Box 76, Devils Lake, N. Dak. 58301
On November 4th there was a cold wind from the north-west when
we finished threshing on the Sigmund Jacobson farm at Brocket, N.D.
The engine pictured was brought from Canada. We restored it several
years ago from what looked like a wreck. It is a Case ’65’
with a butt strap boiler and a Gould balanced valve. That is me
I have attended ten different threshing shows from Saskatoon to
Dubuque and the Western Minnesota Steam Threshers reunion is the
best yet. They have large steam engines and large gas tractors
doing threshing with several separators. The groan of the Maple Bay
blower on the 1908 Buffalo Pitts Niagara Second separator is a
familiar sound to me from my boyhood days as my uncle had the same
kind of separator as this one owned and operated by Mr. William
Hektner of Wahpeton, N.D. I had the honor of operating the Avery
40-80 tractor running this separator at threshing at Rollag. Mr.
Hektner is an expert separator man.
They have several organizations serving meals and lunches in
different buildings and there are dozens of long benches on the
grounds for people to rest on. There are fresh water fountains and
numerous private rest rooms. They put out a yearly book,
‘Memories of Bygone
Years’, better than anywhere else. The 12th edition with 160
pages of write-ups and pictures on good gloss paper is the best yet
and can be bought for $1.25 postpaid from the secretary Mr. Norman
Nelson, Hawley, Minn. 56549. It is well worth the price and good
reading from cover to cover. There were 18 steam engines and over
50 gas tractors operating and the miniature land is a wonderland
with dozens of exhibits in operation. There is a museum of
antiques. Many stationary gasoline engines big and small are
running just beautifully. More show pieces are added each year.
There are plans of having a Corliss engine generating electric
power next fall.
