The weekly north Iowa times. [volume] (McGregor, Iowa) 1857-1867, 1866-05-16
The Automatic ExcnvatOr.

The Automatic Excavator.
This is machine invented and patented
by Judge L. II. WILLIAMS and Brother, of
Clayton. We have taken occasion to al
Jude to it both favorably and unfavorably
first We saw it work in light soil at Prai.
rie du Chen, and it was success-ncxt
we heard of its work at North McGregor,
and we were aethoritatircly informed that
1t failed /; this fact we stated, and it Great
ed some surprise +; but the cause of failure
was merely weakness of an iron bar to
sustain the machine pressure the substi
tuition Of a heavier bar or band, we forget
which, made it all right. 1t is now pro-
badly the most perfect and profitable ma
chine in the world for the use of railroad
companies or wagon road districts. Its use
must become general from necessity. In
the large Agricultural Pamphlet VIC pub
lishcd for, S. & II. RUBLE, Of North Nc
Gregor, we find the following notice:
AN ExcAvAron- We offer, this season,
a new and most valuable invention which
public witness the advantages to be derived
from it. A "Road and Railway Excava
tor" has long been dcsdeiratum, and this
machine is a complete one 1t is often the
case that time is important as well as the
value of labor !: for instance, if farmer
has 100 acres Of wheat to cut, all Of it de-
handing instant attention, he could not af
ford to accept, gratis, the labor of half
dozen friends to cut and secure the wo'd
lose more in the delay of the harvest than
he would realize from gratuitous labor
So in regard to railroad work or any other
road building the work is often required
to be done ut once and it is impossible for
men to get at it in sufficient numbers to
complete it as soon as public interest may
demand. The Excayator we offer to the
country is new invention patented, tri,
ed and approved by all who have seen it
work, and there scan be any amount of
certificates shown to verify this statement,
by;calling at our Depot of Agricultural I'M
plements. North McGrcgor.s
1t can be operated by one man and two
horses it does the work of the shovel
err and the wagon. Generally it will do
from twenty-five to fifty per cent more
than can be done with wagon, saving, at
the same time, large amount of hand la
Dor. With four horses it will" borrow"
two hundred cubic yards PER day. No
railway contractor or road builder can dis
pense with this labor saving machine
This is Judge WILLIAMS machine, tho
there is no alluson to the inventors they
preferred to test the invention by its prac.
teal merits rather than to the names of its
patentees. We should perhaps not have
removed the veil, but justice to the indus
try and the energies of our county friends
demand it, and we take the responsibility.
We believe the Judge designs to give a
practical exhibition of its working to the
Railroad men and machinists of Dubuque.
Since the above was in type we are in
receipt of the Dubuque Daily Times, an
nouncing the arrival Of the "Excavatcr,
its trial and its most complete SUCCESS
We condense from notices Of the Times
The exhibition was given on the bluff,
3rd street extension, near the residence of
Ed and Soon Langworthy. The best ma
| chlnists, railroad men and engineers, to
gether with many interested citizens were
present all give the strongest tcstimo-
ny as to it's utility, economy and ALSO
lutte necessity. Hon. Platt Smith is an en-
thusastic friend of the Excavator. After
trying, in vain, to call Mr.. N Ainsworth,
| of the D. & s. c. Road, by telegraph, Mr..
| Smith shipped machine, men and horses,
| free of cost, to the extremity Of the Du-
buquc and Sioux City Road, where actual
grading will be done.
| The Times says: Among others who
We're equally delighted with the Excavator' S
ability to grade, were the Messrs. Burt
Reaper Manufacturers, of Dunleith. These
gentlemen are SO sanguine of its general
practcability and utility, that they have
made arrangements to so into the immcd
late manufacture of them.
1t appears to us that to railroad contrac
- &C. =. H.