Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1873-09-11

promise, l now attempt description
of the Motor Steam Plow. One wri-
ter after examining it very closely de-
fines it as q cross between q locomotive
and an elephant; having the strength
of the one, and the activity of the 9TH
err" ] think it resembles its locomo-
tive parent, more than it does its ele-
phantine. It has no cow-catcher, as
there is no probability Of its ever
catching cow. 1t takes the dignified
gait of fast walk. Instead of the
four trucks in front ofthe boiler, it has
two wheels resembling those of cart.
A heavy piece of iron from the boiler
rests on the middle of the axle to a
wheel similar to those used in the pi-
lot houses of steamboats, to govern the
rudder. By turning the wheel one
way the machine goes to the right, and
by turning it back it goes to the left
It is as easily governed as a three
wheeled velocipede.
A boy after giving traveller direc-
tons on the road for several miles,
closed up by saying: "And then you
come to woods, and you'll .ind it
dark-like, and you're lost, sure" In
attempting to describe how the thing
moves, l find myself very much as the
boy thought the traveller would find
the road in the woods clark like"
Well, the piston rod works crank
that runs small cog-wheel that runs a
large one that in turn runs an axle up
ON which runs an endless chain four or
Eve feet broad. Upon this chain runs
the small wheels that support the
greater part of the weight. BY means
| of this chain, the machine is enabled
TO move ON ground too soft for team
of horses. Behind the engine is at
tached gang of eight plows. Thro'
the tough dry sod of meadow this
machine goes with perfect ease. Some
fellows who had prophesied that the
engine would not pillow, drove piece
of railroad iron into the ground to see
it stall. When it came upon the iron
there was not the least halt. An up
right 2k by inches, was broken into
and the plow Strengthened out in the
furrow and that was all. In their at
attempt to prove the engine failure,
they proved it grand success. 1t
will climb any ordinary hill, pulling
its eight plows turning burrows five
inches deep. prophesy that in few
years this machine will be rival of
the railroads for hauling freight. On
McAdamized or plank roads, this ma
chine will draw eight tons at the rate
of five miles an hour. Let neigh
borhood club together and buy one,
and they can plow and harrow ten
acres day, and when the grain is
ready to cut attach four reapers to it
and reap 40 acres . day. Then haul
the grain to market, without the ex-
pcnse of feeding teams in hot wealth
or. The young fellows might even
take their girls out riding with this
engine! They wouldn't be afraid Of
giving the team the thumps.
Now when these things come to
pass, remember, III told You So"
Yours truly, Ii. G. Cox.
p. S. The Co. have orders for as
many engines as they can make this
winter. III. &C.
Pennington, lii.
EDITOR COURIER days ago
we read with pleasure your sugges-
tons relative to the necessity for the
organizing of county Horticultural
Society, and we intended to have Civ
en- it our earlier attention. Asa men,
Der of the State Horticultural Board,
and Director tor the Second District,
it becomes our duty to see that some
action is taken in this direction. The
Horticultural interests Of this county
and vicinity have.been sadly neglected,
and that they may be SO no longer,
we would respectfully suggest to the
fruit lovers and fruit growers of this
city and county that q meeting for the
purpose of organizing County Hor-
ticultural Society be held at the
Fair Ground, the second day Of
the County Fair, at ~ O'Clock p. m.
Sept. 18th. In the meantime we hope
that every person having samples of
fruit worthy Of cultivation will make
arrangements to have them on exhibi-
ton on that occasion.
e. r. IVES.
Hort. Director for Second Dist