The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1850-1873, 1871-05-26
FARMERS CLUB.
Special Meeting at Mr.. JnO. w. Mayes.'
and Trial of Mowers.

SeNcrdl Weeks ago MI. john w.
Mayes invited the Maury County Far
his residence, eight miles from Column
bia, on the Hampshire turnpike. The
invitation was accepted in the cordial
manner in which it was given, and last
Saturday appointed as the day for the
meeting. Agents for the different Now
ers and Tedders were invited to have
their machines Oh the ground and test
them in Mr.. Mayes' luxuriant clover
field. At about ten o'clock a large num-
Der of people were on the ground. The
President and Vice Presidents not hav-
ing arrived, Capt. J. B. Hamilton was
chosen Chairman, pro tenn, and the fol-
lowing gentlemen appointed as COM
mittee TO test the relative merits of the
moving machines, and report the same:
Col. ID. Z. Wade, Chairman; ID. T. Chap>
pell, w. a. Wilson, Ed. Kuhn, d. j. Is
ties, Mr.. Russell, Mr.. Liebhart, and w.
p. CAN'T.
MOVING MACHINES.
Mol. buckeye" represented by Col.
Hamilton, of Nashville, and Mr.. Fair
banks, of Franklin.
No .. Clipper" represented by An
drews, Mayes, d Co., Columbia.
No. 8. champion" represented by
Mr.. Little, and Martin IL Pickard.
POINTS TO BE TESTED.
list. Simplicity of construction.
I'd. Ease of action.
Sd. Character of work.
4th. Width of cut.
5th. Average draft.
9th Material used in construction, Ito
be tested by three practical machinists
on subcommittee, Kuhn, Leibhert, and
Russell.)
9TH. Combining everything in the
greatest degree.
THE TRIAL.
The field of clover given by Mr.. Mayes
for the trial, was as luXuriant and beau
tif1d as it is possible to imagine. 1t had
received two hundred and twenty-five
pounds ofgypsum per acre, and there
was an extraordinary greenness and
tenderness in the appearance OF the clo-
YER 1t wasvery thick and high. The
ground being almost perfectly level, the
clover erect, and void of weeds, the ma
chimes would have no excuse it their
work was not done well. The large
crowd, numbering seventy-tive or one
hundred, took great interest in the trial,
and the Judges wal ked for several hours
after the mowers, examining carefully
the working of each one. The most care
full scrutiny was necessary TO detect any
difference in the work, because all the
machines did so well. After an hour
and half or two hours trial, Col. Wade,
chairman of the committee, permitted
the agents of the machines to make a
short speech to the judges, Tin the hear
ing of the crowd, on the merits of the
different mowers. The crowd was no.
titled that they were not allowed to
make any suggestions to the committee,
or attempt to influence their action.
THE SPEAKING. a..
Col. Hamilton, of Nashville, spoke in
behalf of the Buckeye" Sixteen years
ago he introduced the first Buckeye
machine ever brought to this section,
and he had been the agent for it ever
since. Wonderful improvements had
been made OH it during that time, all Of
which were suggested by the farmers
themselves. Mechanics suggestions
were Enot listened to, but when the
farmers complained because the blade
was behind, il was converted immedi-
atCly into a rear cutting machine, and
so on, until now the the farmers could
find nothing to complain OF in the "Buck-
eye"
Mr.. Andrews said he could not make
as pretty a speech as Col. Hamilton, but
he would tell them wherein the "Clip-
| per" was superior TO all other machines.
| He sold the first Buckeye ever brought
TO Maury county, and for many years it
had been his favorite machine, and he
was 10th TO give it up, but he had become
| thoroughly convinced that there was an
other machine far ahead of it, and he
| had taken hold of it. 1t was his desire
n no a.l,
| to the people of Maury county, and he
was doing it. He presented the Clip
per" as the best machine now manufac-
| tured in America. Mr.. Andrews called
| the attention OF everybody to the supe-
rior material out of which the Clipper
was made, the blade, cutter-bar, and
other portions of the machine being
maSH of the very best steel. He exhib-
tied parts of the machinery to show OF
what excellent material the Clipper was
| made.
Mr.. Little, in behalf of the "Cham-
/ pion," like his predecessor, made a
! plain, practical talk. He dwelt upon all
the good points of the Champion, claim
ing for it superiority on every point nee
! essary TO good machine. He especi'
ally adverted to the fact that it left &
better track" than the others.
FINAL TRIAL.
col. Wade now directed that every
member of the committee get on tbs
different machines, until every member
lad ridden every machine. After thi;
be-
Ap. AVERAGE DRAUGHr
he machines was taken by means o