My great uncle, Gust, had a Rumely Oil Pull Tractor. We know this from the photograph and from the news of Rosewood. "Why are they called Oil Pulls?" The answer to this is; they use oil in the radiator instead of water for cooling. The oil pull cooling system automatically keeps the motor at the right temperature at all loads, warm for light loads, increasingly cooler for half load up to full load. The harder the oil pull works the cooler it runs. This is the main reason they were so successful as a kerosene burning tractor.
This is a threshing Machine. See the light colored part on the top? That arm is where the straw is blown out. Do you see the wheels on the body of the machine? That is where the tractor is attached to drive it. Do you see the the place near the back on the top? That is where the bundles of grain are placed. Inside the machine are places that shake the grain off the oats. I think the little trap door between the wheels that roll the machine is where the grain comes out.
This is a picture showing how the tractor and the threshing machine are hooked up. On this side of the threshing machine, do you see the horse? That is the wagon that is loaded with bundles of grain. Do you see the big wheel on the tractor with the belt on it? That is what drives the thresher. I am certain you can see the straw stack!It took more than Gust's tractor to thresh!
1917
Rosewood News Gust Opseth is threshing and home for the day
1918
Rosewood News Benny and Benhard Ranum and Gust Opseth will resume threshing
August 1920
Rosewood News Gust Opseth will once again leave for farming areas to thresh with his Rumley Oil Pull Threshing outfit.
Rosewood News Gust Opseth has been in Numedal with his Rumley Oil threshing rig this fall and is expected home this week. His brother, Olof Opseth, who has been employed in ND, arrived home on Monday. He is putting a new shingled roof on their residence in the eastern part of town.
1924
Lots of rain, people coming home from threshing. Another soaker over the weekend delays all fall operation.
Rosewood News Gust Opseth left for Warren with his threshing rig and will commence a run the beginning of the week.
1927
Benhard Ranum and Victor Axelson have left for Argyle where they will be employed during threshing.
1938
Emil Mellem is busy threshing
1943
Clifford Rye and Murvin Rye are at Calvin, ND where they have about 20 days of threshing
Although Gust was paid for his services and his tractor, most of the grown men where part of other farms near by. The tractor would move from farm to farm. Young men, like Cliff and Murvin Rye, were paid for their services.
Anyone out there ever lay on the top of a fresh straw stack on a chilly September day? Cozy, wasn't it?
e
