A copy of your excellent magazine has been shown to me, and I am
very pleased with the idea and also with the progress of your plan
for a magazine for all interested in engines, machines, etc. I will
enclose the sum of $2.00 which I think, is your subscription
charge.
Your readers will be pleased and interested to know that the
Province of Manitoba, Canada’s Keystone Provice (look at your
map), has been developing an agricultural Museum at a central site
near an important junction of two highways, and right at the
strategically centre of both the Province and also of Canada. In
fact it is about as close to being the centre of the continent as
it is possible to get.
Our main feature so far has been the annual Threshermen’s
Reunion which was attended by thousands last year, and bids fair to
attracting many more, this season. The date is to be the second
Wednesday in October and it will continue for four days. Last fall
the winner of the Engine Setting Contest was Albert Birney of
Angusville, Manitoba, who ‘set’ the big J. I. Case steamer
in the time of one minute, eight seconds flat. It may be that some
person will beat that record in the near future, and it is an open
competition, but we doubt that anyone can do it in less time. We
ran into difficulty in that while we had several steamers steamed
up and ready for use, yet the boys all wanted to use one engine for
it operated a little better than any of the others. This meant that
we could only try out a limited number the first day and so on.
These two pictures were taken 5 miles east of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa
in 1915. It is an 18 hp. Avery Undermounted, owned and operated by
Cliff W. Banor of New London, Iowa. He was hauling sand and gravel
for Henry County. The County was building some new concrete bridges
to replace wooden bridges then in use. (This bridge was replaced by
a concrete bridge that fall). At that time the County was
responsible for any damage to an engine that broke through a
bridge. The County paid $700.00 to have this engine rebuilt after
the accident. Mr. Banor still has a steam engine. He has been
operating the 20 double cylinder Nichols & Shepard owned by
Milo W. Mathews at the Mt. Pleasant Reunion the last four
years.
These two pictures were taken 5 miles east of Mt. Pleasant, Iowa
in 1915. It is an 18 hp. Avery Undermounted, owned and operated by
Cliff W. Banor of New London, Iowa. He was hauling sand and gravel
for Henry County. The County was building some new concrete bridges
to replace wooden bridges then in use.(This bridge was replaced by
a concrete bridge that fall). At that time the County was
responsible for any damage to an engine that broke through a
bridge. The County paid $700.00 to have this engine rebuilt after
the accident. Mr. Banor still has a steam engine. He has been
operating the 20 double cylinder Nichols & Shepard owned by
Milo W. Mathews at the Mt. Pleasant Reunion the last four
years.
This fall when the work is about over, we invite any and all to
come to the North American Threshermen’s Reunion to be held at
Austin, Manitoba, (Approximately north of Devil’s Lake, North
Dakota). Commencing October 10, 1956.
In 1955 quite a fine cup was presented to the winner of the
Engine Setting Contest by M. S. J. McMurachy, of McConnell,
Manitoba. This well-known Canadian pioneer was the originator of
the now famous Selkirk wheat, and had some heads of the wheat
portrayed on the cup. Now maybe some of the boys from across the
line may be able to better the existing record, but they better
practice up a bit. In 1955 the Agricultural Museum of Manitoba
arranged this contest a good many months in advance, gave specific
invitations, not closed, but open competition, and publicized it as
widely as possible; then when Birney set up his engine in that
record time the Museum proclaimed him the champion of Canada, North
America, and the world. We admit this takes in quite a wide
stretch, but so much the better.
The Agricultural Memorial Museum of Manitoba has only been in
operation for some six years, but already we have over eighty
articles, engines, cars, machines, etc. As yet we have no building,
but have a fine park site for our exhibits. While we regret to have
to leave the grand old engines outside, yet that is the best we can
do. We do not claim to have as fine a collection, nor to be as well
developed as the monster Western Development Museum at Saskatoon,
Saskatchawan, because they were ahead of us, but we are giving them
a close race. They had a remarkable success with their
‘Pioneera’ in 1955, and are planning for bigger and better
this summer, in early July. We do not like to, see that some of
their best articles have been contributed from our Province of
Manitoba, but that is our own fault, and we have nobody to blame
but ourselves.
When we informed the J. I. Case Company that we had one of the
very first Case engines in our collection, they could scarcely
believe it. But here it is, the model of 1869, and we are getting
it fixed up, maybe to run, but I doubt that. Anyhow it is a rare
thing to see, but a very interesting exhibit in our museum. And
oddly enough, while museum exhibits of all kinds are valuable and
intriguing, yet more people love to see the big old steamer than
any other engine or exhibit.
