Arizona republican., 1906-05-30
SUCCESSFUL WORK
 OF AlKIRF'S 1HRFShER
And the Patriotic Impulses of His
 Cook Rouse Cow.

Farmer George Alkire has a new threshing machine that he thinks more of than some men do of their wives. And he is not far out of the way either, for it is worth more to him than some mems wives, and cost a grent deal less. And that is said also with due respect to the women folks, for, while most of them are better than their husbands. there are q few of the latter who amount to less than a cipher with the rim knocked off.
 Mir. Alkire's machine is a new one. and was first put into commission yesterday on J. A. R. Irvine's ranch. d couple of miles west Of town. It was started up the day before for a trial run. and yesterday it slipped along so smoothly, George drove down to the ranch three times to look at it. It is up to date in every day. has the good points of all the old-time threshers and a few new ones in these parts From his experiments to date he thinks he will be able to thresh an average of 1000 sacks of barley a day including the time consumed passing from one field to another. It takes thirteen men to operate the entire outfit as against eighteen to twenty-five in the older days, so there is a saving of labor which enables him to pay better wages than in years gone by, though the work is strenuous and MT. Alkire like old England "eXpects every man to do his duty" One of the fine points ot the machine is the wind stacker this being the first one of the kind on this side of the river. though not the first in the valley. The machine threshes to a high degree of thorough ness, and when the straw and chaff pass into the wmstacker it is chew ed up so fine that on it's exit the wind carries it a goodly distance away from the machine. The stacker looks like an inclined smoke stack and automat- icalIy weaves from right to left, scat tering the straw and chaff over a good sized area.
 In addition to the machine proper. as used in the east where the grain is cut and bound, MT. Alllire has a power hoist for handling the headed grain with an immense fork from the stack to a platform from which an endless chain elevator takes it to the thresher.
 The power used is a gasoline trac- ton engine of 25 horse power and so far it's work has been highly satisfactory and cheaper than steam. This gaso- line engine is Mir. Alkire's pet. It fur , uishes plenty Of power for both the machine and the hoist and easily pulls the outfit from one place to another when 1t is necessary to move it.
 MT Alkire made huge success of custom threshins last year and was so we'll pleased he went into the business more extensively this year. believing that results will be even more satis- factory. There is one feature of his present outfit that is his particular joy and pride and was reserved when he sold his former machine. to become a part of the new plant. This is an old brown COW that is just as much a part of the plant as any other. A neces- sary adjunct to the aggregation is a cook house. on wheels. and the old COW is a mighty important creature in the vicinity of the cook house. MT AL kire believes that in order to get work out of men they must be well fed. and that means milk for coffee and certain table dishes. This COW has been OF Mir. Alkire's staff ever since he went into the threshing business. She fol- lows the aggregation around wherever it goes and does her full part. She has become so interested in the busi- ness it is no longer necessary to tie her up. She hangs around the cook house feeding where she is told t0. and coming up at milking time. And when ever she sees the crew packing up to leave one field for another she walks up and joins the procession. ready to follow the flag IS long as her cOnstitu- tiOn holds out, whether it be for one day stands or week engagements.