The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1879-06-14

On Monday in COMPANY with the president and
secretary of the Ottawa Business Mems Associ-
alton" and Squire 4. b. Smith, We visited the
country to see the Corn Harvester trial
Arriving on the ground we found about 80
farmers from Freedom and neighboring towns,
also from Dayton, Utica, Deer Park, etc. and a
few other, examining the machine as it stood in
the shade near the house, stin in the hands OF
the mechanics. II was by no means an attrac.
tive piece OF mechanism 1t looked uncouth, un-
wieldy-as If cut out with circular saw and flung
together. The crowd was disappointed and very
slyly and TO themselves generally, for We never
saw more sentlemanly and considerats crowd
OF men in our lives) sneered at it and looked
specifically knowing. Atlast the finishing touch.
es apparently were put on it by Mr.. Cox and
Mark Duffy, his assistant from Ottawa; and the
horses brought out to be harnessed TO the con.
Germ Upon hitchng up one of the fecers to
grasp the down corn struck the animals heels
and had to be sawed Oft. Still the horse was in
the way. Then the whitiietrees were doctored
and the machine started to the field. 1t had
gone but rod about when chain operating as
belt to work the huskcrs gave out. It was too
long and had to be doctorcd, which took half an
hour. At last the machine reached the corn and
began work, the entire audience In white heat
of expectation, It was hauled about ten feet
when something else was found wrong-the reels
for hauling in the stalks revolvcd too rapidly and
threw the dry corn and stalks rs they struck
them in Il hundred directions, and when that was
repaired something else gave out and so on for
half an hour when the machine was finally
hr,, -, ia ,,;,, 81,
ii did its work fairly well, and men began to take
renewed interest in it. The
RESULT OF THE TRIAL
is about this: The machine showed was SUI
pcrb bit Of bungling. If the machinist who built
it had planned botch of the first water he could
not have succeeded better. 1t weighed twice AS
much rs there was any necessity for weighing
about 200 pounds. the platform top being of
cast iron half an inch thick! The chain. used as
betting were not perfect and would not work
WELL the gearing and control of the power was
was almost useless being without any device to
make friction to hold the ear to its place for
husking; and yet imperfect as the rollers were
they at times husked beautifully. The trial of
that particular machine showed il to be com.
plete failure; and yet the trial of the principles
of the Cox Corn Harvester proved it in the ewes
of those present to be practicable machine OF
all the many farmers We talked with not one had
any other opinion than that the Harvester, prop
erly constructed on the principles here exposed
to view would work and do all that was claimed ,
for it, All conceded the corn used an unfair test;
even perfect machine might have failed to do
good work in it, since it was dry and brittle
and a touch knocked it to pieces The opinion
Of the spectators firmly believe is in nut
shell this: that the Harvester is practicable
machine.
For the information of the public who have
seen neither the machine nor a cut of it we ap.
pend the following description.
The machine is constructed with a side draught
is drawn by two horses, who travel outside the
corn, the driver being seated on the machine. 1t
harvcsts one row nj time The hill of corn is |
first gathered by means of oustrctchIu- arms, or |
gathercrs which collect the leaning corn and |
carry 1t, together with the standing hill, into the
rollers which do the husking. The hill OF corn |
once in the grasp of the spiral Hanged rollers the
ears are instantly pinchcd or twisted from the |
stalks, and the husks taken off IN the twnkling |
of an eye. The ears then pass down the rollers |
and fall direct into the elevator, which delivers !
the corn, fully huSked. into a wagon which is be |
Ing driven alongside The stalks, which are |
very valuable either for fodder or rs fertilizer, |
are ground through the huskng rollers and lit. |
orally mashed.
The gentlemen representing the company will /
remain here and en- deavor to organize the com. I
Dany on plan not yet fully developed
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