The Goderich Signal-Star, 1983-09-07, Page 3111%
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via
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Norman Cook of Belgrave not only shows
Thresher at the Blyth reunion, but has used
theo�rain at his farm for the past 30 years.
p
is 1951 Ernst
it to harvest
(Rod Hilts
anal
Rely
10 ai
past 30 years, h`is 1951 Ernst
thresherhas been harve'sthig
grain at his farm just north
of Belgrave, • -
In 1951, Norman's •lather,.
the late George Cook, pure
chased the thresher fore
approximately $2,000.
Norman later purchased the
machine at an auction sale
for $125.
"Some threshing
machines have went for
upwards of $2,000 at auc-
tions.
urtions. They averaged about
$300 or $400 at sales. I got a
good buy," Norman said.
Norman vividly recalls
when he was 14 years -old,
helping his father thresh the
fields near his present
Belgrave farm. He said on a
good day, his father and a
sr years ago **Rat
,t10;1901, „. that
his Mount Forest
r st, "look like Q .
Eby>" es��Raysheboht the
gikachute for the angle ironin
it,•
Noonan said that fires
started by overheated'
uii ent were common
e using the threshers. He
said' on Windy days,, sparks
'coining off the machine often
started, field fires, but no
more often than fires that
occur with today's equip-
ment.
Year after year, Norman
continues to participate in
the Blyth Thresherman's
Reunion.
"If I didn't enjoy it, I -
wouldn't be there. It gets into
your blood," Norman said
with a smile.
rbcess of -threshing
involved at`'least 12.
inenthat Made up 'the
gang;,. There was an
engineer,, theaeparatorman;
the tank max, four -or Titre in
the mow and at least two.
carrying . boxes.. It wase.
customary for neighbors 'to
belpedout with the harvest,
His threshing machine has
harvested an average of 40
acres of grain a year since
1952.
For the past 15 years,
Norman has been actively
involved in the Blyth
Thresherman's reunion. He
has seen the reunion's
membership rise from 13
when it first began in 1961 to
over 400 to date.
This year marked the first
was got g.to Agit a t„ii?
would +definitel ► take plot o
wok • ," Norman said.
me has -definitely taken
la,tog, on. the threshing
mte," but it's. Otiltin
remarkably good. condition
considering the work.its bjeen
through;
Across his farm yard,
Norman points out his `,old
Massey `44," He says the
1951 tractor, now almost
immobilized, "has done a lot
of threshing." Hefigures, its
days are limited.
Wood powered
According to Norman, the
amount of wood that goes to
waste on a farm could easily
Art show depicts agricultural past
The Ontario Agricultural
Museum is pleased to an-
nounce that the Zurbrigg
Collection, one of the finest
assemblages of folk art in
Canada, is now open for
public viewing. The Zur-
brigg Collection contains
more than 59 individual car-
vings depicting the horse -
powered vehicles and
machinery of yesteryear.
With an eye for detail and
the skill of a craftsman,
Knitting
Kneeds
Ladi
Wear
es'
Join U
Welcoming the
With o
Fabric
Centre
s In
Threshermen
r...
September 9th, 10th and 11 t
rare
h
"Check Our In -Store
Specials"
Our promise capable
assistance - no pressure
BLYTH
Visa 523-4351
Welcome
HOURS:
OPEN 6 DAYS
A WEEK
9 a.m. - 8:15 p.m.
Cecil Zurbrigg carved these-
models
hesemodels by hand from blocks
of maple and scraps of
leather discarded by a shoe
factory. Mr. Zurbrigg, a
farmer for many years in the
Listowel area, possessed an
intimate knowledge of these
farm machines and succeed-
ed in bringing both detail
and local color to his carv-
ings. The models include
miniatures of a threshing
machine, a stump puller,
several sleighs, the Union
bus, the Zurbrigg Bakery
wagon, and a beautifully
crafted replica of the
McLaughlin Funeral Coach.
For more than a decade
Mr. Zurbrigg patiently work-
ed on his carving hoping that
some day they could be used
to educate others about the
horse -powered era in
Canada. In February, 1983,
he donated his collection to
the Ontario Agricultural
Museum. Two weeks later
Mr. Zurbrigg passed away.
The collection is now per-
manently
ermanently on display in the
museum's exhibit hall. The
Museum is open seven days
a week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
until October 10 and is
located eight km west of
Milton south of Highway 401
on Townline. Admission is
$2.50 for adults, students
$1.50, children $1, seniors
$1.25 and a family rate of $6.
WELCOME
THRESHERMEN REUNION
VISITORS
•to, — n
0
SINCE 1894
1
OLD MILL
In Blyth
1894 BAINTON 1983
FACTORY OUTLET
Visit the original OLD MILL in
downtown Blyth and see why after
89 years Bainton's Old Mill is
still famous as a factory outlet
for wool and leather products.
Store Hours:
Monday to Saturday 9am-9 pm
Sunday l pm -9 pm
P
Threshermen's
Special:
"Work Socks"
J