SOOT IN THE FLUES

'Ken's analogy to us being like Civil War historical reenactors is very correct. We are a living window to the past for these people. Great-Grandpa didn't wear tie-dyed t-shirts and Wal-Mart ball caps, and neither should we. Everyone in bib overalls, work shirts, straw hats and boots is not only a nice touch, it's fun and really adds to the camaraderie of the group putting on the threshing show. Be sure to have your red and white bandana around you throat or at least tucked in your back pocket. Go a little out of your way to pick up a long-spouted oilcan for the separator man to fuss over his engine with. You're a showman put on a show!

'While we're on the subject, there seem to be a lot of modern flair-box wagons cropping up to receive grain. A wooden or steel-wheeled grain wagon makes such a difference. Most shows only thresh a rack or two a day so it shouldn't be a big deal finding the manpower to scoop it off. If it is, the local 4-H Club is often dying to help out! Or a news release in the local papers asking for volunteers to participate in an 'historical reenactment' will often bring surprising results. Where there's a will, there's a way.

'Not many shows have the luxury of having their show grounds located near their grain fields, but if you do, leave some shocks standing and get a team of horses in there to show how they were loaded. Most city people, and a lot of country ones these days, have no idea how that rack-load of bundles came to be there. Better yet, leave some oats standing for the binder to cut and have your members put up a few shocks!

'We all go to a lot of work to put on a threshing display, so why not go the extra mile to do it up right? I think anybody who goes to the trouble to help out is tops, but at the same time, I've seen some pretty sloppy demonstrations in years past. If we are going to honor the memory of those threshermen who pulled the world back from the brink of starvation, we owe it to them to do our best to show the world just how it was done. And the best part of all is it's just plain a lot more fun!'

(We also heard from CHADYATTEBURY on this topic. He asked us to reprint an article on the subject that he had written for another publication. Since we haven't yet gotten their permission to reprint, this will probably appear in a future issue!)

We got some more nice photos from MARK CORSON of 9374 Roosevelt St., Crown Point, IN 46307, and you'll be able to enjoy some of these on the next few pages. Another one of Mark's outstanding photos appears on the cover of our new 1997 Show Directory, as well.

This word came from FRANCIS H. OLSEN, 1480 Dana Lane, Pueblo, Colorado 81006: 'I grew up in the Arkansas River Valley of southeastern Colorado. I've been a reader of IMA for some time and enjoy the magazine very much. I am really surprised just how much interest there is in preserving the heritage of the past. I can remember threshing with steam engines, but by the time I was old enough to work around steam, gas tractors had taken over. This area was mostly small irrigated farms from 80 to 100 acres so there was a lot of moving to do.