Brownlow's Knoxville Whig. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1866-1869, 1868-09-09
REAPER CONTROVERSY.
Reply Of George S. Ruble TO the Second Card
Of r. L. Watkins, as appears IN the Chat
tanooga Union Of July 5lst, 1858.

tanooga Union Of July Slst, 1858
The Public hsve beon favored with snothst y.
srary production from the pen Of the indomitable
K /. Watkins, on his tayorite suplect hetping
Machines Ia which be delivers bis valedictory snd
relifes 10 private life, "psace and harmony pre-
Aner such treat am sorry 10 snnoy the pub
lie with another Of my supplementary reports about
NV Second Glass Machine, (ss be terms it, Hoping
generous public wil pardon me for being COM
RELIED 70 annoy them again, viii proceed 10 an
swer the card Of the gentleman.
First ae complains Of my annoying the public
with my supplementary report The readers OF the
Union will rscolect that IL bis article Of the Cd of
July, be charges me with forging the report Of the
committee 10 self-dofense ] published s second
report written more fully by one Of Mr.. Watkins
own udgee Mr. Thos. Crutchaeld, and signed by
ali OF tho Judges Ia their own handwriting which
proved bis charge without foundation. In bis val
odictory be tries 10 make IL appear that be only
charecd ms with writing the eighteen articles Of
superiority aud gees Oh 10 prove that did write
them. from the tact that they we're signed Ruble q
Wnliord. Now, / never have denied writing the
eighteen articles wrote them and hled them with
tho committee on day Of trial The committee al
ludes 10 them in both Of their reports and ate made
part Of the reports, is the challenge and aecep-
tance. No crawhshing now, Mr. Watkins You
plainly charged me with forging the report In your
hrst sentence; here Il is, verbatim et LtterGttps
"The attcLt.On Of the public is called TO the an
reasonable report Of Messrs. Ruble d Wiilford,
made in the Republican Of the 23d, relative u The
Buckeye and Russell Machines. insist that they
made the report themselves tnd il is nos in accord
ance with the report Of the committee appointed 10
decide the superiority Of the two machines. would
ask thst the report Of the committee also the facts
IS the quality Of each machine be carefully ex-
aminei.p
You plaiaIy say that we made the report, and
vvhfia apaox
report four times This Is why the public have been
annoyed BY my supplementary report. After Mr..
Watkins G defeated IN his charge, he attempts 10
smoothe tho matter over by claiming all the com
mltteo being his friends. Does Mr.. Watkins claim
me as his friend Surely / have never harmed
friend Watkins, neither have charged him with
forgery or being gambler ] have only met him
at his own solicitation, on his own farm, and fairly
beaten him with my second class machine, (as be
terms IT, For the benefit Of those who may not
have seen paid any attention 10 his challenge at
the time which has given rise 20 All this controyer
~, viii here insert Il in full:
Tuesday next at o'clock, p. M, propose 10
give Mr.. kuble an opportunity 70 satisfy the pub
lie whether or not his reaper and mower is equal 10
The Buckeye machine. | therefore respectfully in
vite Mr.. kuble 10 meet me on my farm two miles
South Of town, GA the Rossville road al o'clock
next Tuesday, where propose TO test tie qualities
ii these machine There will be five judges APP
pointed 10 decide The test
"a persons interested are invited 30 attend
[Sgnedl X. i. WATKINS.
Chattanooga, June Il, 1868
The reader will see that I acted entirely on the
defensive. Mr.. Watkins challenged me and l ac-
cepted and beat him He commenced newspaper
controversy, ! have reluctantly accepted, and the
public will be the Judge who gets the best of IL. In
my first card IN answer 10 bis | show his own pro-
duction 10 DO contradictory, aud ask him several
important questions which he treats with silent con-
than that
had made alarming appeal 10 him 10 answer
several lie derisively notices my questions ask
ing him where the Russell Machine choked, as
charged IN his first card, and sdes round by saying
that met The Buckeye at Cleveland, Tennessee,
which Is lust Ike bis other hsgertions, assertion
only never met The Buckeye with the Russell
At Cleveland, personally; If bad, the result would
have been ~ with ais trial Of she Esd Of June In
answer 10 my proposition oEering 10 try the Ma
ehines again for premium o1 $1,000, be orawls out
on his old hobby pleading inexperienced, and charges
me with being An expert gambler II MI Watkins
thinks ne 70 be 70 experienced in go many ways
and himself SO very inexperienced in the same,
would ask Why be challenges such odds IL may
be 10 gam experience. Il is said that bought wit
Il me best OF wit and probably be Is on the right
track. De gives another rsason Cor declining my
proposition Tor a trisl be sars that the sum is
500 small Tor him 70 notice, and threatens me with
Messrs. Pitkins, Wizard & Co. Of Louisville This
prove one Of two things, Nessrs. Pitkihs Wizard
a &c. are experienced gamblers, or that Mr.. Wat
kins has 10 have backing 20 make him gamble on
the Buckeye Machine / have Beser asked any
one 10 back the Russell Machine; il defends itself
wherever 4 has inif trial ] viii here say, there
Il ne crawhsh IN me, mother will l plead neSps-
rienee; al have sad viii stand 20 ! am will
ing 10 test The tive machines iast az ! have puo-
lished / would and a. Mr. Watkins thinks the pre-
mium Of 81 eco too trihing 10 induce him 10 gam
BILE viii make the premium ~ large as be or
they may choose and assure him there viii be no
choking 10 the matter on my side. he still insists
that ais defeat was owing 20 inexperienced han
ding, and clear the committee OF any wrong what
ever Now, every spectator knows as does abe CON-
mittee and Mr.. Watkins, too, thai / never handled
NY Machine while the committee were testing the
hAchines; they were driven alternately by two Of
.sle committee, (ss is shown by their report -
@e-1le Viewer and King drove the Machines, nei-
ssef q me gentlemen being chosen BY ne. The
isitef one Of the niusi practical farmers ia East
- e-Hee1ol having used Buckeye for years, He
- 1880 ~ Us use, while be had never used
49, 49,. aiso clear the committee Of doing any
-. .s..s 1 haow they die their duty, as high.
minded, herorAhle gentleman viii Do Ialso clam,
them - my perso4sl friends feud frienl XVstkinf
49, " l'-iat charge Of inexperienced han
anng cong oar personal friends great Injustice
sese sas lnAl esth Machines were well handled
and oofa did good work In ALI NV ais neyer
ran down The Buckeye or nsv 80 ,os.bi.a II
When he Buckeye 4 spoken oi i ssy 10 faruers
- NE Russell tnd give Il q fair trisi ana II Il Il
sss q s',d az nc buskeye viii make You pres
Ia a. ,e.t sou car rotufnt Asyet we have never
come 80 t present. nor had any fe.,srnad sut of
NE second els.sd sea any sales tine shows how
Be allowed 4 80. machine stands, thai would not
TIE Russell WA ~ fs'e WITH otbers he asks why
ever gained any =, y ia1ington7 and where Il
Aas..4 gains rePutaissp ~ 3 answer that the
st' tnAi teefe is DC ned Il ~ With sensible iarui-
haence judge Of tFsls 70 -. s.Fsaang noney 10 n.
saane = - great Coz thess essiasion. The Do.
Do spie % supply one-hslf NE ss-s.sA. Rasse is
hsie gay shat Robe & Wliford have sa. would
BY tltesn. 81 A'neela. acid
u caDeiusion ] win give The sum total ii /, ,.,.