Off your current topic, I have a B&S 2L surface grinder, one of the last ones made in 1946. It has power feeds in both X (table traverse) and Z (in and out cross feed) axes. The spindle is belt drive (126" long belt over 5 pulleys and a counterweight). The power feeds are entirely mechanical, via an incredibly complicated bunch of machinery that still works, driven by a separate flat leather belt.
I found the #2 B&S grinder in the 1904 B&S catalogue
488 p., illus., 14.0 cm, trade catalog
archive.org
same basic machine, set up for line shaft belt power.
I do not know how much older than 1904 they were making the #2. If you can find the serial number of the machine, I can try to help you with the year of manufacture of your #2. On my 2L the serial number is stamped onto the top of the spindle mounting vertical sliding block, on the right side pad for bolting down the magnetic chuck to the table, and on the right side of the base casting above the access hole. Yours may be different...
There is good information on the #2 on
http://vintagemachinery.org/, including several manuals for different vintages of the #2 grinder.
Hope this helps...
Question: What is the vertical thing mounted on the left side of the vertical sliding column of your #2?