The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1881-04-15
THE COTTON GIN.
IT'S IITSTORY NARRATED BY COLONEL w.
III. SpARKS.

have operated material change in the in
dustrics and the prosperity of its people,
constitutes, in a great degree, its history
These events or discoveries usually transmit
the names of those invcntng or discovering
them tn postcrity as bnncfactors OF tn hu-
man family, and are held in just reverence
The names of Watt, the inventor of the
steam engine, of Godfrey, the inventor of
the quadrant. of Stevenson and Train, the
discoveries of the railroad aud the locomo-
tive, and Arkwright, the inventor of the
spinning jenny, and of Whitney, the invon-
tor Of the cotton gin, with Morse, the dis
coverer of the electric telegraph, willseps,
dure whilst CIVILIZATION Snalf cfiaracferizc the
human family.
| All of these inventions are craS in the
progress Of the world, from which will be
dated the commencement Of Il new AM more
rapid stride to civilization, health and pow.
cr, and this advance will ever be credited to
the wonderful genius Of these men
Whence and wherefore the appearance and
the inventions Of these wonderful minds ?
1t has been aptly said the cxiSenccs Of
man are ever answered by the inspiration
of God, and that these are spccialtics i'll the
progress CT time, designed by supernatural
|
edge of man, necessary to his comprchcn>
sion o! that perfection in nature which en-
ablcd him to comprehend the wisdom, power
and mercy of the great Creator, which in
all things l.; bu. a part of this divine essence.
However. be this as it may, is no part of
my plan in writing these crude sketches of
the early history Of Georgia.
In 1890 Robert Peel, of England. com
mcnccd in small way the manufacture Of
cotton goods. The supply of cotton was
very limited, and chiefly from the British
West Indies The price Of cotton was then
SO high that now it would be considered cx-
orbitant. This arose from the costlincss of
separating the lint from the seed The in
PRODUCTION of the long staple cotton into
Georgia and South Carolina preceded some
years that of the green seed or short staple
cotton, and means had been invented for
ginning or taking out the seed of the long
stapcd cotton, known as the roller gin
This was slow process and ineiftctual for
the purpose Of taking the lint from the seed
of the short staplc1 or upland cotton rs it
was then termed The consequence was
there was very little cultivated for market
Small patches were planted by the farmers
Just enough for homc consumptipn..-
When this was TO be used the seeds were
picked out with the fingers. There are
some old enough to remember how this was
effected in every family. | remember it
well. In the long winter evenings the
children, white and black, had weighed out
to them one ounce of seed cotton. from which
the seeds were to be taken. These ounces
were spread out before the fire in the room
! of the house where were assembled the
family, and in very large portion Of the
community this was the only room in the
house. This was done to heat the cotton
as the seeds, when the cotton WAS warm,
more readily parted from the lint. AS a
stimulant to active and quick work, re-
ward of biscuit or n lump OF sugar was
promised, and the largest biscuit or lump Of
sugar was for him or her who firs: compile.
ted the task, and the cotton thus prepared
with the fleece grown on the farm constitu.
ted the fiber from which the entire ramcnt
of the family was fabricated.
The commencement Of the manufacture
of cotton III England, and its very remunc-
raivc price stimulated its growth in the
South, and the separcting or cleaning the
lint from the seed in a more rapid and cf
tectual manner than BY the hand became
dcsiratum.
In 1893 a young man from New England
came to Savannah to teach in !, private fam
iIy. but having been delayed in coming, be
ynnd the stipulated time for his arrival, his
place had been filled by another. At that
time there was residing some twelve mile
above Savannah gentleman by the name
of Miller. He was from New England, and
had married the widow of General Nathan.
iCl Greene of revolutionary fame. and was
in possession Of the Mulberry Grove plan
tation, which had been donated by the State
Of Georgia to General Greene in reward for
his revolutionary service.
Mr.. Miller Glanced to meet this youth
in Savannah being a countryman and with
out employment, he invited him to the hos.
pitalitics Of his home. 1t was whilst here.
and nightly witnessing the picking Of the
seeds from the cotton by a numerous flock
of juvenile darkics seated around the fire,
and aS they idlcd and nodded at their work
was evidence OF fatigue and want Of sleep,
| his SympathlcS were awakened for these
children, and expressed himself rs anxious
that some other means for this purpose could
be invented, that should secure them from
this untimcly and iatigulng labor In this
wish he was joined by Mrs Miller. who was
at the time preparing some small rods to be
used in holding the wicks of tallow candles,
better known aS tallow dips in the primitive
days Of the State. With the end Of one Of
these she bent into a sort of hook the Point
end ard taking up handful of seed cotton
| she pulled with it the lint from the seed -
This action suggested to the mind Of Whit
ncy. who was the youth sojourning at the
house, the idea of the cotton gin.
viii tell the story as Whitney himself
! told it to me and the late Hopkins IIal<cy,