Here is an article taken from the Great Falls (Montana) Tribune
which clearly depicts how popular a steam engine is and how
versatile are the folks associated with them. Editor
Rancher C. J. Tyler of near Moore, passed the word to his
neighbors last fall that he’d like to have an old time
threshing bee. He and his sons to crush gravel for part of U. H.
a house two big gasoline tractors couldn’t pull and towed it
away with never a strain.
The appointed day arrived and instead of a few old timers and a
few scoffers showing up, an enthusiastic crowd arrived. The few
bundle racks were swamped with people wanting to pitch bundles and
help out in general. Charlie Caldwell fired up the engine and was
heard remarking that it didn’t seem like it was 28 years since
he had last run an engine like this one. Even the youngsters had a
big day, every one of them had his or her chance to toot the steam
whistle.
People kept coming and going all day long with tourists stopping
in to chat and take pictures. The local people were there in droves
as word got around. Mrs. Tyler counted 39 cars in the yard at one
time. She and her two daughters-in-law had figured on extra people
for dinner but when the cars began to roll in they set to work in
earnest. It was evident it was to be an old fashioned threshing in
more ways than one. She said she used the largest beef roast she
had in years and beans and potatoes and pies . . . threshing food,
she called it.
Everyone had so much fun that the Tylers and their neighbors are
thinking of making this threshing bee an annual community thing.
They are firm believers that a community that works and plays
together is a better community. Many of these people have been
practicing this belief around Moore for the last 40 years and know
it works.
