panhandle a strip of land projecting like the handle of a pan. Here refers to the western extension of Oklahoma.
con-rod bearing a reciprocating rod connecting two or more moving parts of a machine, as the crankshaft and a piston of an automobile.
babbitt a soft white metal of tin, lead, copper, and antimony in various proportions, used to reduce friction as in bearings.
shim a thin, usually wedge-shaped piece of wood, metal, or stone used for filling space, leveling, and so on, as in masonry.
jack [old slang] money.
proprietor one who owns and operates a business establishment.
Bolshevicky here refers a member of the Bolshevik party, a majority faction (Bolsheviki) of the Russian Social Democratic Workers' Party, which formed the Communist Party after seizing power in the 1917 Revolution.
