Following the grain harvest from Oklahoma to Montana. Approx, 1950
Uncle Guy lived with us off and on for several years. When the first grain combines came out after they did away with the monster thrasher that took a whole day to move from farm to farm. It had greasy pulley’s and belt in long rows running along the side. It was extremely noisy and loud. It burped out huge amounts of wheat dust. Vic Norman owned the one that traveled around from farm to farm in the immediate area. It was an enormous operation. The new smaller combines were on rubber tires and could be driven down the road to the next wheat field. What a grand improvement.
All the farm women cooked for days for the thrashing crew. Fried chicken, potatoes salad, fresh baked bread. Cookies, pies and cakes and large amounts of lemonade in gallon jugs. I got in on the working part of those meals.
Uncle Guy hatched a get rich idea to follow the rest of those new combines in a massive wheat harvest that started in Oklahoma and ended in Montana. They would come through your area and harvest your wheat field and move on to the next wheat farms in the area. Uncle guy wanted in on it and besides he liked to travel.
Dad provided the Dodge truck to haul the combine that Dad financed for Uncle Guy, with the understanding he got part of the share of the profit and pay back the Massey Harris combine.
They built a loading dock with the front end loader of the John Deere tractor. The combine was loaded on the flat bed, that Dad and Guy modified. After it was driven up onto the truck, chained down, Uncle Guy drove off into the yonder to follow the great wheat harvest and make his fortune.
Upon the return of Uncle Guy in the fall after the harvest was over, there were great tails to tell and repeat to all the friends and neighbors standing around in the yard next to the combine and truck.
I remember Uncle Guy said he would have to follow the harvest again next year to pay all the expenses and the rest of the money he owed Dad. He did go back out on the migration of wheat harvesters next year. Coming home that fall, he paid Dad off ( I think) and said he was done doing that. To many miles, to much work for one person and not enough profit. Besides Uncle Guy had another scheme on making money in a hurry. I have no idea what it was!
