The Hancock Jeffersonian. [volume] (Findlay, Ohio) 1857-1870, 1865-01-06

success was complete The gentle \
men saw nnboun3al wonder and
delight that one hsgi, with this \
young Yankees engine, o,;1d clean
MS much cotton In one day as a man
could clean by hand in whole Win
ter The cotton grown on a large Z
plantation could he separated from
the seed in few days, which before
Required the constant labor of hun
drcd hands for several months.
Thus was the cotton gin invented.
The principle was so simple that the
wonder was that no one had thought
| of it before. The cotton was put into
a large trough. the bottom OF which
was formed of wires placed in parallel
rows, so close together that the seed
could not PASS through. Under this
trough saws revolvcd, the teeth of
which thrust themselves between the
wires, and snatchcd the cotton tbro'
leaving the seed behind, which ran
out in stream at one end of the
trough.
, The simplicity of the cotton Gin
had two effects; one good, the other
bad. The good effect was that, in the
course OF very few years it was in
troduced all over the cotton States,
Increased the value of cotton lands,
doubled and tribled the production Of
cotton, and raised the Southern States
from hopeless depression to the great
est prosperity. The effect was n last
ing rs it was sudden. In 1893 the
whole export of cotton from the
United States was ten thousand bales
l In 1859 the exports was five millions
I of bales. Men acquainted with the
subject are of opinion that that single
- invention has been worth to the South
one thousand millions of dollars.
How much did the inventor gain by
| it? Not one dollar! Associating
himself with n man Of capital, he went
TO Connecticut to set mp a manulac.
tory ofcotton- gins But the simple
itv Of the machine was such, that any
good mechanic who saw it could
make one; and long before Whitney
1 was ready to supply machines Of his
= own making there were great numbers
, i'm operation all over the cotton States
+ His patent proved TO he no protection
l TO him. If he brought n suit FOR It's
: infringement, no Southern jury would
= rive him verdict He struggled OF
y AGAINST adverse influences for filtecr
r years. In 1908, when his patent cx
z pired, he gave up the contest, anC
+ Withdrew from the business, q poorer
II man then he was on the day when h,
went, with his handful ofcotton pods
:, into Mrs. Green's basement. Thou
II sands of men were rich who, but TO
IS his ingenuity and labor, would hav
5 remained poor to the end Of thci
e DAYS. The levees of the Southcri
/ scaports were heaped high with cot
@ ton, which, hut for him, would ncye
n have been grown. Fleets Of cottOl
e ships sailed the seas, which, but 70
ii him, would never have been built
10 He, the creator Of so much wcaltl,
y returned TO his native State, at th
If age Of forty-two, to begin the worl
Y, anew.
Hut Eli Whitney was a thorough
'c bred Yaukcc--one Of those uncor
g. qrcrahle men who, baked in one dt
VI rcction, try another, and keep on try
~ ing till they succeed. He turne
&c his attention TO the Improvement {
fire arms, particularly the old fasl
Il ioncd musket Having established
rs mandatory of fire arms Mt New III
id ven, he prospercd in business, an
ne was enabled Mt length to crafty hi
domestic tastes by marrying I'll
lg daughter Of Judge Pierpont Edwards
&c with whom he lived in happiness TIL
rest ofhis life Some ofthe improve
IN ments which he invented arc prescr'
n cd in the celebrated Springfield mus
es ket, with which our soldiers in I'll
$. field are now chiefly armed. II W,
he who began the improvements
e, fire arms which Colt and many Other
@, have continued, and which have give
h, the United States the best musket
IN the best pistols, and the best canno
e. in the world. Eli Whitney died
e. January, 1926, in his siXtieth year.
or 1t is a curious fact, thst the san
~ man should have supplied the Sout
- with the wealth that tempted it
r. rebel, and the United States with Il
r. weapons with which it is cnrorciI
he its Just authority,
p. The time is ~ hand when Yank,
TO ingenuity will again he employed
I'd developing the vast resources of q
tn Southern States. There are VIII
nm ney's still among us. When
ew length the opportunity shall be aif'or
VS. ed them, they will set 10 work tinkG
&c: ing and coeitating, mvcnting nc
lr. machines and new methods, causil
the worn fields to smile again wi
ey abundant haryests, and the dilaI
i'm dated old towns to renew their yout
la, ------....-....,-----
ad The Nations Call.
te. President Lincoln has most wise
es, and properly called for Three Hu
OF dred Thousand Men TO finish up {