‘NONE SO RARE AS A DAY IN JUNE’

brother Lonn in it and a strange man somewhat heavy and
strong-built. The man said, ‘I’ll bet you never heard of me
–Chris Busch.’ ‘Chris,’ T said, ‘of Colton,
Washington, Yes sir. We’ve corresponded for years.’

I arranged at once with the boss to get off for this day and the
next as Chris and I had things to do. Chris and his family stayed
in the Motel, nothwithstanding lodging with plain fare we offered.
We looked over my relics and models.

Old Betsy seemed to intrigue Chris most. I said, ‘I’ll
have Old Betsy fired up at six a. m. Be here and we’ll go for a
ride.’

A more typical June morning never was, as Chris approached and I
pulled the cord on the Buckeye whistle. Two old steam threshermen
were working up to a pitch of high tension. With 70 pounds of
pressure I opened up the throttle and Betsy readily responded, with
the old familiar sound of exhaust that only the Russell can
produce.

Soon we were headed westward toward the towering peaks. Mourning
doves greeted us and the blue bird also welcomed our approach. Our
first hill was a challenge for modern tractors. But the 59 year old
Russell climbed it on 70 pounds. Turning to the left we followed
the roadway at the foot of the mountain range, furnishing perpetual
background with mountains, canyons and natural rock slide as the
morning June sun gave perfect light for the camera. The young folks
followed closely in a modern vehicle.

Our next turn to the right, we confronted another steep climb
that Betsy had done near three score years previous. She never
faltered with a tall robust product of Washington State soil and a
veteran of the Beehive State at control.

There were wild honey suckle and the Utah State emblem, Sogo
Lily, in bloom on either side. We had now reached the approach of
the Plantation Farm as it was called by the company of men that had
owned it as well as the steam thresher. Old Betsy was the
company’s only survivor. She almost turned in without steering,
as she’d done so many times in years past.

The company of men had passed on, that had owned the farm. It
almost seemed, a wail of mourning when the Buckeye whistle was
again sounded as signal of triumph of our climb of a most difficult
height. With inspiring awe we turned and retraced our tracks,
descending to the peaceful settlement and turned in my gate. Then
she was safely back in her usual parking stall beneath the Locust
Tree.

As the morning was only half gone, we loaded the 1/4 scale Case
on the Dodge pickup and again, we were wending our way to the most
alluring atmosphere of mountain air. The famous Deep Canyon was
soon reached. We unloaded the craft of my own hands beside the
clear mountain stream. A few minutes were required to get up steam
and the little handmade whistle announced our approach to the
dug-way, which compared with the same pitch used on the ramps of
the Case Company had at the Fair display. The one-fourth scale
Premium Case model climbed it as before.

Lunch was now ready to be served to the old veterans as well as
the wives and young folks who brought up the rear. The serving was
realistic of days gone by to hungry threshing crews, and in the
same place beside the rippling waters of the Rockies.

We re-loaded the Case Model and once more replaced it in my
museum.

We rolled out the one-half scale Russell, fired it up and did
some road stunts as well as a test on the belt, driving the
one-half scale Dixie at full speed.

There was still some time left in a long June day. We drove up
to Malad, Idaho, and saw the Case 60 HP, the Case 45 and Case 50 as
well as the Aultman Taylor 25. All had been idle for years, and
only added more melancholy to the trip that was already filled with
awe.

Arriving back at my home we reviewed the eventful day of
reliving happy days gone by. As two old veteran threshermen parted,
my innermost thoughts were, ‘None so rare as a day in
June.’