The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1848-03-31
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The Cast Iron Plow.

pending IN the House oil Represen-
tatives, to extend the patent Of Je-
thro Wood for seven years, which
he obtained in 1914 and renewed in
1919, claiming to have invented the
Cast Iron Plow-share, SC. Thi,
bill proposes to grant to the heirs OF
Jethro Wood, the privilege of ex-
acting fifty cents from every manu-
factnrer, for every Cast Iron Plow
made in the United States, for seven
years after the passage ofsaid bill.
As there are about four millions of
farmers and planters at present in
the United States, and as each would
require on an average at least one
pillow every four years, this priv.
ledge would be worth half million
Of dollars annually, all of which
would be taken from the hard ear
nings Of the planter and farmer !!
And what makes the matter more
unjust is, that the interest of the
heirs of Wood in this patent has been
purchased for q mere song; thus
nearly the whole benefit of it will in
ure to company of greedy specula-
tors. But Jethro Wood, as shall
proceed to show, was not the orig
inal inventor of the Cast Iron Plow-
share, nor did he ever improve the
pillow in the slightest degree he
was consequently entitled to no mer-
it in this thing, and much less to
patent; and had the facts Of the case
been known by the commissioner Of
patents, in 1914 he would not have
granted him one, or renewed it in
1919; neither would the United
States court have confirmed him in
it after it had been granted. The
Cast Iron Plow-share was invented
by Robert Ransom of Ipswich, Eng
land, and he obtained patent for it
in l7S5, twenty nine years before
Jethro Wood obtained his The Cast
Iron Plow with the share and mould
board in two parts, was kept for sale
by Peter T. Curtenius, in this City
as early as 1900; and in use in this
neighborhood. Jethro Wood I'M
doubtedly obtained his knowledge
of the Cast Iron Share, from one or
the other Of these for the Cast Iron
Plow as whole, and in separate
parts, will be found figured and de-
scribed in almost every Encyclope-
dia, and work on agricultural imple-
msnts, published in Great Britain,
since 1880 These works soon found
their way into the United States,
and it can be proved by the testimo-
ny of the intimate friends of Jethro
Wood, that he was familiar with all
these publications.
James Small, Scotchman, con-
structed Cast Iron Plow on true
mechanical principles as early as
l740, and was the first inventor of
the cast iron mould board. Robert
Ransom, Of England, invented the
cast iron share in 1885. An Eng.
fish farmer, in the county of Suffolk,
invented the cast iron Landslide
shortly after, so that as early as 1890,
the Cast Iron Plow complete in three
distinct parts, was well known and
in use inGreatBritain, land fguredand
described in nearly everywork of any
value since published on the SUBJ
ject of Flows and agricultural imple-
ments. Without any knowledge of
these improvements of the Cast Iron
Plow in England, Charles Newbold
of New Jersey, about the year 1870
took the plow with view of i'm
proving it in the United States. On
the 18th Of June, 1897, he obtained
patent for the Cast Iron Plow skel-
eton, in one piece complete. Sub
sequently he made his plows with
castiron mould board and Landslide,
and attached wrought iron share to
1t. Shortly after this he often spoke
of still farther improving his pillow,
by substituting tho cast iron share.
But having spent upwards of $780,
600 in his improvements and efforts
to introduce it into use into the u
nited States and elsewhere, lie got
discouraged and gave up the bust
ness.
Peter T. Curtenius, as stated a.
bove, kept the Cast Iron Plow for
sale in this City, the share and
mould-board in separate parts, as
early as 1900. Who was the manu-
facturer Of these | am unable to
learn.
In 1904, l think, David Peacock of
New Jersey, obtained patent for
plow, the mould-board and land side
of cast-iron and in separate parts,
the wrought iron steei-cdged. He
copied Mr.. Newbold's pillow in part,
for the privilege of which he paid
him 81 900. ....
In 1914, Jethro Wood obtained a
patent for a pillow, the mould hoard,