The Camden weekly journal. [volume] (Camden, South-Carolina) 1853-1861, 1853-03-15
ELI WEsisr.cy's Cotton Gin.

This gentleman constructed his first cotton
gin in Chatham county, on tie plantation for
mcrly belonging to General Nathaniel Greene.
In the January number OF Siliman's Journal for
1882, there is an interesting memoir OF Whit.
ncy to which we are indebted for the following
facts.
Mr. Whitney on his way to to Georgia was
50 fortunate rs to have the company of Mrs.
Greene, who, with her family were returning
to Savannah after spending the summer at the
North.
At that time it was deemed unsafe to travel
through our country without having had the
small pox, and accordingly Mr. Whitney pre-
pared himself for the excursion by being nocu
lated in New York. Is soon us he WAS sui
GENTLY recovered, the party set sail for Sayan
nah. As his health was not firmly established
Mrs. Greene Invited him to 90 with the family
to her residence at Mulberry Grove, near ST.
yannah, and remain until he recruited.
The invitation was accepted, but lcst he
should not have yet lost all power Of commu-
ncating that dreadful disease, Mrs. Greene had
white flags, the meaning Of which was well
understood hoiStel at the landing and at tall the
avenues leading to her house
As rcquital for the hospitality, Whitney
procured the virus, and inocuIated all the SER
wants of the household, more than fifty in num-
Der, and carried them safely through the disor.
der.
At the time Whitney was the guest of Mrs.
Greene, she was engaged in piece Of cmbroi-
derry, in which she emil poycd peculiar kind of
frame, called a tambour. She complained that
it was badly constructed, and that it tore the
delicate threads of her work.
Mr.. Whitney set himself to work, and pro-
drccd tambour frame, made on 4 lam entire
" new, which lie presented to her.
Not long afterwards party of gentlemen
from Augusta and the upper country, consisting
chiefly of officers who had served under Gene.
raj Greene, called at Mulberry Grove to pay
their respects to Mrs. Greene. In the course
of conversation upon the state of agriculture
profound regret was expressed that there was
no means of cleaning the green seed cotton
or separating it from its seed, since all the
lands, which were suitable for rice, would yield
large crops OF cotton, and that until ingenuity
could devise some machine, it was in vain TO
think Of raising cotton for market
While tie company Was engaged in this con-
vcrsaton, Mrs. Greene said, Gentlemen, ap-
ply to my young friend Mr.. Whitney, he can
make anything" Upon Which, she conducted
them into an adjoining room and showed them
the tambour frame, aud Il number of TOYS
which Whitney had made Or repaired for the
children.
She then introduced the gentlemen TO Whit.
ncy himself, extolug his genius. When they
named the subject, he replied that {" he had
never seen cotton or cotton seed in his life
The interview gave a new turn 10 Whtncy'S
views. 1t being out of season for cotton in the
seed he went to Savannah and searched among
the warehouses and boats, until he found Il
sinai! parcel of it.
This he carried home and communicated his
intentions to Mrs Greene, who warmly en-
couragcd him, and assigned him room in the
basement of the house, where he went TO work
with such rude materials and instruments as a
Georgia plantation afforded.
With these resources however, he construc.
ted the necessary tools. Mrs. Greene and a