The Wingham Advance-Times, 1985-09-04, Page 40b'atge 12
George McBride almost
decided'rnot to attend the first meeting of the
Pioneer Thresher and Hobby Association in
1962. But, he's glad he did.
"Billy Joe Hallahan, who was going to the
meeting, said 'come out and give us a hand.'
1 felt foolish because I'd only seen rlwo of
them before. But, I've never been sorry
since. 1 just, kept going back," said Mr.
McBride who was one of the founding
members of the reunion along with Simon
and Beatrice Hallahan back in the fall of
1962.
He's been a member of the Thresher's
Association ever since and has yet to miss
one of the annual reunions. Since the first
en
n
s going
reunion, Mr. McBride has been in charge of
getting the wood which fuels .the large
threshers. Two years ago he decided to give
up his responsibility due to a bad leg.
However, he still finds the event every bit as
exciting as the first time he attended.
At the first meeting Mr. McBride
remembered the members wanted to have a
Maudie and George McBride have been long time su s, .:.
Reu-
nion with Mr. McBride being a member of the association since its inaugural meet gs in
196IFor many years, Mr. McBride has been drawing wood for the log sawing competi-
tion. Mrs. McBride has been going to see the craft exhibits as well as to take a few snap-
shots of the event for her photo album. (Alan Rivett photo)
SNELL'S GROCERY
LTD.
Welcomes You to
the 24th Annual
THRESHERS
caw .54acte
Lewis White BREAD 24 oz. loaf , .49
Granny BUTTER TARTS 10's 1.09
Sunkist ORANGES "lunch box size 163's" percdoz .99
Chiquita BANANAS per Ib. .39
Old Mill Cooked HAM "store sliced" per lb. 1,79
Smoked Side BACON Trim per Ib 99
Canada Packers Economy WIENERS per Ib .79
Chapman's ICE CREAM 2 I 1.39
McCain SUPER FRIES "Straight or Crinkle'cut" 1 kg. 1.39
Rb-cipafiilcwrie Granulated SUGAR 2 kg. .99
Heinz White VINEGAR 5 I 1 .88
Nabob Tradition Ground COFFEE 369 g 2.99
Stokelys Fancy PEAS or CREAM CORN 19 oz .69
Libbys Deep -Browned BEANS WITH PORK 19 oz. .89
Red Label INSTANT COFFEE 227,g. °3.69
Red Label ALL-PURPOSE FLOUR 5 kg. 3.49
Red Label JELLY POWDERS 85 g 5 for 1.00
While they last -Cherries by the Pail
Sweet BLACK CHERRIES No Sugar 18 Ib. 21.00
Sweet BLACK CHERRIES 10% Sugar added 20 Ib.... 23.00
Red Montemorency CHERRIES 10% Sug. added 201b. 20.00
RASPBERRIES No Sugar 28 Ib 34.00
RASPBERRIES No Sugar 8.Ib. 1,2.50
Closed Mondays
OPEN - Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday 9 am - 6 pm
OPEN - Friday 9:00 am t1114:00 pm of
We Del iver wF RESERVE THE RIGHT TO LIMIT QUANTITIES Phone 523-9332
George McBride of RR 5, Goderich has
been a member of the Huron Pioneer
Thresher and Hobby Association for many
years. At the 22nd annual reunion George
showed the skill and strength used to saw
wood
display of threshing machines similar to the
one operating in Brigden at the time.
Although their funds were limited, the
members decided -to "get one ° started up
here."
"We had no money. Mr. Hallahan put up
the money for the tickets and the members
sold the tickets for $1. The women got in
free. We didn't charge the women because
there was nothing really to amuse them," he
said.
The first reunion consisted of three or four
steam engines including George Searson's
Sawyer Massey threshing engine which has
been at the show ever since, said Mr.
McBride.
He recalled, however, that not all the reu-
nion's were without incident. He
remembered back five years ago when a
team of oxen in the parade started to run
away. Bob Thomas, a thresher owner from
the Paisley area, stopped the okcen with the
solidest thing he could find - namely, Mr.
McBride's truck. On a.more humorous note,
his wife Maudie remembers a team of
harnesses pigs which took part in the parade
four years ago.
"The pigs were trained to pull the
cart,"she said. "It was quite a thing to see."
Mr. McBride's fascination with the steam
driven threshers stems from seeing. thehig
machines work as a child. His father, along
with all the neighbors in the area and the
man hired to do the threshing, would come
together to bring in the fall harvest. He said
the thresher could handle an acre of wheat
per hour.
The threshers were a fairly reliable piece
of 'machinery although he recalls the man
hired to thresh at the farm replacing a belt
or fixing a leaky flues which were tubes that
held fire to convert the water into steam.
However, by the time he took over the farm
located near Carlow in the 30's, the tractor
had all but replaced the threshing machines
which were then becoming even more resis-
tant to breakdowns.
"As the years went by, they corrected a
lot of the weak points," he said. "It was just
like when they go,.. the steam locomotive
almost perfect, then, they threw it away."
Although he never had the cnc
Turn tohapagee 15to
Best Wishes
to the Huron Pioneer Thresher
and Hobby Association on your
Annual Reunion in Blyth
Proud to be
working with the people
of Blyth and area
since 1952
Clinton Community
CREDIT UNION
70 Ontario Street
CLINTON 482-3467
374 Main St: South.
EXETER 235-0640
•