The Second Fire

Alas, I have a few minutes to write, so I thought I’d fill you in on what’s happening since reporting last. Though the second fire of March 30th was ferocious, it was small in comparison to the one that gave me a major adrenaline rush only hours earlier. The damage in the second fire was limited to the burned shed and the Rayville main phone trunk, which wires melted into a smoking ball. It wasn’t until Tuesday that phones were back in operation. This fire began during the prayer meeting portion of our worship services. Joyce Morrill was standing at the back of the church bouncing her son Daniel on her hip when she came to me with a note, “That little shed across the street is in flames.” Though I quickly went to the back to look, the clouds of boiling black smoke told us all that we needed to take immediate action. We exited the church and watched the fire for about 45 minutes. It was less than sixty five feet from the sanctuary, so we were concerned about more burning ashes falling on the roof. Thank the Lord that there were few and much smaller than the basketball sized ones of the first fire. By the time the fire department arrived it was largely over. There is strong suspicion and evidence that it was lit separately from the earlier arson. We soon resumed the services with all the more thankfulness and praises for God’s merciful hand. It was surrealistic praying together as smoke continued to blanket the building and various fire trucks were moving about. It brought us together all the more for the wonderful fellowship meal that followed the service. 

This is the aftermath of the first fire about 7 AM.  In the very back you can see the white shed that caught fire about four hours later in the second fire.

This picture was taken right across the street from the sanctuary entrance about 50 feet from the fire.  The first telephone wire above the fire is smoking.  The phone line trunk stands just to the left of burning building.  Before the fire was over it was billowing smoke. 

Allen Shropshire watches this one closely.   To its left you can see the smoldering debri from the first fire.

Shropshire Family Visit

We were greatly blessed last week by a visit from the Shropshire family of Idaho, who spent nearly a week with us. You likely know them through their great blog, Promised Land. Allen Shropshire is a captain with a fire department there and so his “on the scene” assessment of the fires was most informative, though it must have struck him unusual to see so many fires while on vacation (there was also a small one at the hotel he was staying at). We spent a good deal of time fellowshipping around the things of the Lord and breaking bread together. Allen and his sons Tyler and Matthew took part in a membership class where we studied our church covenant and the many scriptures which footnote it, discussing their application to our lives. We were all encouraged by their participation, as I am sure they were mutually edified. Allen’s wife Janis had several opportunities to visit with the ladies of the church and we were encouraged by her faith and joy. Since Tyler has a strong desire to farm with draft animals, I had promised him months ago that should he visit I would get the lines of Sam & Sadie in his hands. He took them with great joy and did very well; it’s obvious the Lord has put this passion in Him. Though he will likely speak for himself soon enough, as he is a gifted writer like the rest of the family, I think he may have become partial to draft mules, as Sam & Sadie took to him pretty quick, and he to them. The rest of family drove the team quite well, too, and Janis handled them like a seasoned driver.  With a little instruction Tyler was able to harness the team himself. After a long run to put the team through their paces, we hooked them to a hay wagon and Tyler drove it on his own while Art, Jeff, and I loaded scrap wood on to it that was in the back pasture. He soon learned that with a mule team one must be assertive but patient and always on top of keeping the lines at the proper tension and distance from one’s body.

Gearing Up To Produce

Another major step in building our local economy was taken recently, as we picked up several pieces of draft animal farm equipment. Given the state of our economy, the price of oil, and the growing pagan dominion, we think it is paramount that we be able to produce as much of our own food as well as feed for our animals. More so, with our community being close together by design (after the Puritan township model of the early bay colonies), we see a decided advantage in farming with the renewable energy of draft animals, besides being able to handle most of our local travel needs with a team and wagon. On one of our recent jaunts with Sam & Sadie we dropped off a lawn mower for repair at the local small engine shop, whose proprietor took it in stride . . . must be Missouri.  For months I had been looking into what it would cost to procure the various farming pieces we needed. Art and I had recently attended an auction in Columbia and got a real eye full. Working draft animal equipment goes for a premium and it would likely take traveling hundreds of miles to different auctions and farms to get everything we needed. The Lord’s bountiful provision and gracious providence was with us, however, as He made a way for us to acquire nearly everything from one man, only ten miles away, and at a very excellent price. On top of that, some close friends that live nearby who just happen to have a bobcat with forks helped us load and move it all to Art’s farm. One piece measures over 30 ft without the tongue, which would have made it very difficult for us to handle alone. One thing is for sure, with acquiring them locally we saved hundreds if not thousands of dollars in traveling expenses.

Though it is all in working condition, the equipment will need to be repainted. I have done extensive research on the all the pieces, but have yet to pin down the exact model on many of them. There were just too many models and variations back in the days of draft animal farming when there were way more small farms then now. If anyone out there can better identify any of this equipment or if I am in error, by all means comment and fill me in.

Two cane presses – the front one is a Kentucky Cane Mill built in Louisville, Kentucky, by the Brennan & Co. and the back one is a Climax Cane Mill No. 2 built in Hillsboro, Ohio by the C.S. Bell Co.

A Janney Common Sense Mill built in Ottumwa, Iowa, a burr mill designed to grind corn, cob and all.  It will have to be bolted down, else it will flip over as soon as the the draft animal commences grinding.

Single bottom Oliver Plow No. 11 with big base and rolling coulter.

John Deere 8′ disc harrow with fore carriage.  This is the one I used back in September during the Sorghum Festival.

McCormick Deering (International Harvester) two-row corn planter with David Bradley fertilizer add-ons.  We will need to install a new tongue.

McCormick Deering (International Harvester) cultivator

McCormick Deering (International Harvester) 12 ft hay dump rake, which Jeff is working during the Sorghum Festival to haul the hay to the baler pictured next

1905 Dain Pull-Power Hay Press (stationary square baler) built by the Dain MFG Co. in Ottumwa, Iowa, which was later bought out by John Deere.  It’s over 30 feet long without the tongue.  The yellow hood looking devise at the left on top is flipped over and works as a chute for the hay that is forked in from above.  The draft animal walks in a circle at the other end pulling a sweep which works a long pull arm that compresses the bales and pulls them forward to be stacked. 

Last fall we acquired a McCormick Deering No. 7 mower with regular gearing, totally rebuilt by the same man that sold us this equipment. We are still in the hunt for a decent forecart and harrow. We also acquired a Farquhar riding spring-tooth weeder built in the 1920’s, which we intend to restore as soon as we can get some information on how to attach the tongue, since it was altered years ago to work on a tractor. All this restoration work means that we would also like to eventually build a sand or bead blasting shed to make it easier to strip the equipment for painting. This week I am working on getting our Oliver No. 11 plow ready for the Crooked River Working Draft Horse and Mule Club’s plow day held in Buckner, Missouri, where we will work to get a field ready for sorghum planting. I hope some of the more experienced plowmen can teach us the “ins and outs” of this particular plow, Lord willing. However, we are expecting 2 to 3 inches of rain this week, which could postpone the event. God Bless — The Rural Missourian