Stevens County tribune. (Morris, Minn.) 1877-1880, 1880-01-15
Chicago, Sept. II, 1879.
THE Nd CoRMICK REApER MnRKs-

THE NJ CORMICK REAPER WORKS.
The space these works occupy comprises
about twenty-five acres, lying on the north
side of the south branch Of the Chicago
River, all of which, excepting about three
acres that are covered by the buildings, is
used for railroad tracks, for stables, and for
piling lumber, pig iron, and other materials
The different manufacturing building are
located in the shape of rectangic, having
Il frontage TO the north and south of 3JU
feet, and to the east and west of $50 feet,
covering ana inclosing space of over three
acres. Without going further into detail,
it may be observed that Il floor of the sur
face oil these several buildings is. 30l $50
square feet or about seven acres; and in
the several different departments of the fac
tory the firm have kept as many as 600
employees at work. The season Just closed
has been Il good one, and no less than 25,-
900 machines have been sold These ma
chimes have been disposed of in all the
great wieat-growing States in the Union,
from seaboard to seaboard, from Texas To
Manitoba. Nothing can better illustrate
the popularity Of the Mccormick self bind
cr, and at the same time show the growth
of the State, than the fact that
5,492 MACHINES
were sold during the past season in the
State of MINNESOTA. On McCormck's
ledger Minnesota leads the United States
she is to that establishment indeed the ban
ner State. In 1856 Mccormick sold ten ma
chimes In that State one agent writes that
he will sell 1900 the coming year. The
firm are at present employing $50 hands,
and during the busy season have run the
factory night and day. 1t might be inter
estiug to note, as ain item of news, that the
firm have very extensive trade with Great
Britain and the European countries gener-
ally. as well as with Australia, New Zea
land, South America, ana South Africa.
1t will give some idea of tile popularity Of
the Mccormick machines abroad AS We'll as
at home to say that one years shipment to
New Zealand filled 1I6 freight cars-the
largest single shipment of agricultural i'm
piemcnts, we veture to say, ever made at
one time on a single order from any cstab-
liShment in the world.
Mr.. Mccormick in the Worlds Fair at
London, in 1851, made an impression which
has not been erased, which gave Europe an
idea of the characteristic quality-origi-
nality-of our inventors. From that date
to the Paris Exposition, Of 1873, he has tax
en- the first prize ut every one Of the worlds
fairs 1t has been shown above that to Mr.
Mccormick was awarded at the recent Par
is Exposition the highest honors ever given
luNCutOI1 diu III tilS LSCtHb ScFCic lIldl
for the golden medal Of the Royal Agricul.
tural Society of England, as usual, the Nc
Cormick machine came out ahead and was
awarded the gold medal for it fulfilled the
conditions laid down.
The Mark Lane Express, of Aug IL, 1879
gives the following very interesting and
ably written account of the Mccormick
Binder
1T cuts breadth of five feet, the cut
grain falling upon a horizontal platform OF
endless web canvas, or, as the Americana
call it, 'ducking' carrying ribs of wood
This carries the grain toward the rear side
where it passes upward at IN acute angle
almost perpendiCularly, between endless
webs, to height of nearly five feet, thus
rising over the main wheel, framing and
driving gear and the stuff, delivered in d
continuous stream, falls over upon a hor-
izontal table; a binding arm, placed about
midway along the side of the table advan
ces toward the falling grain, strikes down
ward through it, separating portion for q
sheaf, and at the same time carrying down
the upperply of wire beneath, and thus en-
compass the Sheaf The arm then retreats
drawing the girded sheaf toward the side
and in the course of this movement The
wires are cut off and twisted together by q
rapidly rotating piuion below, named the
whirl. The sheaf remains upon the table
until the next sheaf pushes it off, with IA de
liberate, quiet motion. Nothing cam ex
coed the smoothness and unerring perfec
tionof this arrangement for binding.
The shcaves are dropped with the Creates
regularity, lying in line, longitudinally, o.
in the direction of the machines course
with the butt ends foremost, and they are
some feet clear OF the horse track. The
wire band is joined by twist in tvs
places On opposite sides of the sheaf, leav
ing the twisted ends sticking out for abou
a couple of inches. The special merit o.
the work was in its perfect collection of al
the wheat, scarcely an ear being dropped
thus absolutely the whole of the crop il
bound in the sheaves, leaving nothing a
all to be raked up, and perhaps not NOR
than handful per acre for cleaners.