Route 2, Box 332, Adena, Ohio
Ideal threshing weather blessed the Stumptown Show again this
year. Both Saturday and Sunday, the sun peeked through the clouds.
Several campers arrived on Labor Day and spent the week at the show
grounds helping get the show set up.
Seven full size traction engines, one portable, one vertical
boiler, 3-? scale model traction engines, 4-? scale model traction
engines, one scale model portable and one scale model stationary
boiler provided the steam for the event. Twenty-eight gas and oil
tractors were on hand along with approximately 225 gas engines.
Eight antique cars and trucks were displayed. Cornmeal was ground
and sold both days, using a stone burr mill powered by a Peerless
steam engine. The corn was shelled by a 2? HP Galloway gas engine.
Gas Engine Alley featured gas engines turning churns, generators,
water pumps, buzz saw or ‘just plain banging away!’
The shingle mill was kept busy by the half-scale model engines
and the little Russell portable. The Power-Eater generator was kept
moving by both steam engines and tractors. Gary Arnold’s ?
scale model Eli Hay Press, powered by his ? scale model portable
engine, caused quite a bit of excitement making miniature bales of
hay. The sawmill kept the larger steam engines occupied with
several truckloads of logs. Four and a half acres of oats that had
been cut with a binder, shocked and loaded on wagons, provided the
threshers and hay bailers with plenty of work. Both steam engines
and gas tractors took their turn at threshing and baling.
At 1:00 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday, a ‘slow engine’
race was held. Joe Harrison was the trophy winner on Saturday,
operating his grandfather’s 20 HP Russell and Jim Fisher was
the Sunday winner on the same engine. The Russell engine was the
champion this year in the slow engine race. Elmer Wenger on John
Sell’s Frick was Saturday’s winner in the ‘block
race.’ He was the only operator able to touch the block without
knocking it over. On Sunday, Francis Young, operating John
Sell’s Frick won over Randy Schrider on Flowers’ Greyhound
by a mere two seconds. The Frick turned out to be the quickest
engine in the block race. Also on Sunday the idea came up to try
the ? scale models against each other on both the slow engine race
and the block race. Glen Hatcher, operating his ? scale Case, was
the winner in both events.
The Ladies Auxiliary selected the Threshermen’s Queen and
Thresherman of the Year at 2:30 on Saturday. Mrs. Lucille Harris
was crowned Threshermen’s Queen by last year’s winner, Mrs.
Rosalee Trushel and Raymond Davis was selected Thresherman of the
Year and was presented a plaque by last year’s Thresherman,
Edgar Flowers.
On Sunday afternoon, a quilt was auctioned off that had been
quilted by the Auxiliary. A raffle drawing was also held with a
crocheted scarf going to Jeanette Clingerman of Berlin Center, two
pillows to Mrs. Raymond Bethel of Flushing, and a quilt to Merl
Griswald of New Athens. Cups featuring Charles Harrison’s 5 HP
Economy engine and plates featuring Earl Hamilton’s ? scale
Case were also sold by the Auxiliary.
Saturday evening activities featured a tobacco spitting contest
at 6:00 p.m. sponsored by Mail Pouch Tobacco. There was a total of
12 contestants, 11 men and 1 lady. Dennis McCleland of Woodsfield,
Ohio, was first place winner with a distance of 15 feet. Terry
Erdos of New Athens was second with 13′, 10′. All
contestants received prizes. Free Apple Jack Tobacco and Royal
Danish Snuff was distributed to the crowd. At 6:30 a blue grass
group provided an hour of music and at 7:30, Stanley Davidson and
his wife provided a half hour of music on a dulcimer that he had
built.
At 8:00 an old fashioned fiddle contest was held. First place
winner in our over-60 class was W. B. Ross of Bloomingdale, Ohio,
who was 85 years old. Gene Dudley of Cumberland was second and Earl
McCaughalon of Barnesville was third. Since there were only three
entrants in this class, all received a trophy. In the under-60
catagory, Jim Addy of Woodsfield took first place, Robert Ehert of
New Martinsville, West Virginia, won second and Kenny Godard of New
Martinsville, West Virginia, won third place. After the contest a
jam session was held lasting several hours.
Sunday’s activities began with church services conducted by
Rev. Rogers with accompaning music by the McConnell family. At 4:00
both Saturday and Sunday, all equipment was on parade. Eats were
sold by the New Athens Firemen’s Auxiliary and the Lafferty
Catholic Women’s Club. Pots of bean soup were brewed and sold
with corn bread by the New Athens Fire Department. Bill Abel and
Bob Love were on hand overseeing the bean pots. Ice cream, popcorn,
candy apples and lemonade were also for sale. Twenty-one flea
markets were set up and ‘you name it and it was for
sale!’
The Stumptown officers and directors were sorry to announce that
plaques did not arrive in time to be given to exhibitors but these
will be mailed when they arrive. Mickey MacDonald did a swell job
announcing our show.
The Stumptown officers and directors wish to thank all who
exhibited equipment, all who worked to make the show a success and
also, all who came to see the show. See you next year, September 8,
9,1979.
