The Superior times. [volume] (Superior, Wis.) 1870-1912, 1876-07-28
A CENTENNIAL LETTER.

| Inc managers OF the f'0men'S Pavilion
have made several mistakes that detract in
no small degree from the attractions OF their
exhibition. In several instances ladies who
have offered ar icles OF the greatest value
nave been neglected or fatty refused exhib-
| itlon until now that the merits OF their offer
lngs are seen as the crowds flock to them in
| other departments the directors OF the Wo-
mems building would take them in. Nota-
| oily Is this the case with Mrs Maxwell, the
huntreSs OF Colorado who wrote them, more
than year ago, asking permission to exhibit
III their department, her collection of 200
ANIMALS, including all the native fauna OF
| Colofado, except the stone marten and per-
haps one or two others-and 300 stuffed birds
IN cases, birds nests &c, all prepared, and
most OF them gathered by her own hand
But they never answered her application un-
| I'll about month before the time for starting
ana TIL after she had arranged with the Col
orado Commission to exhibit in the Colorado
| department. And then they wrote her that
her letter had been overlooked, and they
would like to hear from her again. They
dld not offer her place in their Department..
1t Is no disparagement to other exhibitors to
say, that there is nothing exhibited in the
! Women's department that excites halt the
interest or attention that Mrs MaxWell's ex-
! hibit does.
TRIAL OF REAPERs AND BINDERS
was held the past week, at Schenck's station,
some twenty miles north of here, on the line
OF the road to New York, and a large number
OF machines on exhibition here, participated
IN the trial. Director General Goshorn, by a
! published h2nd-bill. had announced that the
competitive trial, ordered some time ago,
| would not be held, for reason not given but
that voluntary trial by exhibitors might be
made. And Superintendent Landreth gave
notice that such trial would be held on
| thursday, Friday and Saturday of last week
was there to see on my own responsibility,
and at my own expense, ana followed the
| machines tor some five hours under q bIaz-
ing hot sun, and at another time shall give
| the result OF my observations. At present
wish to speak of reapers and reaper trials in
general. As to competitive trials, my ma
tured conviction, after long observation, is
that usually they are great sham. Almost
| always, majority OF the Judges are composed
OF men incompetent to determine the real
merits OF the competing machines. They are
not experts, and are not half so well qualified
oJudge justly, as majority OF farmers who
use these machines. 1t is rare that even one
expert can b. found upon any committee, or
that the award made at such trials command
general confidence. Apropos OF this subject,
Il good story IS told, Which, if not true, at
least represents truly the popular belief II
is said that Mr.. Landreth, the Sup, rintendent
OF Agricultural Hall, wrote to Mr.. Reynolds,
OF Chicago, Secretary Of the Great Industrial
! Exposition there, asking him what he
thought would be the effect OF holding COM
petltlve trials OF Agricultural machinery, and
bestowng awards. Mr.. Reynolds, it is said
replied that it would work great injury but
tor one reason, and that was, that nobody
now was fool enough to care anything Tor
| such awards.
BUYING MEDALS.
In addition to the incompetence of the
judges, there is the liability to be influenced
TO render partial judgment to tavorites.
| Wealthy machine makers avmg had long
| experience i'll this business, with medals ana
stars emhlaZOned all over their banners, as tro-
| plies OF former contests, enter the field deter
mined to win new laurels, and not al
ways prescriptions as to the means of OBJ
tanning the victory. Indeed, the renowned
commanders OF elI-diScip pinned armies might
take lessons i'll strategetc tactics, and in the
art OF mining and sapng, OF these veteran
| knights OF the harvest field. And the Judges,
sometimes IN the innocence OF their souls
and sometimes with SIMS er motives, scarce
ly concealed, walk right into the trap set for
them, and often render verdict that has no
more relation to the facts Of the trial, than Il
proposition in Euclid has to the fables OF
EsOp. These judges are often appointed by
| the influence or prominent manufacturers,
and there is often as much craftsmanship man
Tested at these trial., as in political caucus.
| speak OF what | have seen and what know.
| The field selected for the trial was q very
| large one, and the grain on the south side
stood upright, but that on the north and
west part was quite crimpled with heads ill.,
| terlocked, and some OF it was badly lodged.
And the grain was too ripe and the straw
very brittle. Any talr reaper can cut and lay
| decenty upright grain; but the test is, will
! it do work we'll III grain III bad condition
| Few of those on the ground could cut and de-
| liver lodged grain. Most of them cut up
| right grain well enough, but only a small
| number laid the bundles smoothly ana even
| ly. Indeed, all OF the revolving arm-rake
! rcapers lay the bottom OF the bundle cross
wise, as any one can see by examining it.
THE EsTERLY REAPER, OF WHITEWATER, WIS,
with reel and one arm-rake working in a
quarter circle, is the only machine here that
lays the bundle perfectly even. Equal to any
in all other respects, it excels all others in
this
But reapers have had their day, and hence
forth harvesters and binders are to take the
lead. A good harvester saves the labor OF
two men, Tor two men can bind as fast as a
harvester can cut, but 1t takes tour men to
bind after a reaper. The imperections OF all
harvesterS here, except one, are, that they do
not separate the bundles, and hence in bind
ing there is always some scattering and waste;
that they all use canvas with belts and roll
ers to carry the grain, and as the canvas
stretches in dry and shrinks i'll damp wealth
er and the straw winds around the rollers
and the leaves and fine straw clogs the gud-
geons, they are continually getting out Of Or
der and cause much delay in adjusting and
cleaning.
EsTERLY AND SONS HARvEsTERs
dispense with all this machinery, and re-
volving and vibrating rake strikes the butts
of the cut grain and carries it up and on to
transverse table where it is pushed by re-
versibIe rake to the binders. If the grain is
light two bundles need make but one. Both
rakes are driven by small spur wheel on the
main axle of the driving Wheel working in
spur gear, in connection with cam, rack
and piinion The whole machine is simple,
operates perfectly and commends itself to ali
visitors.
Nv conviction is, that we have not reached
perfection in harvesting machinery. We
must have in the future, what we have not
now, a harvester and a binder that will cut
and bind grain in all stages, unless badly
lodged, and deliver it in good condition with
ont watse Such machine is demanded.
Such a machine must and doubtless shall
nave at no distant day. The best machines
we now have are merely induces of what are
t. be. D. NJ. Is.
She was a colored lady and attend
ing a revival of religion, and had
worked herself up to the extreme