The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1881-04-06
CoTToN PICKER AND CLEANER.
IN. Demoerat.l

IN. o. Demoerat.j
We give below 4 very interesting
letter from S. R. Cockrill, Vice Pres
ident for Arkansas OF the Missis-
sippi Valley Cotton Planters Asso-
citation; to Mr.. Thomas j. Spear, Of
our city, on the subject Of the cotton
picker and cleaner, in which he ex-
presses the hope that the machines
will be ready for exhibition at Allan.
ia in October next.
Mr.. Cockrill, it will be seen, enter
tains no doubt about the ultimate
success of these novel machines, and
everyone interested in cotton cul.
ture should come forward aud sub
scribe q sufficient amount to enable
Mr.. Thorn, the mechanic, to perfect
and finish his apparatus, which many
practical planters believe will work
such marvellous revolution In the
manner of picking and cleaning the
cotton crop.
The inventions Of Mr.. Spear for
utilizing the stalks and hulls for ma
king paper, bags, Irvine, etc., Mr..
Cockri|l thinks highly Of, and 1t 10
matter for regret that our capital.
lists do not come forward and either
take hold of this invention and per-
feet it themselves or assist Mr.. Spear,
whose pecuniary resources are not
sufficient to enable him to prosecute
the work himself.
Mr.. Spear writes Us that be is too
far advanced in years to hope to reap
any personal advantages or profit
from his discovery, but that it will
he gratifying to him to feel that he
has been the means of adding untold
wealth to Louisiana. He calls at.
tention to the fact that the stock Of
some Of the paper mills Of the East
are quoted at from l25 to l85 per
share. The following is Mr.. Cock
| rill letter.
PINE BLUFF, ARK, !
March 81, 1881. !
Ar. Spear
| DEAR S1R-1 received your letter of
the fourteenth on my return from Lit
tie Rock, and return you my thanks
for the contents, written and printed.
On the subject of tue agency for the
cotton picker make this explanation:
lost large fortune by the war and
am advancing in age. l feel a great
interest in the success of the cotton
picker, which is combination of ma
chimes, as you have understood from
my letters.
have given up my interest in tho
patent, which is not issued yet, to J.
w. Thorn, the mechanic who 10 work
ing on Che machines when not called
off by the wants Of his family. His
means are very limited, and delays are
following. am trying to aid him to
get the models and also tho working
machines ready for public exhibition
as a whole, and this requires about
$4,000, as he thinks.
For him I have offered TO cell the
patent for 90 many counties, or even a
whole State, like North Carolina, for
the money to finish with. The owner
Of the patent would control the agen-
cies, as you perceive.
have been q cotton grower for for.
ty years, and, of course, am not boy;
and want to sec the cotton interest put
90 q higher and more certain basis.
This is matter Of pride more than Of
profit to me.
When mules aud iron fingers can
gather and clean the cotton crop va
are safe; the whole South is safe.
am now satisfied it can DO done by the
machines named in my lettsrs az pub
lished in the Democrat.
The public trials now can only be
made in the fall, when tho cotton RI
pens. Something will happen to raise
the money for the mechanic, Thorn, or
somebody. know what We want, but
l am no workman. think We can got
it ready for the cotton exposition at
Atlanta, Georgia, in October and No.
vember next.
Yours is fine improvement, and
comes in to develop and make Known
a new profit in cotton, which you have
discovered. The lint alone has been
the profit; then came the oil and cake
from the seed. Now propose to dis
pense with human fingers, and put
mules and iron fingers 10 their places,
and a new profit of wool and mutton.
Then you come forward to give value
to the stalks and bolis, and Clement
comes up and says: II dispense with
the gin, press, bagging and ties; CON.
mission merchants and ali middle men;
and from the cotton from the field
will take the clean cotton from the
combination cotton picker, which has
no leaf, no dirt, no dust - because
blown away by the fan of the cleaner,
running 1000 revolutions per minute
and convert it into yarn worth twenty
cents pound" This for the lint
alone; to this add the oil and the oil
cake; the wool and mutton; and, last
but not least, comes the discovery Of
T.J. Spear-that there is great value
in the fibre on the stalks, in place of
jute, aud also in the hail around the
lcofkon aand md khsa hill -, A..