Modesto, Calif.
Saturday evening, a fine meal was served to a large crowd in the
American Legion Hall in Silverton. Ernie Burnett was reelected
president, and Rodney Pitts was elected chaplain. He had been
appointed chaplain protern, and did such a fine job that he talked
himself right into the job, so to speak. Carl Kirsch was elected
were re-elected. It was decided to hold the 1962 meeting at Colton,
Washington, on the invitation of Chris Busch.
After looking a couple of steam engines on the way home, A. C.
Wallis and I arrived home Monday night and after working a week,
went on vacation for 2 weeks. I asked Loren M. Wade if he would
like to try putting on another steam threshing bee, if I could
locate some heavy baled oats. He said alright, and on October the
8th, we fired up the 50 Case engine, oiled around on it and greased
up the 28×46 Case separator. With the help of A. C. Wallis and his
steam roller and Glenn Wegant of Stockton and his little Locomobile
powered steam car, we pulled out and set and in spite of the high
wind we drew on this day, proceeded to thresh about 1 tons of baled
oats. After some of the other fellows tried to line up the belt and
it kept coming off, I laid hold of the throttle and reverse and
tried my luck-it stayed on! We had a lot of fun and except for a
broken belt had no trouble. The first steam threshing in California
for over 40 years or more. Hope to hold one this coming fall. Loren
is a fine mechanic and a great steam man-doesn’t care much for
gas engines. He has a good outfit here and soon we hope to have a
Case water tank to go with the outfit. The oats were very clean and
of good quality-better than from a combine.
Mr. P. A. Miller has recently obtained a Giant Harris Harvester,
with a 45 hp engine and cuts a 28-foot swath. It is in excellent
operating condition, and will have more details on it later, plus
pictures. I am enclosing some snaps of our steam threshing here
last year and while we do not have as large a show as the east, we
do not lack for enthusiasm. Also had 2 steam men drop in for a
visit last year- they were Mr. and Mrs. C. D. Kruse, of Lake Grove
Ore. who also helped us thresh at Loren’s steam threshing, and
Mr. Dallas Kerr, of Montrose, Iowa. He has a 22 hp Woods engine, a
separator and has been active in the Old Settlers and
Thresherman’s group at Mt. Pleasant, Iowa. I showed them what
steam we had in this part of the country and also dropped in on
Glenn Weagant in Stockton. He is building another steam car this
winter-more on this later. Out of steam now, so will send along.
Wish you pu b lished every month. Hope you are feeling better, Rev.
Ritzman.