The dollar weekly bulletin. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1862-1864, 1864-04-28
From the New York Observer =
The Cotton Gin.

81 ~ Inc cotton Gin.
It's author was Eli Whitney. born In
Westboro, Mass, 1765, died n New Haven :,
Conn., 1925. The writer Of this article at.
tended his funeral.
Mr. Whitney after graduating at Yale
Oollese, resided some time in the South.
mostly In the family of the widow Green. in
Georgia. perusing the study of law. Hav-
ing occasion to notice his mechanical oeni.s
N Mrs. Green suggested his -inveutiuu q ms
chine to elm ma the seed from cotton. Tt
took negro whole day to clean a SINGLE
pound of the green cotton seed, and thus
the most valuable variety of that important
staple was restricted to a very small GUAM
tity. The time and expense REQUISITE to
clean it made the cultivation of It f6r the
market, except to very limited sextent. an
Improbable business. Immediately upon
the suggestion of Mrs. Green, Mr.. Whitney
set his genius to work, and ffuall5 Gucceed-
ed In making the great idea great reality:
But like most inventors, he Jared badly. Z
He was the victim of very many and verv
trying annoyances. When his Invention
was fully matured and his machine nearly
finished, the building containing it was an
tered by night and the machine was Stolen:
Before he could complete another and de-
cure patent. other machines were con-
structed from his model and were Ia oper.,
alton. He eventually obtained fifty thoris.
and dollars from the Legislature of South
Carolina per centum for FIVE years, for the
use OF his machine; but after peated law
suits and delays, he felt obliged to resort to
another and more profitable soufce of in
come. This was the Manufacture of fire.
arms Tor the Government. in which he may
have displayed less inventive genius, but re-.
alized more wealth than in the invention 81
a Oi SSf 81 49,
inal and productive inventions of the nineI
teentn century, which has given millions oil
millions of dollars to the citizens and The
Government of the United States, and t6
the world at large, left the inventor him.
selfito seek his means ofsnpport from anoth.
er source. So it fares with most in4sn<
tors, ~ ia' "- u
By the use of the cotton -gin three 6ua-,
dred pounds of cotton can be more, perfectly
cleaned in the same time without it,. The
advantage from this invention
gave a new value to all cotton-growiig
lands. 1t speedily became great and
growing source OF. wealth. not only to the
Cotton States, but to our entire country,
and to all commercial nations. judge
j Johnson of Savannah said: "The whole
interior of the Southern States was languish-
ing, aud its 10 Inhabitants emigrating, for want
OF some object to engage their attention
and employ their industry, whenthe inVen-
ton OF this m achine at once opensd views to
them w hich set the whole country in active
motion. From childhood to age it has pre-
GeDted TO us lucrative employ meht. In
dividuals who were depressed with poverty
and sunk in idIeness have suddenly risen to
wealth eend respectability. Our debts have
been paid off, our capitals have increased,
and our lands have trebled themselves in.
value. We can BOT express the weight of
The obligation which the country owes TO
this inyention." SER
The % manufacture and sale of cotton fab
rics soon became great and lucrative busi-
ness with our northern manufacturers and
merchants; xportatiensfurnished by cotton
became an important source of wealth to
ship builders and owners, and the duties on
cotton poured many millions annually into
The National Treasury. While the cotton
gin has been building our Lowell and Man
chesters, and increasing wealth and indus
try in all parts of our country, it has been
similar service on the other
continent. and making its benefactions the
inheritance of the human race. 1t is stated.
On good authority, that previous to 1899 no
homegrown cotton was exported from the
United States-the small quantity shipped
hence being from the West fndies-and till
The cotton -g q came into use, near the be-
ginning of this century, the entire annual
value OF our exported cotton did not exceed,
our or Eve million of dollars. In 1867
t had reached the sum of one huindred and
hirty one millions of dollars per annum.-
fhe quantity of cotton absorbed by our
lome market has been about one-ffth of
'ur entire crop, and has been made to pro-
luce five timei its original value by the in
Justly employed in its manufacture. Thus
yer hundred and fifty millions cf dollars
more, or nearly three hundred millions cf dol.
1rs in all, have been annually added to fhe
0ealth of this country by cotton, the abun-.
ant production is due to the invention of
he cotton gin.-Rev. Hubbard Winslow,
}. D.