| Show Papa made arrangements with Gunner Gunderson with Jim Thompson or with Jim Monson to bring the big steam engine and thresher to our farm onday when neighboring farmers could swap work It took quite lot of men to even though the threshing machine owners fireman separator boss and water man an important man for he was the one who poured grain into sacks and the chute handle the big brought along The separator regulated the which directed job their own boss was chute which straw to the stacks He also kept the machinery running smoothly and resolved problems which arose Sometimes the grain was damp from rain or from dew and as the bundles went through the machine human let The outloud belching groan which sounded almost fireman appeared on the scene early in the morning to up to fire funnel which get kept the steam sparks going from and flying to into check the the screen straw stacks Threshing day wasbig day for Mamma what with having to cook and set tables and do dishes for fifteen to twenty hungry men She cooked for days getting the dinner ready One reason the men liked coming to our place during threshing season was because of the abundant good food which Mamma served Papa always killednice fat sheep for the occasion for juicy tender mutton chops were dinner favorites In addition Mamma fed the men fried ham mashed potatoes and gravy corn-on-the cob and other home-grown vegetables homemade bread freshly churned butter homemade pies and cakes and gallons of hot coffee and cold milk Mostly everyone came up for seconds The kitchen smells temporarily noontime stayed gave Neighbor home from precedence ladies school gave over Mamma to help the thresher sounds hand out whereever Before sitting down at the big workers stopped to wash up intub and we all come of we kids were needed kitchen table however the of hot water placed on wooden bench along with bars of homemade soap and Fels Naptha soap and towels made from discarded seamless sacks Noon-time wasrelaxing time for the men The sounds of water splashing over their faces the sounds of their laughing and joking and talking The threshed later cally in grain loud was voices are disposed of memorable in various recollections ways after being and the straw was blown into stacks to be drawn from Barley taken and oats to the mill were stored to be ground in granary for sheep bins and and periodi cattle Most of the wheat went into Bemis seamless sacks bearing cattle brand withbar under As each sack was 14 feed Papafilled |
