Cedar Falls gazette. [volume] (Cedar Falls, Iowa) 1860-1895, 1870-07-22

dealer Of our city, to accompany him
to q wheat field short distance from
the city, and witness the working of
a "bran newn kind of harvesting
machine, which he said he had tout
there" i'm operation and which he
claimed would reap, rake, bind, car
ry together, and "shock up" more
large, high, or tangled and lodged
wheat, oats, barley, or other small
grain in short length of time, than
any other machine under the sun,
could do in long time.
Under ordinary circumstances we
should have accepted the invitation
without hesitation, being an enthu-
siastic admirer Of any new and USE
full Improvement, especially such as
apply in aid of agricultural pursuits,
or that may inure to the benefit of
our State, individually or collectively,
in any industrial exposition. But in
this instance, We confess to slight
attack of Wdriaess at first. Some of
tho most vivid scenes enacted in the
life of Munchausen, fitted before our
memory and provoked youthful inn
agining.
The appearance, lat 8, at the gate,"
of the carriage and driver, however,
left no time for dallying with by
cones, or for swapping knives. The
time to test the veracity and ferocity
or harmlessness of a real, live, full
grown western agricultural imple-
ment dealer had evidently come, and
there seemed to be no appeal to any
source hut to nerve and grit, and we
accepted the situation, as boldly as
though we had never known or heard
of one, or heard of Munchausen.
There, i'm our peaceful home, we
buried childish memories, bid good
bye" if be, "to fond ones at home,"
left our fears in the front yard, and
departed for the scene where was to
be exhibited the "Nlasheen" of which
we had heard so much, wit: the
machine that would reap, bind, carry
together, shock up, and, to use the
language of another eminent and
experienced rival agricultural man,
"thrash out" so much wheat, &C.,
&C., in such and such short space
of time.
Very soon after starting we were
upon the ground, which by this time
had become well peopled with spec
tators, among whom were our bank
ers, lawyers, doctors, farmers, mer-
chants, and business men of every
sort, on foot, on horse back, in car
riages, omnibusses, drays, all sorts of
convcyances, reminding one of being
at fair, all eager to see the new ma
chine operate.
Now came the business part Of the
visit. We knew it would be expect
ed of us as a representative of to-
press, that we should investigate the
matter, and Understandings repre-
sent its true merits-giving its hiss
tory, and our opinion of its ultimate
practicability; conclusions which
could only he arrived at except by
examining closely into its construe.
ton, and watching it's operations un-
til il had demonstrated itself to our
satisfaction.
When we arrived on the ground
the machine had been at work for
some time, and had made three or
four trips around the field so that
the "coast was clear" and nothing to
hinder an observation.
The machine was drawn Ivy two
horses of fair size, and carried three
men, viz: the driver and two binders.
We followed ii around the field twice,
watching its operations closely, and
then made an examination of its
construction, with view to forming
an'opinion as TO its draft, its capacity
md durability, and touching all of
these qualifications we have no hesi-
tation i'm giving il rs our opinion that
il is a decided success. We are not
able ID give an opinion as to how it
may compare with other machines
which may perform an equal amount
of labor, because there were no others
present from which precedent could
be taken or comparison be made; but
this we know, that it did splendid
work, cutting the grain (Which was
good, fair average wheat clean and
nice, and producing no signs of ia
tigue upon the team, from which we
judged the draft must necessarily lie
average rs to liehtness. 1t seemed
to us that nothing could be construct
ed i'm the way OF harvesting ma
chine that could do the work more
perfectly with the same power, and
when it Is considered that Ivy the
system of rakes which elevate the !
grain to the binders, it can be worked |
in wet grain as welt as I'm grain that
is dry, and also that it is so construct
ed that three men can bind on it if
the emergency should ever require il,
and, also, that the bundles can be
carried on the "dumP" platform and
dumped at the pleasure of the bind
ers 10y just touching a spring with
out OCCUPYING any noticeable length
of time, and thereby save hand in
bundles together, it is the
most desirable machine we have seen
in the harvest field. #s### |
We are well aware that there are
very many excellent harvesters in
the market, and ii is not our inten-
ton to bestow unmerited or invidi-
Gus praise i'm this instance, or i'm any
other, and we are aware also, that
the newspaper" is expected to
speak in praise of any machine, or
any thing else, that will "pay for it,"
yet we are not of Them" We be-
lieye candidly, that We have yet to
puff the first humbug-known to be
such--for "lucre." We like to COM
menl any good useful improvement,
and advise our patrons and readers of
II, from a sense Of duty, and i'm con-
aideTation Of their price of subscrip-
ton in hand paid, and believing il to |