11TH ANNUAL REUNION OF THE National Threshers Assn., Inc.

purposes, the largest crowds of enthusiastic people all these added
up to the most successful Reunion the National Threshers
Association, Inc., ever enjoyed.

This year, in addition to the prony brake and the Baker Fan, on
which the engines were worked a good deal of the time, winter
barley was threshed every day. A sawmill was run by a good sawyer
who sawed watermelons for the crowd in between log sawing; the
earthen incline was rebuilt to a 42% grade, and engines could and
did go on up and over on the other side; a number of engines tried
out the teeter-totter; a steam engine race was held; concerts on
the steam calliope were given after the morning invocation, from 12
noon to one p. m., and during the supper hour. In fact, this year
there was so much activity all the time it was difficult to keep up
with it all.

Two parades, Friday evening and again Saturday afternoon, gave
almost everyone an opportunity to witness at least one. The large
grandstand, seating several thousand, was filled for both
occasions, with so many lining the track Saturday afternoon it was
almost difficult for the floats to get through. Besides the
engines, which are of course the mainstay of the parades, the
ladies of TNT (The National Threshwomen) prepared several floats,
very colorful, especially since time was so short for preparation.
Each year a new float is added to the parade, the new one this year
being the Square Dance float. The first was the Threshers Dinner
float, with the men rushing to the table upon hearing the dinner
bell. When one of the men pulled a large mouse out of the dish at
the end of the meal the crowd roared with appreciation. The float
added to the parade last year was the Old-Time kitchen, with all
genuine antiques being used by ladies in costume-churning butter
with the dash churn, rolling out dough with hand carved rolling
pin, ironing on a table leaf with a sad iron, washing a small boy
in washtub, cooking on a small stove with a real fire in it.
Everybody Works But Father’ was the sign on the side of a small
rocker on which sat our Chaplain, rocking and toasting his toes on
the hearth of the little old stove.

The ladies of TNT rode on a gaily decorated float, holding
pennants and colorful parasols. They also were serenaded with an
air calliope, mounted on the front of their float. Another
decorated float carried the Williams County Homemakers Chorus, who
sang several songs at the Ladies Program Friday afternoon. In
addition, for the ladies there were three cooking and freezing
demonstrations, a marvelous ‘Kitchen of Tomorrow’, shown
usually only in large cities; the famous ‘Hobby Lobby’,
filled with all kinds of needle and art work. Two new features were
organ recitals on the Wurlitzer, and an old fashioned parlor
furnished by the Historical Club of Montpelier, which drew many
nostalgic glances and remarks.

The Federated Garden Clubs had their Flower Show earlier in the
month, but the three winning table arrangements were on display in
the Floral Hall, as well as several flower bouquets and
arrangements. It is unfortunate that the NTA Reunion and the height
of the floral season do not coincide, but mother nature is no more
willing to rearrange her schedule than is NTA, so we will probably
have to content ourselves with the same type of floral display next
year.

One of the new exhibits was the Ford engine, mentioned in the
Steam-O-Gram. Lack of time prevented doing more to it than getting
it mounted on skids and over to the grounds, where they did
actually get steam through it. But come next year and you won’t
recognize it.

The same officers were reelected at the annual business meeting
Thursday evening, with three new directors being Wilbur Collins for
Illinois, Harold Gay for Indiana, Peter Bucher for Iowa. We wish to
take this opportunity to thank all the former offices and directors
for their help in the past, and to bespeak their continued
cooperation. During the Memorial service following the business
meeting, the names of 37 members who have passed away since the
Memorial service in 1952, were read by Rev. Ritzman. The
secretary’s report showed 3915 membership cards in the file as
of January 1, 1955, with nearly a thousand more now to be
added.

Take it all in all, the 11th annual Reunion of NTA was by all
odds the best yet, but plans are now being made to improve the
12th, to be held the same time, the last Thursday, Friday and
Saturday of June; and at the same place, the Williams County Fair
Grounds, Montpelier, Ohio. See you there.