Sunday, June 19, 2005

Wheat and sawdust

From: "Wendell Huffman"

... On that same thumbnail index is a great picture an an early wheat combine (combination cutter and thresher) – which relates to that discussion about bag or bulk wheat. Talk about a hot and dirty beast to manage!

And, having mentioned bag vs bulk wheat– over on the 4L discussion group there has been some discussion of shipment of sawdust/wood shavings in the 19th century. There seems to be agreement that there was a market for such (saloon floors, insulation – either in buildings or in the shipment of ice – packing grapes). However, I suspect most (if not all) was obtained from local sources (local planing mills, box factories, furniture or wagon makers, or – in the case of the Truckee ice plants – local sawmills) and did not require rail shipment. Have any of you run across mention of shipping sawdust/shavings that would suggest how it was shipped (bulk, sacked, barrels)???

I mentioned that the market was probably small and local from the experience of the American River Land & Lumber Co's mill at Folsom. That mill was (reportedly) the world's first all-electric sawmill, and it failed primarily because it became plugged up with its own waste. Without boilers to burn its waste, and prohibited from dumping the waste into the American River by the fish and game commissioner (apparently the first intent), and UNABLE TO FIND A MARKET for its waste, the mill was soon moved to Pino Grande and converted to steam. I suspect everyone in Sacramento who needed sawdust could find all the needed in the many wood-related factories in Sacramento.

Wendell

2 Comments:

Blogger CPRR Discussion Group said...

On the combine harvester, it does look like hard work. And I note it is set up for sacks, not bulk.

I haven't come across any rail shipments of sawdust or wood chips – although the lack of something like this does not prove the case. But I agree it wouldn't be high value, so quite possibly not worth the cost of rail transportation.

Kyle K. Wyatt
Curator of History & Technology
California State Railroad Museum
111 "I" Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

My work address is: kwyatt@parks.ca.gov
My personal address is: kylewyatt@aol.com

6/19/2005 2:10 PM  
Blogger CPRR Discussion Group said...

Lots of good wheat photos – and it certainly shows bagged wheat into the teen (dated by the model T). There may have been earlier bulk shipments, but this shows that bagged wheat lasted pretty late.

I assume the combine referred to is [this] one ...

I also notice the in-action photo ... with bagged wheat in the background.

Bagged wheat ...

The steam traction engine in the first view above looks suspiciously like this one with a cultivator ...

Hauling bagged wheat in from the field with a gas-powered Holt tracklayer, note also the model T for dating (likely in the teens)

This may be the combine in the first view

And then there is hay in the days before bails

More sacked grain

And look how high the wheat gets before it is cut

A combine crew

another view of high wheat

Look at all the mules on that combine


Kyle K. Wyatt
Curator of History & Technology
California State Railroad Museum
111 "I" Street
Sacramento, CA 95814

My work address is: kwyatt@parks.ca.gov
My personal address is: kylewyatt@aol.com

6/19/2005 2:20 PM  

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