(The Lanky Yankee), K5PXV-KCR 1134, 708 Lorrie Drive,
Richardson, Texas 75080
In July 1976, the bulletin board at Pitts Industries, Inc.,
Carrollton, Texas (where I work as an in-process inspector of
Electro lock magnetic clutches) said the plant would be shut down
for vacation the first two weeks in August. That evening, I
‘Old Timer Day’ on August 8. Having previously enjoyed the
Urbana, Ohio and the Waukomis, Oklahoma shows in the early
70’s, coupled with the fact that my folks live in Crete, N. B.,
all fitted into our vacation plans. With my dad being laid up in
Crete Municipal Hospital, I did the next best thing and wrote a
letter to my 90-year-old uncle-in-law, Joe Vrbsky, who also lives
in Crete; inviting him to go with me to Trauger’s on August
8.
Come August 8,9:00 A.M., I drove our faithful 1964 Chev to
Uncle Joe’s place in Crete. Uncle Joe was sitting on the front
porch, cane in hand, raring to go. We drove slowly to Exeter. There
wasn’t much traffic on Highway 6, and Uncle Joe and I enjoyed
seeing how the crops are coming.
Our part of Texas raises cotton, wheat and maize but practically
no corn. Nebraska corn, especially the irrigated fields, is a
striking example of God’s handiwork when man helps things along
a little.!
We got to Trauger’s grove about 9:00 A.M., put our donations
in and spent the hour moseying around the four steamers; Case,
Advance Rumely, Port Huron and Reeves. The genuine friendliness of
the engineers and visitors showed that Nebraskans are friendly
folks just like Texans.
The ecumenical religious service was beautifully done. I belong
to the 1st Christian Church in Richardson, Texas and Uncle Joe
belongs to the 1st Methodist Church in Crete, NB. Rev. Herrick,
Methodist from Grand Island, NB., gave an inspiring sermon, and
Msgr. Ingenhorst from Exeter, NB., gave a particularly fitting
benediction. A humorous note when one of the steamer’s pop
valves cut loose, Rev. Herrick, being fast on his feet mentally,
said he planned it that way to wake everybody up before the
collection plate was passed!
After church, Uncle Joe and I looked over the gas tractors
(including 30-60 Aultman Taylor, 40-80 Avery, Rumely Six and Hart
Parr) gas engines and antique cars. But we drifted back to Uncle
Joe’s first love, steamers. ‘Hey, Charles, doesn’t that
steamer over there have two whistles?’ he asked. ‘No,’
I replied, ‘it has a whistle and a pop valve.’ ‘Oh’
he replied disconsolately. I said, ‘Wait here, I’ll be back
in a couple of minutes.’ So I checked the four steamers and
found the Case had two whistles. When I said that my 90-year-old
uncle used to have a Nichols & Shepard with two whistles, the
Case engineer said ‘bring him aboard.’ So Uncle Joe handed
me his cane and hopped up on the Case platform and played a little
Czech couplet that was his ‘trademark’ when he threshed all
over Saline County, N.B., for 44 years.
Dinner was great. Coffee and hot dogs plus music from a local
Polka band. When the band played my favorite polka at my request, I
felt like an honored guest in a classy night club.
After dinner we cruised around for a while, then went to
‘headquarters’ where we saw a most interesting program put
on by the noted University of Nebraska historian, Professor Manley.
We also saw Shirley and Bob Trauger made admirals in the Nebraska
Navy. Having been made a Nebraska Navy admiral back in the
1950’s (for Boy Scout work in Crete, Nebraska), I felt
something in common with this fine couple.
The ‘Evolution of Threshing’ was well done. (1) Flail.
(2) Groundhog hand operated rig. (3) Nichols and Shepard 6 HP
steamer belted to an Ellis-Keystone (chaff-piler) separator. (4) A
6 HP Frick portable steamer belted to a Belle City handfed
slat-stacker separator. (5) Port Huron steamer and Port Huron
33′ separator. (6) 40-80 Avery gas tractor belted to a 28′
Case separator. (7) The Hart Parr tractor and 26′ Wood Bros,
separator made a fitting end to the era before combines took
over.
I went up to Lt. Gov. Wheelen, after he finished pitching a load
of bundles into the Avery driven Case and said in my best Texan
accent ‘I’m representing the great state of Texas at this
show. Y’all must have pitched bundles before, they all went
into the feeder heads first.’
We had a little chat, then headed for Crete where 80-year-old
Auntie Clara (Uncle Joe’s wife) had a bodacious dinner of all
kinds of Czech goodies for her ‘thresher-men,’ a fitting
end to a very pleasant day.
