Wyandot County Republican. [volume] (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1869-1903, 1869-05-20
GA Struggle for Life"

was only too true.
..
GA Struggle for Lifc.''
Col. E. Ball, of Canton, Ohio,
the inventor of the Ohio Mower
and the World Reaper, and with
whom we have been acquainted
since 1856, contributes the follcw-
ing interesting sketch of his early
struggles and trials, to the Reposi-
tory and Republican oflast week:
The above caption is a borrowed
one-I select it on account of its
appropriateness to the subject of
which l am about to write. At
least as it appears to me. My first
connection with mechanical pursuits
was iE the relation ofan apprentice
to the trade of trough carpenter" +"
My term of service was five years.
my remuneration was food, cloth
ing, ten months schooling, and
fifty dollars in cash. At the close
of my term of service engaged in
business on my own responsibility
but failing health in the fall of
1885 induced me 60 engage: tenn
porarily in merchandising, q bust
ness for which l had neither capi-
tai, experience, or qualifications.
Although l had nothing to lose, yet
l soon found myself one thousand
dollars worse off than nothing at
all, and with a little more costly
experience, abandoned the business.
and returned to my former occupa-
ton. q
One dollar per day, was then
about all carpenter could earn.
sum not sufficient to enable me to
support a family and pay a debt of
q thousand dollars. This embar-
rassed condition prompted me to
look for more profitable employ
ment.
About this time friend of mine
called my attention to new
"Threshing Machine" that had re-
Gently made its appearance in the
neighborhood. After giving it
such an investigation as my knowl-
edge of such a contrivanee could
enable me to do, l concluded to
engage in it's manufacture. A com
pany was formed consisting Of my
brother and myself. We purchased
the right of this machine for the
county Of Wayne, for the sum of
Two hundred dollars, for which we
gave our written obligations; these
were sold to broker in the city
who prosecuted them as as soon as
they become due.
Our intention was to engage in
the 1'breshing Machine business in
the town of Wooster, but failing to
procure suitable building there,
the business was begun in the vii
lage of Greentown, in this county.
The first machine was built with my
own hands with few tools, without
either money, experience, machi-
merry, or sympathising friends. 1t
was sold to John Miller of Green
town for one hundred and two
dollars.
The operation of the machine
was such as to encourage efforts,
and some others were made, and
sold during the following summer.
1t was soon discovered, however,
that the machine was defective on
account of not being portable
This led me to attempt to contrive
a Portable Threshlng Machine,
one Of the patterns for which was
on exhibition in Floral hail at the
late county fair and l will now say
that if our Agricultural society will
accept of it, propose to make
them present OF it. All the pat
terms over which the castings were
made for this Threshing machine
was made without machinery OF
any knowledge whatever of the
"rules of gearing" When finished
they were taken to Messrs. Hart d
Brown Of Massillon, and after being
subjected to the criticisms of !:
scientific pattern maker, "a Mr.
Parsons,) it was decided that witt
an addition of twenty five dollars ii
the shape of varnish and triflns
alterations, the patterns could b.
; made 80 as to mould and produc,
castings that would operate in :
machine. ..t..
/ may say that Mr.. Parsons wa!
perhaps not aware in making thes'
severe criticisms on my work, tina
he then and there learned me til,
, trade of a pattern maker" bust
ness that l followed for many year.
, afterwards.
/ think it was during my visit t
, Massillon, that saw "liquid iron
: for the first time. Whilst my jol
was pending in the hands Of Messrs
Hart & Brown, purchased OF then
the castings for three Cast-irol
Flows, which. were taken home
, swooded up" and sold or give
away. I do not remember which
, and ten more purchased and ais,
"wooded," and here were my frs
lessons in the Piow business.
After miles OF travel and mucl
onv;aty I sncceedpd in bOrrO win,