The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1879-09-24
A STEAM.THRESHER AT WORK.
Tho Description a Boston Girl, who Mar
riod and Went to Kansas, Gives Her
Notwithstanding tho Men.

The Description Boston Girl, who Mar.
ried and Went to Kansas, Gives Hei
Misunderstanding tho Men. :
The Boston Transcript publishes the
following lively letter, written by q
young married lady in Kansas to hel
mother in Boston. and giving a picture
of farm life 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 q gang of sixteen ravenous men filing
into our little house! You remember ]
wrote you of Mr.. LIE Bar, who was al.
most ruined by the cyclone-.losina
house, crops and tools, and leaving his
wife with broken arm? 1t 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
people, although they are compelled to
have a larger gang than with other ma
chimes. 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 a whip with
q crack over their straining shoulders.
They start again with spring. and the
machine 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 ,engii-
neer sets the gauge as hewishes to thresh
rapidly or slowly. 1t all depends on
the condition of the grain. With strong,
even movements the powerful engine
draws the long band over the wheels and
pulleys that start the machine, each man
leaps or walks to his place, and the work
begins; Nghsn dinner was over. and the lonr
file walked down the hill, I drew deep
breath of relief that one meal was past,
sand Immediately began to arrange for q
second one. When all was planned out,
the table set, the room darkened. and
the floor sprinkled with water (for it
was overpoweringly hot, l03 degrees in
the shade), I went through the garden
under the cool shade of the peach trees,
and stood by the grapevines. looking at
their wolk. The long black belt glist-
ened in the sun as it swiftly flew back
and forth; there was a 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 it was
elevated and dropped at his feet, seemed
almost overpowered by dust and heat.
Gradually the machine stopped, and the
four men who 90 with it began to loosen
screws and. change selves before thresh-
ing the oats.
1t came up at this moment, saying
that Mr.. Grund, a comical little Ger
man, had come to him and said in a
deep whisper, Your wife ish standin'
under that peach tree yonder" He
thought I wanted him for something
and came at once. but ran back immedl-
ately, for the black telt was moving
with long hiss. I followed more slowly
until stood by the engine. MIR. lie Bar
is his own engineer. He is pleasant
people who surround us; tall and strong,
with twinkling eye that speaks for his
good nature whenever he smiles. lie
greeted Inc pleasantly, and politely an
swered all my questions, which sup
pose have been put to him by every one
for whom he has threshed. When he
laughed or smiled, l was reminded OF
Romney Leigh, with a mouth twice
uraver than his eyes," The merry crows
feet capered on his temples when l said
something about my apprehension at
the sight of every uncanny-looking cloud
ever since the cyclone day. He showed
a huge stick into the glowing, roaring
fire. shut the door. and, leaning his broad
shoulder against the wheel Of the engine,
SAID: "Now do you look at it SO? 1t
don't affect ME a 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 fever at every cloud. Three times
q week, on an average, she opens, that
cellar door, and lays those children
around it. What she means to do with
them in case it comes, can't say; but
it appears to be her intention to shove
them all I'M" "Well, I can sympathize
with her." I said: laughing. If your
arm had been broken you might not
be so free from fear. How is her arm
now9" Gaining slowly,"h answered, ,
in sympathetic tones. at is her right
arm, and she will use it some. 1t was
broken between the elbow and shor der.
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. followed his
glance, and saw one Of the young fellows
dancing IN awkward breakdown on the
stack in an instant'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 assailed by others
with rough tests. They might cover
their retreat with few light words if it
only occurred to them to do so, but the
majority suffer in awkward silence.
though now and then a few bold spirits
have courage enough to say, "Oh, you
90 long" I stood little longer, then
turned to 90 up the hill, just as the four
horses drew near with the water-cart,
"dripping with GOODNESS" -,
had the four men to take care OF that
night and the next morning.
I don't know when / have been SO
grateful as was when MI. LeBar told
me that they would not be here for dim
ner. mentally resolved that H. should
eat bread and milk, and wandered down
again to see the machine from my stand
under the peach tree. There was some
thing fascinating to me about it. The
measured, roaring beat of the thrcsher,
the smooth; swiftly gliding belt. and the
silent power of the engine, controlling
and guiding all as the ceaseless flow OF
bundles poured upon it. A little tremu-
lous motion, like the rise and fall of the
breath that gives us life, seemed to
culver through it as it did its work
swiftly, for the men were in a hurry to
leave for the "ncXt job" On it went,
until one sharp "toot told the men to
stop feeding, and it was curious to see
the silent, busy gang, alert and active
the instant before, drop on the ground
or lean heavily on their forks as they
wiped their dripping foreheads and be-
gan to talk to each other. The little
shoemaker on the stack leaned forward
and cried, "Gim me that there water
bucket" One Of the men elevated it on
his pitchfork to the poor old man, who
was choked with dust.
As the threshers hurried their prepaIr-
ations for departure the hired hands
| sloulu Gisnnncared each one passing