The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1827-07-04
From, the Boston Courier.
THE COTTON GIN.


1t has often and Justly been observed.
that Whitney's saw gin is one of the most
Important discoveries Of the age. 1t has
lately been quoted in illustration of the
undenlable fact that the mechanical skill
which is developed and perfected in man.
ufnctures, has conferred the most signal
benefits on the other branches of industry.
1t is plain, that none but man of mechan-
lcal genius, acquainted with the combina-
tons of the mechanical powers which ex-
list in machinery, could ever have invented
the cotton-gin. AS Captain Whitney is a
son of Massachusetts, we have been the
rather disposed to offer the public some
account of him and his invention.
Captain Eli Whitney was born in West
borough, in the county of Worcester, and
received from nature gift, as strongly
marked, and In this country perhaps as
well calculated to be useful, as the most
brilliant intellectual endowments: we
mean what is called a mechanical turn
From his early youth, he showed an in
sight into the combinations of machinery.
and was remarkably observant of the CON
struction of mill-work. His father was a
farmer of comfortable circumstances. in
the town of Westborough, (where a por-
ton of the family now reside,) but was
unable to render his children much assist
ance in getting forward in life. Eli, how
ever, from lad, resolved upon securing
himself a collegiate education, and sue
ceeded, after the usual efforts and strug-
giles of young men similarly situated in
New England, in entering himself at Yale
College, where he was graduated in 1892
Thus far he betrayed the expense of his
education, partly by keeping school and
partly by assistance derived from his father.
When he left college, he found himself
without funds, for his maintenance. during
the pursuit of professional education, and
his father was unable to yield him further
aid. Thus circumstanced, he reluctantly
found himself obliged to enter into a con-
tract with a gentleman in Georgia, to be-
come private teacher in his family. With
that object in view, he sailed for Georgia.
On arriving there, he found his employer
embarrassed by failure of his crops, and
unable to fulfil his contract, except at a
reduction of one half of the compensation,
which had been stipulated to Mr.. Whit
ney. Destitute as he was, this was posi-
lively refused by Mr.. Whitney.
Ah OiA1o JIG anu
senetactor In q gentleman living in the
vicinity, of the name of Miller. Interested
In Whitney's appearance and character,
and IN the situation into which he was
thrown, Mr.. Miller took him home to his
plantation. While there, Whitney saw
the slaves employed in cleaning cotton
from the seed by hand,a process so slow
and expensive, that it scarcely enabled the
laborer to earn his bread. In fact, the
short staple cotton, the great article of
expectation of the Southern States, was
not then then thought of, ds an article for
the market. In proof of this, it may be
mentioned, that by the twelfth article of
jays treaty, it was stipulated, that no cot
ton should be exported from America it
not being known to Chief Justice Jay, that
there was any raised for expectation in the
United States, and his object being to
secure to the English the carriage of the
West India cotton to its market in Europe
This is the reason land not that assigned
by Gen. Smith, in his speech last winter
on the colonial tradcl why the Senate Of
the United States refused to ratify the 18th
article of that treaty.
The mechanical genius of Whitney; act
ing upon his acquaintance with the general
principles of machinery, and stimulated by
witnessing the monstrous expense of labor
in cleaning cotton by hand, soon led hin
to believe, that u machine could be con
structed, which would greatly abridge the
process. He communicated his view tC
Miller, who was so fully convinced of theil
soundness, that he proposed to furnish
tools and machinery, TO board Whitney
and to be at all other expense incident t.
an attempt to construct machine. Thu
offer was accepted, and the parties were
to be jointly interested in the fruits of thu
invention. This was in the fall of thu
year, and in the course of the winter, Whit
ney got machine into operation,fby whicl
one person could clean about 1000 pound
of Gotten per day, instead of pounds o
thereabouts as was formerly done by hand