The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1877-08-24
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An Enormous Tax on Flour.

THE COCHRAN PATENT FOR MILLING-HoW
1T WILL INCREASE TIE PRICE OF FLOUR
If MAINTAINED.
EX-Gov. Cadwallader G. Washburn, of
Wisconsin, in conversation with repre-
sentative of the New York Tribune recent
ly gave history of patent for milling
wheat which threatens to impose tax of a
million of dollars on the flour consumers
of the country. lie said:
II am particularly interested just now
in fighting the infamous patent right
swinde which is going to levy tribute on
every loaf of bread made in this country.
You haven't heard about it? Why, its
making great sensation in the Vest
It's long story, but can give you the
gist of it in few minutes. 1 am, by the
way, the largest miller in the United
States, my mills being at Minneapolis,
MINI. All millers are now using what
is called the high process of grinding,
which was generally introduced into this
in Europe for fifty years. l will explain.
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,
as must necessarily be the case, agreat deal
ofthe outer coating of the wheat, together
with the embyro, would be reduced to such
iineness as to go into the flour, and a sepa-
ration was impossible. The high grind
ing is the direct opposite of the low, and
the object is at the first grinding ogct rid
of bran at once and make as little flour as
possible. This is done by blowing the
bran off the coarse ground grain or mid
dlings, and afterwards grinding fine the
small white granules. l bought my ma
chimes in France. This improved process
is now absolutely indispensable to success
full milling. Deprive any miller of it and
he is ruined.
"a ring of spectators in Washington
have lately got hold of an old patent never
used, and have got it reissued so os to Gov
er all the machines for etfecting the process
l have described. 1t is called the Cochran
patent. After quietly taking out the reis-
sue, they went on without making any
noise and took suit up to the Supreme
Court, with man Of straw for defendant,
and as no real defence was made they east
ly obtained a decision based on an opinion
given by Justice Miller. Now this gang
of patent swindlers are attacking the heav-
lest millers with suits, expecting to terrify
all the others. They have singled out the
Jewels of Brooklyn, the Haxalls of Rich
mond, and my mills at Minneapolis. They
have put me under bonds in the enormous
SUN of $3.50, 900 pending the conclusion of
Injunction proceedings.
VI learn that the patentees propose to
be magnanimous, and to grant licenses to
such millers as will recognize the validity
of their patent 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 millers, really it all
comes out Of the farmer and consumer at
last and they are real people most interest
ed in the defeat of this cnormity. AS there
are over G,000 runs of stones in the United
States this license will amount to $50, 10000.
We are going to bring this great outrage
before Congress next winter and try to
have the patent cancelled"
An exchange says IAN Albany man
who used to live on ten cents day died
wealthy" He may have died wealthy. but
we will bet money he didn't die fat.-Bm.
lington Hackeye
"A Michigan farmer writes to the fac
ulty of Yale "What are your terms for
year, And does it cost anything extra if
my son wants to learn to read and write, as
we'll as row boat 2"-Philadelphia Bulle-
tin.
Weather ognostics.-Ifthe oak open
before the ash, twill be warm and dry, with
good wheat to thrash; but if ash leaves
open before oak, therell be cold and of
rain too great soak if ash and oak open
nearly together, look out for season of
changeable weather.
"A tramp arrested in the vicinity of
Worcester, Mass, recently, on being search
ed, was found to have a copy of a Boston
paper with the names of parties in Boston
and other cities who were at places ofsum-
mer resorts. Opposite each name, in near.
ly every case, was in lead pencil marks the
street and number Of the residence, with
one or more signs.
Farmers need a breed of fast walking
horses, both for their own use and for sale.
A slow walking horse is nuisance, wheth-
err plowing, narrowing or harvesting on the
farm, or for cart, truck, dray, saddle or
carriage use in cities. Careful attention
to this feature would pay better in the long
run than breeding for trotters.