The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1872-07-13
History or Reaping Machines.

among the many lsbor-saving machines in.
vented within the last twenty years, ,one has
been of much more benefit 70 the farmer than
the reaping and moving machine In the grad.
ual series OF improvements came the cradle after
the sickle, and the reaper and mower in sucoss-
sion to the cradle and scyths. Ea.lisr than
these the farmer either shelled the wheat In his
hand or pulled the stalk up BY the roots and
threshed it by beating the heads, perhaps upon
his knee. In 1842 or thereabouts, within the
memory of the writer, the Mccormick and Busy
machines appeared, and with them . lawsuit %
to the priority Of patents, which continued for
several years.
Bussy's idea Of rssper went but littl. further
than four-horss.power oatsmsran to run .
sickle. Mccormick followed or perhaps first
brought before the public an immense structure
with platform and hand rake. The concern
was as clumsy and heavy as possible, but was
considered an advent of the millennium by the
farmers. Four very good horses we're required
TO draw II, and two Of the horses walked in the
grain. The horses were changed every few
hours, dripping wet with sweat, as to pull the
machine was like moving house. 1t cut ten
feet of sw"'h, and we'll muscled man could
rake about half an hour, in heavy wheat, before
becoming 'bushed" for the day. We were boy
then, and managed to keep bushed pretty much
all the time Oar readers not posted will under
stand that py being " bushed" is mean. "playsd
out or over.worked, and retirement to the
shade.
Succeeding these unwiedy Mccormick ma
chimes in this locality came the imp, ovements
by Geo. II. Rugg This contrivance ran before
the horses and WAS guided by a Wheel some what
after the manner OF steamboat. The horses
propelling it had no control whatever over it.
dir, otion. The hind wheels acted as rudder,
and ~" hemsman sat behind the horses and
kept /. IN at work, and by turning a crank, or a
whee', guided the concern In any direction at
pleasure.
Notwiihstanding the apparent absurdity OF
this plan. the machines worked well. as many II
farmer in this county can testify
About the same time came Green's reaper in
which the gearing had been simplifed. This
draft, and the sickle bar aud teeth seemed ex.
sctly adapted to the purpose. Following these,
and doubtless The perfection of all Of these nu.
merou- improvements, came Cushman's aa.
chimes, now known ~ the Ottawa Resper and
Mower. and solely Manufactured by Geo. H. n
Cushns!., of this city. These machines are
almost perfect. Everything Of An objectionable
nature in its predecessors has been carefully ex.
cluded. and every good point in the machines
before named, or in any other machine yet made.
has been added to Mr. Cushman's reaper and
mover, until now. a. the proprietor thinks. these
machines are almost perfect. Every where and it
has been used it give. perfect satisfaction,
whether AS dropper, with the platform, or as
mower.
Those who want machine for the present
harvest will neglect their own interests if they
fail to call at the Ottawa Machine Shops and
Foundry and examine the machines with the
latest improvements.