Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-10-05
A STEAM-THRESHER AT WORK

and Went to Kansas, Gives Her Mother
Boarding the Men.
The Boston Transcript publishes the
following lively lettar, written by. q
young married lady in Kansas to her
mother in Boston, and giving picture
OF tam lite in the far West that IS highly
interesting and picturesque: The dreaded
day is past and our threshing is done,
and load is lifted from me. Only think
OF gang of sixteen ravenous men filing
into our little house! You remember I
wrote you Of Mr.. LIE Bar, who was al
most ruined by the cyclone LOSING
house, crops and tools, and leaving his
wife with broken arm? It was his
machine that came to do our threshing.
1t seems that the engine was not de-
stroyed, but was out Of the track of the
whirlwind on another part Of his farm;
so the separator was the only thing lost:
and this he has replaced. We have
heard his whistle on different farms
around us, morning and evening, for two
or three weeks. They do very rapid
work, which is the attraction to most peo-
pie, although they are compelled to have
larger gang than with other machines.
A horsepower cannot maintain the even
movement required. The tired horses
lag behind as they revolve around the
driver, who promptly sends that long.
frontier black-snake of whip with
crack over their straining shoulders.
They start again with spring, ard the
r.achine rattles away for minute or
two, then gradually the measured beat
and thud within the vibrating thresher
becomes fainter as the horses again try
to ease their tired limbs. With steam
power all this is obviated. The engineer
sets the gauge as he wishes to thresh-
rapidly or slowly. It all depends on the
condition of the grain. With strong even
movements the powerful engine draws
the long band over the wheels and pull
leys that start the machine, each man
leaps or walks to his place, and the work
begins.
When dinner was over and the long
file walked down the hill, I drew deep
breath Of relief that one meal was past,
and Immediately began to arrange for a
second one. When all was planned out,
the table set, the room darkened, and the
floor sprinkled with water (for it was
overpoweringly hot, 103 degrees in the
shade), went through the garden under
the cool shade of the peach trees, and
stood by the grape vines looking at their
work. The long black belt glistened in
the sun as it swiftly flew back and forth {;
there was bewildering amount of flying
sheaves from the men on the stack; and
the poor little Dutch shoemaker, who
stood on the straw stack, taking care of
the refuse, as 1t was elevated and drop
ped at his feet, seemed almost overpow-
ed by dust and heat. Gradually the ma
chine stopped, and the four men who go
with it began to loosen screws and
change sleeves before they threshed the
oats.
H--came up at this moment, saying
that Mr.. Grund, a comical little German,
had come to HIM and said IN deep whis-
per, "Your wife ish shtandin' under that
peach tree yondcr!' He thought want
eel him for something and came at once,
but ran back Immediately, for the black
belt was moving with a long hiss. I fol-
lowed more slowly until I stood by the
engine. Mr.. LIE Bar is his own ngineer.
lie is pleasant man, very different from
most of the people who surround US; tall
and strong, with twinkling eye that
speaks for his good nature whenever he
smiles. He greeted me pleasantly, and
politely answered all my questions, which
suppose have been put to him by every
one for whom he has threshed. When
he laughed or smiled, was reminded of
Romney Leigh, "with a mouth twice
graver than his eyes" The merry crows
feet capered On his temples when I said
something about my apprehension at the
sight of every uncanny.looking cloud
ever since the cyclone day. He showed
huge stick into the glowing, roaring
fire, shut the door, and, leanin 2 his broad
shoulder against the wheel of the engine,
said: "Now do you look at it so? It
dent affect me particle. I can snore
through the worst gale that ever blew, if
my wife would let me, but she is Just
the opposite. She works herself into a
fever at every cloud. Three times week
on an average, she opens that cellar door,
and lays those children around it. What
she intends to do with them in case it
comes, can't say; but it appears to be
ler intention to shove them all IMP
"Well, can sympathize with her," | said.
laughing. eff your arm had been brok-
en- you might not be so free from fear.
How is her arm MOVE" "Gaining slow
ly," he answered, in sympathetic tones.
''lt is her right arm, and she will use it
some. 1t was broken between the elbow
and shoulder. Three of the children
were at school or we might have had
more trouble than we did,
At this moment his eye wandered over
the men at work beyond us, and again
glowed with fun. I followed his glance,
and saw one of the young fellows dane
ing an awkward breakdown on the stack
IN an lnstant's pause of his work. "Come,
Luke" roared one Of the band-cutters,
"we'd sooner hev them bundles than
your dancin'. You can save that for that
gal of yours" The men near them
laughed and Lucas fell to work in shame
faced silence. often pity these people
when they are assalled by others with
rough jests. They might cover their re-
treat with few light words if it only oc-
CURED to them to do so, but the ajority
suffer in awkward silence, though now
and then few bold spirits have courage
enough to say, ooh, you 60 long" l
stood little longer, then turned to go up
the hill, just as the four horses drew near
with the water-cart, ''dripping with cool
ness"
Ihad the four men to take care of that
night and the next morning.
don't know when 1 have been so
grateful as was when Mr.. LeBar told
me that they would not he here for din
ner. I mentally resolved that H. should
eat bread and milk, and wandered down
again to see the machine from my stand
under the pcach-tree. There was some