"FIENDS" MEET AT BUSCH ANNUAL DAY
By F. HAL HIGGINS
Who attended His First Western Fiend Gathering
Western Steam Bee Fans Hold Election at Colton, Wash.; 4500 at Chris' Threshing Bee
About half the 165 members of the Western Steam Fiends Association answered President Chris Busch's call to the second annual meeting at Colton, Washington, on the evening of September 19, 1953. Mr. Busch has been attracting crowds of neighbors and a growing and widening audience of old and new steam threshing fans for several years as he annually harvests part of his small grain crop by binder and thresher powered by one of his large collection of steam threshing engines.
Attendance of Fiends was noted from six different states. And one South African student from the University of Minnesota appeared at the ranch for the threshing show. At the annual meeting prizes were awarded to Milo Gibson for oldest member present. He admitted a youthful 80. Orrin G. Seaver, Ypsilanti, Mich., won a prize for distance traveled by a "Fiend."
Buffalo Pitts 12 hp. return flue as it appeared brand new at Calton, Wash., in 1893, according to Chris Busch's records. Photo by F. Hal Higgins.
The program presented a color movie on steam railroading and a masterly talk by C. R. Miller on what to do and what not to do with steam boilers. As Miller was a pioneer Agricultural college instructor in the field of steam engines in his post-graduate days at Washington State College, the steam Fiends got the benefit of science and experience in the steam threshing field. Miller operated steam threshing machines in the pre-combine days.
Election of officers kept the head office filled by Mr. BIMA_V9_I1_Jan_1954_02-2.jpgusch with Miller also being re-elected to the vice-presidency. The recent resignation of Ted Middleton as secretary-treasurer, however, called for the election of a new name on the Fiends' official group.
Orrin G. Seaver, 958 Sheridan Ave., Ypsilanti, Mich., winner of prize for the member coming the longest distance to the Annual Western Steam Fiends Association meeting in 1953.
Edgar Bergen of Charley McCarthy fame in the radio field, was present as a member of the Fiends and entertained the audience with a brief talk on ventriloquism. While Charley was absent in person, Bergen did bring his voice into the act as a little touch of sentiment for the absent star.