Morris tribune. [volume] (Morris, Minn.) 1880-2000, 1880-06-24
ReaperS ana Mowers.
Chicago, Sept. II. 1879.

Chicago, Sept. II. 1879.
THE N 'CORMICK REAPER WORKS.
The spice these works occupy comprises
about twenty-five acres, lying on the north
side of the south braL"h 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
pillng lumber, igiron, and other materials.
The different manufacturing building are
located in the shape of rectangle, having
frontage 10 the north and south of $50
feet, and to the east and west of AGO feet,
covering and inclosing q space of over three
acres. Without going further into detail,
it may be observed that the floor of the SUP
face OF these several buildings is 301 ,459
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 good one. and no less than 25,-
900 machines have been sold. These ma
chimes have been disposed of in all the
great wheat-growing States in the Union,
from seaboard to seaboard, from Texas to
Manitoba. Nothing can better illustrate
the popularity of the Mccormick self-bind,
er, 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 McCormlcks
| 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 800 hands,
and during the busy season have run the
| factory night and day. 1t might be inter
estihg to note, as an 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-
Hand, South America, ana South Africa
1t will give some idea of the popularity of
the Mccormick machines abroad as we'll as
at home to say that one years shipment to
New Zealand filled 116 freight cars-the
largest single shipment of agricultural i'm
plements, we veture TO say, ever made at
one time on single order from any estab-
lishment i'll 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 1878, he has TAX
ell the first prize at every one of the world s
fairs 1t has been shown above that to Mr..
| Mccormick was awarded at the recent Par
is Exposition the highest honors ever given
an inventor, ard in the recent severe trial
for the golden medal of the Royal Agricul-
tural Society of England, rs usual, the Nc
Cormick machine came out ahead and was
awarded the gold medal for it fulfilled the
conditions laid down.
The Mark Lame Express, of Aug. 12, 1870,
gives the following very interesting and ably
written account of the Mccormick Binder:
1T cuts u breadth of five feet, the cut
grain falling upon horizontal platform of
endless web canvas, or, as the Americans
call it, 'ducking' carrying ribs of wood.
This carries the grain toward the rear side,
where 1t passes upward at an acute angle
almost parpendicularly, between endless
webs, to Il height of nearly five feet, thus
rising over the main wheel, framing and
driving gear: and the stuff, delivered in a
continuous stream, falls over upon a hor,
izontal table: binding arm, placed about
midway along the side of the table, advan
ccs toward the falling grain, strikes down
ward through it. separating a portion for q
sheaf, and at the same time carrying down
the upper ply 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 pinion below, named the
whirl. The sheaf remains upon the table
until the next sheaf pushes it off, with de
liherate, quiet motion. Nothing can eX
coed the smoothneSs and unerring perfec
ton Of this arrangement for binding
The sheaves are dropped with the greatest
regularity, lying in line, longitudinallv, Oh
in the direction of the machines course
| with tln HIrft ni11S f0Pnnancf and f1,ox, osf
some feet clear of the horse track. The
wire band is joined by a twist in two
places on opposite sides of the sheaf, leav
ing the twisted ends sticking out for abou
a couple of inches. The special merit oil
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 al
all to be raked up, and perhaps not more