Rutland weekly herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1859-1877, 1868-05-28
The Wood Mower and Reaper.

few hours 10 spare, We determined 70 VISIT
the mandatory Of the Wood Moving
and Reaping Machines, so deservedly pop
ular as har,esters With the husbandmen
Of every civilized nation, and though
from the descriptions Of the works pre-
yiously reocunted to us, and the knowl.
edge of the unprecedented sales with
which the machines are meeting, We ex-
pected TO find extensive works, we do not
think We were ever as much surprised,
leaving favorable impress, as We were
upon being shown through the various
departments Of the establishment,
To attempt detailed statement OF the
works would be utterly useless ON our
part, as to do them anything like justice
would require more space than is accorded
this entire article. Some idea, however,
may be formed when we state that the
working floors Of the buildings composing
the mandatory cover an area Of 10000
square feet, or over four acres, which, ii
properly disposed, would make continue
Gus working floor one mile in length and
over ~ feet wide, and though in this
mammoth establishment at the time of
our visit 40 men were employed. aided
10y the best and most improved machinery
Of every description requisite 10 the tram
Saction of the business, where % tons of
east iron, 10 tons of wrought iron, . tons
of malleahlc iron and three-fo urths Of a
ton of steel with about $4,000 feet Of
lumber, are daily consumed in the manu-.
acture Of mowers and rcapers, which are
turned out AT the rate Of over one hundred
per day, or one in less than every six
working minutes, the facilities for manu-
featuring are still much too small 10 meet
the business of the company.-the supply
i altogether inadequate TO the demand
and the company is at present negotiating
with another manufacturing company for
the construction Of several thousand ma.
chimes, to be made according TO the Wood
patents, and under royalty from the
company Of which Mr. Wood is President
and owns a controlling interest. Before
''''t'A'A f'AN'tlts w WIZ liliilHltAls ilf
works at Hoosick Falls are to be SO far ex-
tended As To enable the company TO com
ply with tlrr. demands -HFAt.- it al It's pa.
irons and he public
The history Of the Wood Mover and
Reaper is as choquered as i most Of tho
other inventions. which have achieved
tamo and opulcncc for the originator. the
inventor, at the outset. like most other,
who have rcvolutionilcd previously ac-
e'ptcd theories, having TO contend agains,
the rrA4plinnA- nf- Mnaltl and POSITION
whlrh lA'rcr' grudgiugly bestowed their
favors, and but stngily, upon him. The
first machines made under his patent,
twenty year. since were cumbersome AND
nnwieldly and though then even surpass-
ing anything which had hitherto been
offered 10 the public, they were in the
practical eye Of Mr. Wood detective in
the points for which hi- machines Of III,
present time are - Justly celebrated Va
nouS improvements were constantly add
al +" the .maehmrS. uidcr most adverse
''''"m-'""@"s to thr inventor and propri-
e'or' until lNA2, when he commenced
';hrir m.nufrture for public u,c.
AMI IN which yrJE tv sE1rcoJi5rii III
selling Ia tAc farmers in the vicinity
ct IIoasirk Fall- twenty eight ma
chimes, hardly enough il will he seen til
give great encouragement. to one whose
expenses were heavy as his resources wero
limited But tall oaks from little acorns
grow, and how applicable is the adage
20 Mr. Woods mowers and reaper, can be-
eceu from the fact that in the following
season he was enabled to dispose OF 100
the year following 2i0. and SO on. gradu-
ally increasing until in 1857 the compa-
ny sold 10000, making total since Mr.
Woods commencement of $4,000. while
their sales thr present year cannot fall
hort # 2o.o1o, and win probably exceed
fhr~" figures, the inventor being at the
head pt the larges; establishment in the
world tn 'h" manutcture 81 harvestcrs,
and judging from the numerous Lonors
which have h,eu ot late wears bestowed
upon bin, ;hc hc-' machines for tina, pur-
pose produced
Wherever thu Wood machine has been
tested with those Of other makers it has
proved itself cqull To the task and fairly |
"at>tripprd them. both in regard to the
amount 81 work performed and the man
ner in which il was accomplished. And
why should this not be the case The
materials from which the machines are
manufactured, wood, iron and steel. are a.
carefully selected a. if they were for
clock work, while, after being completed, !
no machine ever leaves the establishment
until tested al a much higher rate of |
speed than they can possibly lie subjected
10 in the field. This is the reason why |
they do.not break or get out Of order as
readily as those OF other makers, and ii |
Is no wonder that in country like ours. /
where economy is carefully studied, they
should have so rapidly found their way |
into public favor, for as a distinguished |
cotemporary remarks, in speaking of them.
when a farmer purchases one of these |
machines he kRorS that he has only to
put it up and go to work-there is not |
possibility of failure"
Another reason why the Wood machines
are preferred by farmers is that they are
constructed under the supervision of the
inventor who is still in the prime of life,
and devotes his entire attention to the
business of the company at Hoosick Falls.