‘ANOTHER OF THE ancient and honor-landmarks of the threshing
industry has passed away in the death of Meinard Rumely. He was
born in Adelsberg, near Zell, Baden, Germany February 9th, 1823. He
came to America at the age of twenty-five years to begin his career
among strangers, with only his willing hands and honest heart as
his capital stock. After working as a mechanic in various cities in
1853 and has since made that his home. In 1857 with his brother,
John, who died in 1894, he started a small repair shop and from
this grew the great works of the M. Rumely Company, where for
nearly fifty years the celebrated Rumely Threshing machinery has
been built.’
In the April 1904 issue of the American Thresherman we find this
article which the editor, Basom Clark, had written about this man.
Mr. Clark, knowing Mr. Rumely so well we feel we can take the
article quite seriously.Elmer
‘In all these fourscore years on earth, over half a century
of which was as a manufacturer, Meinard Rumely never had any labor
troubles that caused a strike. He followed the teachings of the
Golden Rule and tried to deal with his fellowmen as he would like
to be dealt by. Like Zerubbabel of old, his hands laid the
foundation of the temple, in his adopted home, and his upright
Christian character shone out all through his life. Like all good
business men, he handled business affairs on their merits, but
those who knew him best in the business world, his closest
advisers, give him credit for being just, even generous in his
dealings.’
‘The editor of The American Threshman has known Meinard
Rumely for over a quarter of a century, and for years was a
competitor in his own state, in the threshing business. In all that
time, and in all of his acquaintances he always found him a liberal
minded business man.’
‘When one has lived to a ripe old age and has built for
himself a good name and left behind a lasting monument as Meinard
Rumely, his friends have much to feel comforted over.
We are never ready for the dread mandate, to leave this busy
world and come up higher in our sphere of usefulness, but when our
friends have given a long and useful life and whet: we have made
good use thereof, death can claim no victory. The American
Thresherman places this little tribute at the bier of one of the
best friends and mourns with those who mourn his loss.’
In the April issue of Thresher World which was loaned to us by
E. C. Foreman, Tacoma, Ohio, we take these interesting excerpts
from an article on Mr. Rumely.
