A LONG TIME AGO

moved to Colton, Washington, my father buying a 28 inch Case
separator and a return flue Buffalo Pitts engine, now owned by
Chris Busch and in his collection of engines at Colton. I ran this
engine for about three years. It also is the time I first met Chris
Busch and we have been friends ever since. I have never missed a
reunion at Colton since the Steam Fiends were organized, in fact I
was there the year before, as I had seen a story in the newspaper
and have been going ever since. Chris puts on a fine show and it is
enjoyed a lot as attested to by the thousands that journey there
every year. He is doing a fine thing in helping to preserve the old
engines before it is too late.

I kept to farming, threshing and plowing until 1928, moving to
Brady, Montana in 1917. I bought a 110 hp. Case, eight bottom John
Deere plow and 43 inch Russel separator. It was at Brady I met my
very good friend Ernie Stinson. He and I broke more sod and
threshed more grain than most people could imagine. I quit in 1926
but went back in 1928 and ran Ernie’s 110 hp. Case and 44 inch
Red River Special. We had 50 day run and as I remember it we
averaged over 3300 bushel per day the entire run. When I finished
it we put up the rig. I believe it Was the last big rig that run in
that country.

I could write pages of incidents and disasters that happened
over the years but find I have written much more than I had
intended to about myself. What I want to say is that the Steam
Fiend sponsored Threshing Bees here in Oregon are going to turn out
good. Harvey Mikkelson had a fine turn out, Rod Pitts of Canby,
Oregon had a very fine show with planned events including engine
races and tugging contest, also they had the old cradle at work. We
always enjoy the C. A. Miller Picnic at Yacolt, Washington. The
sawmill is always running and two or three steamed up engines for
us old timers to play around with.

All this interest helps for a plan I am trying to put over in
Oregon, to get together several old engines and have a permanent
place for them at the State Fair Grounds. They should be cleaned up
and put in show-shape with one or two steamed up during fair
week.

One only has to go to a few threshing bees to see the thousands
of people who come from so far to just watch. I have three
newspapers who are getting behind the movement, but it will take
all the help we can get to put it over. I am sending you one of the
articles that was run in the ‘Can-by Herald’ as an example
of the way we are starting out. If you have any ideas pass them on
to us. If you have a little space in the ALBUM it should help.

I must say again that I get a lot of enjoyment from the
ALBUM.