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Pittsburg, Kansas | Yep. That team of horses traveled around and around in a circle. They drove a gearbox that turned a jackshaft that went to the baler. The horses (or mules) learned to step over the jackshaft. Breaking in a new horse was done with an old one because a horse not used to stepping overmthe shaft tended to "jump" over it producing a dangerous jerky situation for the guy pitching hay into the plunger. Usually a very gentile team was used to run the press that were used to voice signals so when the operator would yell "woa" the horses would stop. The very early presses the hay was fed in the top with pitch fork and a man would step down into the chamber to compress then step back out. This was very dangerous work and soon balers were equipped with a metal plunger that did the job. Then the guy on the pitch fork only fed the plunger with a handle being broke during a mishap rather than a leg. But having a team that would respond to voice signals was still of utmost importance. Otherwise another man was needed to mind the team.
My mom tells of working in the hay field as a teenager and getting paid mans wages, much to the chagrin of some of the men. But she could run the buck and sulky rakes as good as a man and so she got paid the wage. She was always pretty proud of that. That was all with a horse press.
John
Edited by John Burns 1/14/2018 09:16
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1920s
