An old-fashioned Threshing Bee was held at the Arthur Hudachek
farm, R. R. 1, West Liberty, Iowa, on Saturday, August 9th. It had
been postponed from Tuesday because of the rain. However, some 200
people from far and near came on Tuesday without knowing of the
postponement Several loads of bundles of grain had previously been
put under cover, so some threshing was done. On Saturday more than
Mr. Hudachek owns a 1912 Case steam engine which was fired up to
do the threshing with coal wagon and water tank near by. He is the
fifth-owner of the old steam engine. He bought it last September at
Newton. It had been used for farm work for many years and in recent
years had provided steam for a dry-cleaning plant in Newton.
His 30-year-old Case separator was used to do the threshing.
Many of the men and older boys took a turn at pitching the bundles
into the separator
Neighbors brought their hay racks with most of them being pulled
with up-to-date tractors but Mr. Hudachek had a team of horses
hitched to one bundle wagon representing the old fashioned team and
wagon at threshing time.
At noon the old time threshing whistles were heard and the wash
basin put in the back yard where the threshing crew washed before
dinner. Lunch was served by the Wapsie Township Farm Bureau.
Hiram Galoway, 90, of Iowa City, was one of the. many men who
pitched bundles. Spry for his age, Mr. Galloway said he enjoyed
pitching bundles again.
On display were two 40-year-old Titan tractors and a 38-year-old
Ford-son, all of which were driven on their own power; a one-horse
mower and a power testing machine, both invented by Mr. Hudachek
were on display.
Mr. Hudachek will display his machine at the Old Time Threshers
Association Reunion at Maquokeat September 12-14.
