Clinton News-Record, 1983-08-31, Page 24Page 4
Hard at work at a Thresher Reunion a few years ago were Peter and Joe Kelly. (photo
courtesy of Dan Hallahan)
Bringing history to life...
• from page 3
grounds one is assaulted
from all sides by the side,
sound, feel and even the
smell of the way things used
to be when these machiners
were in action.
The stars of the show are
of course the powerfully,
ponderous steam tractors,
most nearly three-quarters
of a century old. By ap-
pearance, however, they
could have rolled out of the
factory the day before
yesterday. The owners have
spruced them up with in-
timate care and they are
probably cleaner today then
when they were actually in
daily use.
One would think they are
rather dull giants, yet
despite the predominance of
black, there are splashes of
color that brighten the scene.
Those living in Blyth know
well in advance when the big
steamers begin to arrive
because the piercing shriek
of the steam whistle echoes
off every building in the
village. If you're standing
beside one when it goes off,
you may find yourself feeling
a little numb in the ears for a
few minutes.
The machiners even have
their own smell, a smell of
mixed burning wood, hot
metal and hot grease and oil.
All the big steamers go on
parade at the beginning of
the show, then settle down to
the real business of work.
One of the engines will take a
turn at powering the big
sawmill which is a per-
manent fixture on the
grounds. The big circular
saw munches its way
through logs at a rapid rate
usually so effortlessly that
the steam engine hardly ,
grunts at the task. Visitors
will find this display
fascinating and there is
always a large audience to
see how logs are turned into
usable lumber.
Meanwhile, another
engine will be just over the
fence powering a threshing
machine. The machines
operate right in the middle of
a grain field, the way many
of the old threshing
operations used to, blowing
straw into a heap on the
ground. It is certainly a
lesson in how farming used
to be.
Of course the show isn't all
work. Fiddle experts and
high stepping dancers get a
chance to show what went on
when the work was finished
at an old time threshing bee.
And just in case all this
makes one thirsty, there's a
beer garden nearby.
Get away
r a
weekend!
Visit the 22nd Annual
THRESHERMEN'S REUNION
in Blyth
September 9th, 10th and 11th
A Special note from Don:
WE WILL BE OPEN FRIDAY
NIGHT TILL 9 p.m. and
SATURDAY TILL 5 p.m. for
all your grocery needs!
BLYTH
Meat Market
Open: Custom Killing
Monday -Thursday 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Cutting and Wrapping
Now Open Friday Night till 9 p.m. By Appointment
Saturday 8 a.m.-5 p.m. Phone
523-4551
J
low
t • ernlze
receive
Clinton News -Record
September 23, 1896
The following information
is prepared especially for
this paper by Messrs.
Marion and Laberge,
Engineers and Patent
Solicitors, Temple Building,
Montreal -
Ten thousand three hun-
dred and thirty three patents
have been granted for
harvesters. In 1871 some of
the essential features of the
modern harvester had
already +,:~en invented and
some experimental
machines had been tested in
the field, but farmers were
res 1'i ers
atnts 111 1'
7
then using nothing more then
the ordinary moving
machines and reapers from
which the grain was raked in
gravels and bound by men
who followed the machine.
Since that time the art of
harvesting grain has been
revolutionized by the in-
vention and introduction off
the automatic self -binding
machine. The patents to
Locke No. 144433, March 21,
1874 and No. 121,290,
November 28, 1871, show a
wire binding attachment for
harvesters, under which a
great many machines were
built and which continued in
use until development of the
twine binders.
The patent to M.L. Gor-
man, No. 158,506, February
9, 1875 w : s probably the first
twine binder, to operate
successfully in the field, and
was considered a pioneer
invention by the court in a
recent case of McCormick
Harvesting Machine Co. vs.
C. Aultman and Co.
Almost all the twine
binders built in the United
States have been built under
one of two patents - one to
H.A. and W.M. Holmes, No.
210,533, December 1878, and
the other to Appleby No.
212,420, February 1879.
Sawyer Massey has long been a familiar name to enthusiasts at the Blyth Threshermen's
Reunion. This photo was taken at the 1969 show. (photo courtesy of Dan Hallahan)
WELCOME
To The
22nd ANNUAL
THRESHER'S REUNION
September 9th, 10th and lith
We will be Kilning you at the reunion with an
art/crafts table. We have over 120 craftsmen on
consignment in our store downtown. Pop In and
see us at either spots. We are open downtown
from 10 am-II:30 pm.
Souvenir Items:
*Huron County T -Shirts
and Hats
*Crests, etc.
The Blyth Saga
Gift Handicrafts
Floyd, Liz, Laura and
Carly Herman
523-4331
Welcome
Threshermen andViSltors
Take a memory home from
the souvenir collection
at the
BLYTH VARIETY
nd
KITCHENaCUPBOARD
Blyth...523-9221
The shop will also
be featuring a special
SIDEWALK SALE
just for you!
P.S. Inside the store.
Norman Cook of Belgrave not only shows his 1951 Ernst
Thresher at the Blyth reunion, but has used it to harvest
the grain at his farm for the past 30 years. (Rod Hilts
photo)
Knitting
Kneeds
Ladies'
Wear
Join Us
Welcoming the T
With ou