Artisans demonstrate turn-of-the-century trades

West Newton Day celebrated at Harkin Store

By RON LARSEN

Journal Staff Writer

WEST NEWTON -- Harkin General Store was the scene Sunday afternoon for demonstrations of how woodworkers, rug weavers and blacksmiths plied their trades before the turn of the 20th century.

While the artisans demonstrated their techniques, 82-year-old Marvin Krause of Lake Benton, played his four-row Austrian accordion, accompanied by Roland Meyer, 75, of Gibbon on a concertina.

Lance Sorenson of Hector, whose day job is working for a farm machinery company, does woodworking the "modern" way with power tools, but since 1980, he has been going back in time to do woodworking like it was done in the 1870s -- with foot power.

As he pedaled his Barnes scroll saw with the "walking arm" design, Sorenson explained that he had been concentrating on treadle-powered woodworking equipment since that time.

"It's not as fast as an electric-powered jig saw, but then it's a lot easier to control," Sorenson, 52, explained.

He now has two types of scroll saws, a table saw, a shaper and a mortising machine -- all foot-powered.

"I've got almost everything that Barnes put out, but I don't have a real good, working lathe," he said.

And, he may never find one.

"You just can't go to an estate sale and find one anymore."

Laura Borchert, 81, of New Ulm has been appearing at the Harkin store for 14 years, demonstrating her method of recycling "just about anything" into rugs.

She weaves her rugs on a simple, rectangular wood frame that she made herself. The materials she uses, such as the jeans, corduroy, other fabrics, come from used goods stores. The plastic grocery bags she uses -- well, they come from trips to the grocery store.

"Yes, I weave plastic grocery bags into rugs. I'm trying to show people that they don't have to go out and buy special cloth for their rugs. I've used about everything there is."

For Tom Sanders of Comfrey, demonstrating how the blacksmiths of old created almost anything out of metal is basically a busman's holiday.

"I've been doing this for 15 years as a part of my job with the Minnesota Historical Society," Sanders explained.

He's currently manager of the Jeffers Petroglyphs in southwestern Brown County, but this journeyman blacksmith hasn't lost his touch with the portable forge that he lugs around for his demonstrations.

"It's a portable model, for sure, this portable forge. It dates back to World War II when it was created as a shop forge for use in high schools."

Instead of a kiln like the 1870s smithies used, this forge features a cast-iron pot.

"But it still heats up metal to 3,000 degrees like the big ones," Sanders said proudly. "It's typical of the farm forge, the one that farmers used on their farms; it's called a buffalo forge."

However, if you're planning to take up blacksmithing any time soon, Sanders wants you to be aware of the toll it takes on the body.

"It's really hard on the body, as well as your arms. That's why, typically, the old-time smithies had apprentices who did a lot of the heavy stuff," Sanders explained.

"It's really an intellectual thing. When I'm working metal, I have to be thinking three steps ahead," said Sanders, who over the years has specialized in making axes.

Krause has been coming back to play at the Harkin store for the past 15 years, and he's been playing a "button" accordion for "at least 65 years."

He started out playing two-row and three-row accordions, and in 1988, he moved up to a four-row accordion which he purchased in New Ulm from a music dealer who has since retired from the business.

"I remember I bought it from him for $2,995 which I thought was an awful lot of money. Now, it's worth $5,400."