—Lancaster Famine, Saturday, September 2,1978
134
Elro the robot was the center attraction
By SALLY BAIR
Staff Writer
UNIVERSITY PARK -
“Excuse me, I’m having my
picture taken. Cheese!”
With those words, one very
flustered Lancaster Far
ming reporter snapped a
picture of what appeared to
be a fat tin can with arms -
and a lively personality!
Actually, the subject was
“Elro,” a robot featured in
the family living tent at Ag
Progress Days. Elro is no
ordinary robot, and when he
was “visiting” with his
public, the area was packed
with fascinated children and
adults who watched and
listened, but didn’t quite
believe what they were
witnessing.
Elro is about five feet tall,
rather round with arms but
no legs, and he displayed a
quick sense of humor and
high intelligence as he an
swered the many questions
put to him.
The questions were end-'
less. “How’d they make
you?” “That is classified
information.” “How old are
you, Elro?” “I have no
chronological age.” “Do you
have a girlfriend?” “No, but
I’m looking around.” “May I
shake your hand?” “Af
firmative - you have very
soft hands.” “Where do you
hear?” “I have various
audio sensory devices. ’ ’
Sometimes a question
was not to be answered, but
always polite, and well
spoken, Elro would say,
“That particular data is not
in my present program
ming.”
It was too much to expect
that someone wouldn’t
inquire if he was acquainted
with R2D2 and CP3O of Star
Wars fame. Yes, he
acknowledged, he knew
them adding, “CP3O has a
platinum body and mine is
more metallic.”
Once when he accidentally
worked himself off the
plywood runway which was
his base of operations, Elro
said the crowd, “Please
excuse me, I must get into a
higher gear and get back in
position.”
According to Carolyn
Schrock, community
resource development
specialist at the University,
the response to Elro was
FALL
CONSIGNMENT AUCTION
OF FARM MACHINERY & FARM RELATED ITEMS
MONDAY, LABOR DAY, SEPTEMBER 4,1978
10:00 A.M.
Located at Auction barn in American Corner,
MD, 10 mile: South of Denton, MD on Hwy.
621.
TRAC )RS >j6 Int. diesel with rebuilt motor & roll
guard; *2O . I AC; AC D-17 w/loader, Minneapolis
Moline 'i G die .el; Int. M, Ferguson 30; expecting a
lot more
COMBINES 760 MF with 20’ platform, 6-row corn
head; 300 Case with com head; Int. 915, 6 row com
head, 15’ platform, diesel & air; AC Gleaner G, 16’
table, w/4 row com head; Int. 303; Case 900; JD 55 12’
table.
OTHER EQUIPMENT: 2 JD model FB gram drills;
12’ King disc harrow; 14’ Kewanee disc harrow; 6 bot
tom Int. semi-mounted plow; 4 row AC com planter;
3-4-5 bot. plows; JD hay rake; JD hay baler; JD 12’
disc; JD 494 planter; Int. 4 row planter; 14’
cultipacker; 15’ roller harrow.
This is only a partial listing.
Terms: Cash.
A. Curtis Andrew - Auctioneer
301-479-0756
Dr. Tom King presents a metal certificate to Elro, the robot, in appreciation of
his fine service during Ag Progress Days.
terrific all week. “It’s adults
as well as children. Adults
especially get a kick out of
him.” She said that
University President John
Oswald had an extended
conversation with Elro when
he visited Ag Progress Days
as did Republican Guber
natorial Candidate Richard
Thornburg and his wife.
Asked how Elro is able to
respond so well to the
questions, Miss Schrock,
said, “He has got quite a
program of tapes.”
Elro never seemed to tire
of the endless and repetitive
questions - as a human
might. However, even robots
need a rest. After about 30-45
minutes of being totally
surrounded by inquisitive
people Elro would announce, he said, “Excuse me,
“Excuse me, I must return maam.”
to my charging place.” And For his preseverance and
after he politely said “ex- patience, Dr. Thomas King,
cuse me” about ten more director of Extension,
times the crowd would presented Elro with a metal
slowly get the hint and begin certificate which read in
to make a_path for him. If part, “A certificate of ap
anyone strayed into his path pointment as professor for
PUBLIC SALE
12.5 ACRE FARM &
PERSONAL PROPERTY
SEPTEMBER 16
DIRECTIONS: Located on Rt. 897, 2 miles
east of Schaefferstown or 4 miles south of
Lebanon. (Lebanon County)
Frame house, baseboard oil hot water heat (2 yrs.
old). First floor - double hvmg room, kitchen, bath &
laundryroom comb., breezeway, attached 2 story
summerhouse, with 1 car garage. Second floor - 3
bedrooms and bath, attic with tin roof. Also this
property has a bankbam (50’ x 30’) with elec. & water,
comcnb (5’ x 24’), two story pig sty (40’ x 14’) with
elec. & water, and a variety of fruit trees.
AUCTIONEERS NOTE: This is a real fine piece of
real estate for anyone interested in a small farm.
PERSONAL PROPERTY
2 sec. cultipacker, D.B. disc, Surge R.V. milker
pump, 2 wheel hvy. duty trailer, scorrer, Int. 2 row
pull-type complanter, motorized 2 hole corn sheller,
hog & cattle waterers, iron hog trough, hog self-feeder,
asst, hand tools, Toro reel type mower, Agway crop
duster, L handle pitch fork, wooden work bench, hand
mower, 8 pcs. (4’ xB’ x V 4”) hardboard, King wood
burning stove, G.E. elec, stove, metal base cabinet,
metal wardrobe, new spouting, 2 storm windows, Kero,
salamander, roofing paper, asst, water pipe & elec,
supplies. 12 hp Sears tractor with 42” mower, snow
blade, plow, isc, 2 wheel metal trailer. Fencing &
ladder.
INSPECTION: Sept. 9, 1978 - (1:00 to 3:00 p.m.) or
7P-949-2038.10% down the day of the sale and balance
on or before 30 days. Sale of real estate -11:00 A.M.
Terms & Conditions by:
LEE H. & BARBARA A. BLOUCH
James K. Roller, Atty.
Auctioneer: Joe C. Hoke Jr.
445 Rocherty Rd.
Lebanon, Pa. 17042
Phone: 717-272-2039
10:00 A.M
accepting the call to serve
the University and the
Commonwealth during Ag
Progress Days.”
Miss Schrock said, “We
had hoped to have him
walking outside the tent on
the road, but the gravel got
GAP AUCTION
FRIDAY EVE., SEPTEMBER 8,1978
5:30 P.M.
Located oil Route 41 - Lancaster Avenue opposite Turkey
Hill M.mt Market - Cross RR Bridge.
ANTIQUES AND HOUSEHOLD GOODS
SOLD AT EVERY AUCTION.
Inspection Friday from 9:00 A.M. until sale time.
CONSIGNMENTS ON MONDAYS
FROM 800 A.M. TO 7:00 P.M.
OTHER DAYS BY APPOINTMENT.
Call us for pick-up service
IRA STGLTZFUS & SON, Auctioneers
442-4936 or 442-8254
CONDUCTORS ALL TYPES PUBLIC SALES
PUBLIC SALE
OF VALUABLE REAL ESTATE,
FURNITURE AND ANTIQUES
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 7
Located at Mount Joy, R.D. 3 approx. 2 miles
north of Mount Joy along road to Milton Grove,
or V/z mile off 283 bypass, get off at Manheim
Mount Joy exit, toward Mount Joy located on
Milton Grove road, 1 mile off Manheim road, ail
3 tracks will be sold from Mount Joy R.D. 3 at
farm no. I.
REAL ESTATE NO. 1
1:00 P.M.
Tract No. 1 farm 83% acres more or less, located in
Rapho Township, Lancaster County, Pa., 9 room farm
house, 2 baths, oil fired furnace, storm windows
throughout, drilled well, concrete porches, Ig. attic, Ig.
celler, Ig. barn 90x60, Ig. tobacco barn, 2 car garage,
and other necessary out buildings, this farm has a lot of
frontage and has a lot of possibility for building
development Little Chickies Stream running through
the farm.
Tract No. 2 - to 3 acres more or less, meadow with
stream running thru, along hard road, this track is
located % mile from farm no. 1.
TRACT NO. 3
2:00 P.M.
Tract No. 3 - on the west side of Manheim road m
Stauffertown, Lancaster County, Pa., 5 room house on
Ig. lot, sewerage available, this home needs repairs,
this would make a nice home for someone.
ANTIQUES AND FURNITURE
9:00 A.M.
G.E. 2 door refrigerator with deep freezer across
bottom, electric stove, 21 cu. ft. G.E. upright freezer,
G.E. washer and dryer, breakfast set, 2 metal cabinets
with glass doors, nice safe, 3 piece hving room suite, 2
double beds springs and mattresses, 2 electric
sweepers, electric clocks, piano bench, picture frames,
Ig. and small electric lights, lot of canning jars, set of
dishes, silver ware, cabinets, kerosene lamps, end
tables, clothe rack, old post cards, Martha Washington
sewing cabinet, 2-knee hole desks, and chairs,
telephone stand, lot of new dress material, old baskets,
old plank bottom chairs, old buttons, easy chairs, 4
wash boards, 40 crocks, Ig. and small, 5 iron kettles, 15
jugs 1 to 5 gal., meat cleaver, electric coffee pot,
garden tools and other tools, picnic table, wash tubs, 21
inch lawn boy rotary mower like new, wheel chair,
tobacco rails, old yard sticks. International Cub Cadet
No. 128 with mower and 2 wheel cart, blankets, dishes,
pots, pans, what not shelves and trinkets, new home
sewing machine, cedar wardrobe, cradle, old quilts,
Whirlpool 8000 air conditioner, slide projector, record
player, many more items to be sold not adv., inspection
Sept. 16-23-30 from 1:00 p.m., till 4:00 p.m.
Condition of Real Estate will be given day of sale by
the Att. W.R. Howard, 104 W. Chestnut St., Lancaster,
Pa. 392-2837.
Cash or Travelers checks if approved by the auc
tioneer.
Gerberich & Long, Auct.
838-1825
FOOD SERVED BY MT. JOY FIRE CO.
NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR ACCIDENTS
caught in his wheels.” She
speculated that if the road
had been paved they could
have accomplished their
wish. Even robots have some
limitations.
Some people tried to see if
(Turn to Page 137)
at 9:00 A.M
TRACT NO. 2
1:30 P.M.
EDNA G. SHEARER,
Owner