Titus Brubaker, Jr., Conestoga, Pa. with his father, Titus H.
Brubaker of Roherstown, Pa. with Case 22 x 45 [cross motor] 28 x 48
Frick Separator and the 17 x 22 Money Maker baler.
Courtesy of Amos Stauffer, 312 W. Main Street, New Holland, Pa.
17557.
Titus, age 85 on the 22-45 Case which he bought new in 1925.
Photo at Rough & Tumble 1974 Reunion by Amos Stauffer.
Courtesy of Amos Stauffer, 312 W. Main Street, New Holland, Pa.
17557.
The name Titus H. Brubaker, Rohrerstown, Pa. first appears on
record dated Aug. 18, 1950 9 p.m. The Steam Threshermen and
Machinery operators held a meeting at Arthur S. Young Company
Kinzer, Pa. It was at this meeting, with Rev. Elmer Ritzman of
Enola, Pa. acting as chairman, that Mr. Young was elected president
and Mr. Titus Brubaker was elected one of five directors. (No
relation to our president of 10 years Mr. C. Daniel Brubaker.)
President Young proposed a name for the new organization (The
Rough and Tumble Engineers Historical Assn.) A motion was made by
Titus that we adopt this name. The motion was seconded and passed
by a unanimous vote.
Titus has been very active in the organization until in recent
years when he was temporarily disabled by failing health. Although,
at age 85 Titus was at the R & T Banquet (Oct. 26) accompanied
by his son Titus Jr. In visiting with him he expressed his
inabilities to attend the meetings. He was assured that R & T
considers him as an honorary lifetime member and we wish to thank
Titus Jr. for taking good care of his father and also for actively
supporting R & T as a director since 1970.
At our 1974 reunion one would see both of them taking care of
steam traction engine management or taking part in threshing.
In 1925 Mr. Brubaker bought a 22 x 45 (cross motor) Case tractor
from LANDIS Bros, in Lancaster, Pa. This tractor is now owned by
his son and is on exhibit at R & T Kinzer, Pa. This tractor is
equipped with heavy cast iron rear wheels for extra traction and
was used for threshing by Mr. Brubaker until 1952. In the spring it
was used to pull a township grader to scrape out the ditches before
threshing season came on. It was also used for custom hay baling in
the fall silo filling, and fodder shredding kept him active. In
later years it was used to power a pea viner for a canning factory
where the farmers hauled the pea vines to have them hulled. This
was a job (as I recall) that required a dependable power source. A
breakdown would cause a tie up in the waiting loads of pea vines
which would heat and spoil if not unloaded. I can just hear the
sweet sound of that 45 Case as it chattered all night and day, as
these hullers would operate 24 hours a day in hulling season. This
sound will never be forgotten by one like myself who has spent many
days with a threshing rig powered by a similar tractor.
Later Landis Bros, took on the John Deere line and when
questioned why he would change from Case to another line Mr. Ben
Landis said ‘We could not sell enough parts for Case tractors
as they were too well built’.
The Frick separator is the famous 28 x 48 which was the symbol
of most local Lane, and surrounding county threshermen. Mr.
Brubaker bought it from Mr. Arthur S. Young in 1927 and used it for
his custom threshing rig until 1952. The date and the place of
purchase certainly indicates that Titus was active in the
organization of R & T before his appointment as a director.
This Frick thresher was donated to R & T and is now being used
at reunion time threshing.
The baler is a 17 x 22 ‘Money Maker’ built by S. Wayne
Robinson Mfg. Co. Richmond, Indiana, with a ‘Ruth’ feeder
made at Gap, Pa. and was purchased from a Mr. Burkholder in 1928. A
very interesting thing came to my attention. This baler was
converted by Mr. Brubaker to a double gear and double flywheel for
smoother operation and easy running in tough baling jobs. It was
used at the last two R & T reunions and is now owned by his son
Titus Jr., thanks again to the Brubakers from the Rough and Tumble
Engineers Historical Assn. Kinzers, Pa.
Herschel Manes, on his McCormick Deering 22×38 separator.
Courtesy of Frank Manes, Blanchard, Idaho, 51630
Picture taken July 12, 1974 when we threshed some oats at my
Dad’s place. This shows my Dad, Herschel Manes, on his
McCormick Deering 22×38 separator. This separator is one of the
late models and is in ‘like new’ condition. He bought it in
September of 1970. Dad has another McCormick Deering machine almost
identical to this one but it is a little older model. We threshed
eleven acres this year and will probably thresh a little next year
just to keep in practice. I might add that Dad started threshing in
1927.
This machine was built from 1915-1925 and it threshes,
separates, cleans, weighs, counts and delivers grain to the bag.
With a complete operating blower, this blower stacker lengthens,
shortens, raises, lowers, hood turns all from controls from the
machine. This machine has all the working parts of a large grain
thresher. The grain bagger will operate from either side of the
machine.
Courtesy of Merle L. Polhemus, 6545 Beard St., Shaftsburg,
Michigan 48882
I built this machine before I was out of high school. I now run
this grain thresher with a little Handy Andy gas engine. It was at
the Mason, Michigan Steam Meet this year.
Courtesy of Merle L. Polhemus, 6545 Beard St., Shaftsburg,
Michigan 48882
Eight H.P. Economy, Serial No. 340697, 400 rpm.
Courtesy of Willmar H. Tiede, Le Center, Minnesota, 56057
