“But the real thrill I had in my early days was 53 years ago when I first began to reach out to buy hay in a larger way. I had gone up into Antwerp and Philadelphia that September day, 1884, and stopped at Robert Miles’ farm near Halls Corners, toward Philadelphia. He had a lot of hay and nice hay, too. I was anxious to buy, but careful not to overstep. When I looked it over I offered him $12 per ton. It seems that was just what another buyer he had previously done business with had offered. I couldn’t go higher and started to drive away when Mr. Miles remarked that hay-pressing was expensive work for the farmer, boarding help for ten days or more. He said the pressers he had in former years only pressed about eight tons in a day. As he had about 125 tons of hay that would mean 16 days’ board.

“I told him if my gang couldn’t press 15 tons a day I would pay for their board. ‘You have bought the hay,’ he told me.

“Well, about ten tons a day was a good days’ work and I didn’t know how I could come out. Ed Hunneyman was running my press and had a snappy buckskin team. Bub (sic) Hart was one of the jumpers and the other was just as good. I told the boys of the bargain and promised them a little reward if they made good. I had told Mr. Miles he must get the hay to them and when the press was up there were six men on hand to pitch. The boys started the press after breakfast, which was at 5:30. At 9:30 the women came out with a dandy lunch. Dinner was at noon, supper at 4:30 and pressing again till dark when there was another supper. When four days were over the boys had pressed 96 tons, a record that stood for many years. They pressed in all 125 tons, but as the hay was low in the mow, the pitchers couldn’t get the hay to the press as fast, but Mr. Miles said it was the most remarkable feat he had ever known. In fact, that record was reported all through the north country and the story was repeated for years after when haypressers met.”