a lot of white oak furniture and there
are still working sawmills in the area.

Had a neighbor who had a house built by the Amish.

They would not quote a price other than labor by the hour.

The neighbor had gotten a couple of quotes from local contractors but
elected to have the Amish build it.

Every morning a crew consisting of the father, some uncles and a whole
bunch of kids showed and worked the whole day with nothing but hand
tools.

Before summer was over, the house was built, under budget and of good
quality.

Something to be learned there.

Lew