The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1877-09-01
An Enormous Tax on Flour.

NNW Ufk iTlu"H''l
EX.Goy. Cadwalladcr c. Washburn, of Wis
cOnSin, in conversation WIN Representative
of the TribaHe recently, gave Il history OF a
patent for milling wheat, which threatens to
impose n tax of millions OF dollars
on the -four consumers Of the country. He
said. Il am particularly interested just now
in fighting the infamous patent right swindc
which is going to levy tribute on every loaf of
bread made in this country. You hayn't heard
about It? Why. its making great sensation
in the West It's long story, but can give
YOU the @ist of it in few moments, ! am, by
The way, the largest miller in the United States,
my mills being at Minneapolis, Minnesota.
All milers are now using what is called the
high process of grinding, which was generally
introduced in this country about 1871 but had
been in use in Europe for fifty years. / will
explain the terms of high and low grinding.
Low grinding means the bringing the upper
or running mill stone low down and in close
proximity to the neither stone by reason OF
which the largest amount of flour is derived
from the first grinding, but, rs necessarily
must be the case great deal of the outer coat
inc Of the wheat, together with the embryo,
would be reduced to such tineness as to 90 in
to the flour, and separation was impossible.
The high grinding is the direct opposite ofthe
low, and the object is at the first grinding to
get rid Of the bran at once and make as little
flour as possible. This is done by blowing the
bran off the coarse ground grain or middlings,
and afterwards grinding fine the small, white
cranulcs. bought my machines in France.
This improved process is now absolutely indis-
pensablc to successful milling. Deprive any
miller of it and lie Is ruined
"A ring of spectators in Washington have
lately got held of an old patent never used,
and have got it ressucd so rs to cover al the
machines for affecting the process have de-
scribed. 1t is called the Cochrane patent. At
ter quietly taking out the reissue, they went on
without making any noise and took Il suit up
to the supreme court with Il man Of straw for
defendant, and as no real defense was made,
they easily obtained a decision based on an
opinion given by Justice Miller. Now, this
rang Of patent swindlers are attacking the
heaviest millers with suits, expecting to terri
fy all the others They have singled out the
JrWells, of Brooklyn, the HeXalls, of Rich
lnond, and ny mills at Minneapolis, They
have put me under bonds in the enormous
sum Of $250,000, pending the conclusion of
Injunction proceedings.
Il learn that the rasCals propose TO be mag
unanimous, and to grant licenses to such nil.
lcrs as will recognize the validity of their pat
ent, for the moderate sum of $4,000 for each
run of stones, which, for this city alone
amounts to the vast sum Of $1,200,000 While
primarily this great sum would come from
the millcrs really it all comes out Of the far
mcr and consumer at last, and they are the re-
al people most interested in the defeat Of this
cnormity. As there are over 5000 runs Of
stone in the United States, this license will
amount to S36,000,000 We are going to bring
this great outrage before Congress next win
ter, and try to have the patent cancelled. The
grain growing sections of the west are indig-
nant at the exposure of this enormous fraud,
and the grain consuming east ought to be
equally aroused, for the attempted tax on the
chief necessary of life affects both alike"