Manitou Beach, Michigan.
My father started threshing soon after the Civil War with an old
Ground Hog machine and horse power. However, I will tell you about
the things I remember.
In 1897 my father had a 10 hp Advance engine, a Star separator
with straw carrier and hand feeder also a Victor clover huller. In
fed. In 1901 he traded the 10 hp for a 14 hp Advance engine No.
6770. This picture I am enclosing was taken September 19, 1911. I
am standing by the drive wheel and Dewit Bennett and Roy Pratt by
the tank. They owned the ensilage cutter which was a Bell City.
My father died in 1913 and my brother George, and I run the rig
until 1920. I then bought a 15-30 four cylinder Titan and a 39×46
separator, a 10 roll husker, type 9 ensilage cutter. They were all
I.H.C. In 1925 I traded the 15-30 for a Rumley Oil Pull 25-45 No.
274 type R. In 1926 I traded the separator for a Rumley 30×48 which
I still have. I sold the Oil Pull last May and it is on a sawmill.
In 1936 I traded the ensilage cutter for a Papec which I still
use.
I have not threshed for four years as my son has a Combine. I am
a Charter Member of the National Threshers Association and have
been to all the meetings.
Last September five of us went to Pontiac, Illinois, and there
we saw the best collection of steam engines yet.
In 1940 my youngest son bought a Port Huron saw mill. We pulled
it with the Oil Pull. For two years he was in the Army and my
oldest son and I run it. In 1943 we bought a 19-65 Port Huron and
had trouble with the boiler as it was thin around the ash pan, so
we junked it.
After the war the two boys bought a Baker 23-90. They got
another mill which had a top saw. Top saw is 33′ and lower
52′.
The largest tree we have sawed was a 5 ft. stump and sawed out
4,500 feet of lumber. The son has a Reo Semi with power winch,
Disston chain saw, a McMullen one-man saw, John Deere Cat, a three
saw edger in the mill.
I think I have the largest crosscut saw around, it is 9 feet
long.
