47 South, 13th Street, Cottonwood, Arizona 86326
Anna Mae,
After reading so many ‘Soot in the Flues,’ I feel I know
you well enough to write a few lines. First of all, let my wishes
be that you and the Album continue for a long time. I enjoy it so
much. Now, for a little history
I am 65 years young, retired from the Int. Union of Operating
Engineers Local #12 and started my working days when steam was on
the way out (1926). I cut my eye teeth on a Penberthy injector and
fired a return flue ‘Minnie’ for my dad on a sawmill until
the summer of 1929. Then took the old ‘Minnie’ out and
pulled a 36-60 Advance separator for a neighbor. Threshed about
1200 acres of oats, wheat and barley. All this in Knox County,
Illinois. Dad traded the old ‘Minnie’ for a 20 HP return
flue Avery and got a 36-60 Yellow Fellow separator and we threshed
with this rig around Douglas, Illinois in 1930. Dad continued
through 1931 and ’32.
In the summer of 1931, I bought my first threshing outfit, 18 HP
Aultman Taylor engine, 36-60 Aultman Taylor separator. I threshed
around Maquon, Illinois (1000 acres) and in 1932, threshed the
Maquon run (800 acres) and then threshed a second run at Dahinda,
Illinois (700 acres). Had a #9 Birdsell Huller and hulled clover
both falls (into February the first fall).
I kept the little A & T engine pretty busy with sawmilling,
threshing, hulling clover, some road work and moving buildings. No
grain to thresh in ’33 and ’34 due to cinch bugs. Traded
the A & T engine for a Case 50 in spring of ’35 and
threshed around Farmington, Illinois that year, then sold out and
went into heavy construction equipment. I spent a little time for
Uncle Sam and went back into sawmill and threshing business after
World War II at Oak Hills, Illinois. Bought one of the last Advance
Rumelys built, 25 HP and a 36-60 Red River Special. Also a new
Fisher & Davis 3 block mill. I sold all of this out in 1949 and
moved to southern California and continued to work in heavy
construction until I retired in 1972.
I take in most of the shows west of the Mississippi, and am a
member of Pinckneyville, Illinois and Pawnee, Oklahoma. Have been
to Rough & Tumble at Kinzers once and expect to go again.
I am sending this poem along and hope that it may find its way
into the Album: