Knoxville daily chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1882, 1871-06-14

| The great favor with which the dSpragas
Mower has been received by hefarfhefs, owfns
to its supericfe 5ccilense PyeF pflPsheTmoyers
and to its cheapness has excited The ire of man
ufacturers andagents of other moving machines
Among others, the Knox vile ssent0ra heavy
and high priced mower is greatly disturbed,
and hvaing clainsd fhat the mae hins .fol
which he is agent was as good as the Spragdt
Mower, we challenged him to test of the two
machines. ri 7sa4soL O; ieiss71sa II ss1s--4 -,
This challenge he accepted by manning, tn
time and place of trial and the following agree
ment was entered into between us % whiehlws
invite the particular attention of the public:
tn KNOXVILLE, June 9th, 18TH
In the trial of mowers between the SpTague
and the Excelsior Mowers, to como off on Tues
day, June 9th, at Strawberry Plains. Tennessee,
mutually agree to adopt the rules, and regu-
lations of the Minnesota State Agricultural
Society for 1871, governing such trials, fand I'VE
agree to be governed by them in the contest.
Each party is to select one Judge whoiis not an
owner of either machine. The two judges thus
S ses so iss Il sssss y f
three judges are to have full control of the trial
and ace hereby agree to accept their dse5sSga !.
hi'as 'H" On behalf Of tile Excel siof !EG
HoUGH g CHuRcH, ias'-no
For the Sprague.
The time and the place 9f t,isat ,cSsichssS,. by
Messrs. Nc Corkie g. Co., and, it will be noticed,
they bound themselves to accept the decision. Of
the judges selected at that trial.
The contest came off on Tuesday, JdneT 9Th,
in tho presence Of avery large number Of farm
ers, indeed the residents Of Strawberry sPfaihs
and vicinity turned out en,passs toIwitness the
trial The three judges, only ono Of chom 'cas
selected By ourselves, were well-known farmers
and gentlemen. of uniinpeaehable integrityxH
The decision was given by thcdudgsss kfef
most careful and impartial triafSfasting nearly
four hours, and that decision was satisfactory to
us and binding on Mcssrs. McCorkle 6 Co.,
according to the terms of thc agreement as pub
lished above. That it was in favor of the supe-
riority of the Sprague Mower over its eompeti-
tor was notsurprising to US, or to any farmer
present who noted the working Of the twolma-
chimes. q #g[ff sessss7.*Zss1s> -
Imagine our surprise few days sinccto find
in the city papersa eorrespo audience between
Messrs. McCork1e i CO. and the officers Of the
East Tennessee agricultural Society. m which
new contest between the Sprague Mower and
the machine represented by Mcssrs. MeCorkle
& Co. was all arranged, the timesset and the
judges chosen, and all tritho,t opr being IN any
manner ,chatercr. Consulted with regard to the
matter. Ofscourse, SELF respect forbade 4 to
agree to any such arbitrary and discourteous
llt,g ,ros 80 ,,.,,rY ..
In the city papers OF Tuesday 1sttls1 VIC find
another correspondence {, in which q Messrs:
&c Co, publish a letter received b.
US from them, on the previous, day, chalIehg-.
ing us to new contest; but do NOT padtssi our
answer to their letter. Instead of this they pub
lisf statement that We refuse to Gentef Into
new contest with them, thus showing, as they
say, 1--WE do not wanta fair and impartial, !
trial. .9sf7sr2s iEr-sss9 gTey saa;i sesas !
The answer we gave in writing, but which
they dare not publish, is as follows:
KNOXVILLE, Tenn, juno l2ths ISL "a
Messrs. McCorkte & Co., KNorvi1e
of this. date late, aadeoptsnts Sateds b reay v9sH
say that we can see no grounds for
rU Plains S fa Sor any ~ ape
peal from that decision unless it Gamble i'm
peached. To adopt your course this thing
would oontinueal lsummer and we are perfectly
satisfied, as are the farmers generally, which Of
the two machines is best :. If You have Gan. any
we will then take 1t int9 sonslderstiSn-
NHoUGH q CHURCH
Now the facts simply are that ace do regard the
Plains, contestsas a fa;r, qnd u.pant
tiat trial, and until the ability ofthe judges 70
manage mower and their integrity to give an
honest decision about the machines is success
fully impeaehed-and their. high. character for
bids even the presumption Of such a thing-we
Gill continue to regard the Strawberry Plains
rial as fair and impartial contest between the
,wo machines Messrs. McCorkle & Co., now
ind oat they want ''ssperts asF aaefaasH"
TO decide the relative merits of the machines.
All, indeed experts and machinists, Ell
How viii Messrs 1feC srfley 3 Coo ueceneils
this want with their published statement on
Sunday, June 4th, regarding trial of the "Ex-
celsior,' in Knox county. in which over, thelrII
own signature they 1om 1 !; bsass saS Td
Mr.. Fox. practical farmer; kindly took
charge OF the Excelsior, and needed no instruc-
simple Of Construction "a ss lid 50 to spsfals
without difficulty -,
Andnew they win only,lD satisfied ill., Isl
perts and machinistsn The Strawberry Rlasns
trial has opened their eyes somewhat, we judge.
We have no objections, to a. decision by far
lners, who certainly ought to be the best judges,
or by ';experts aHdpachinists," but isa Measrks
the Strawberry Plains triakf and agreed TO
abide by the decision of the judges,
We cannot consent to 90 into another trial
simply because Messrs McCorkle & Co. do not
like the result of the former one, without in any
manner impeaching the entire fairness of the
contest and the ability ard integrity Of the
judges. Respectfully dzTT5a !. 3zJI0,K
HosGH & CHURCH.
KNOXVILLE Juna I3fh 1871 lstt HI7HEJ