Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1882-12-21
COTTON ANECDOTES.

COTTON ANECDOTES.
In little book published in 1S49, called
'Census of the City Of Savannah, together
with statistics relating to the trade, commerce
mechanical arts,' etc., of the city, it is statet
that COTTON, even then, one of the largest item
in the exports of Savannah, was an article
which was almost unknown in commerce unit
the close of his last century. Of the two kinds
cultivated in the United States, the black seed
or long staple cotton was first produced il
Georgia about the year 1885, and the greer
seed or short staple cotton, not until some
years later, although it had been raised ir
North Carolina and Virginia, in limited way
prior to the revolution. Its first. cultivators
in this State were Messrs Josiah Tatnall
Nicholas Turnbull, James Spalding and Rich
ard Leake. The first bag exported from Geor
gia was grown by Alexander Bisset, of St
Simmons Island, and was shipped from Sa'
vannah by Thomas Miller, in 17SS. MIR. Mil.
Ter was still living in Camden county, in 194S,
and was one of the first who ever engaged in
ket, where, for Il long time, he was the only
buyer. He used to purchase it by the pound,
in small parcels, and with his own hands as
sorted and packed it for market. The indus
try and interest he displayed in his business,
added to the fact that he was the pioneer in
cotton buying in the South, gave him the
name of Cotton Miller" by which he was
long and generally known. In 1892 the growth
Of cotton was so incOnsiderable, or deemed of
so little value as an article Of commerce, that
Mr. Jay, in his treaty with England, negotia-
ted that year, stipulated that no cotton should
he shipped from America. The United States
Senate, however, refused to ratify this article.
In 1892 the entire crop of the country was only
four hundred and fifty bags, and in 1874 an
American vessel that carried eight bags to
Liverpool, was seized on the ground that 1t
was impossible for so much cotton to be pro-
duced in the United States.
In 1894 the invention of the saw gin by Eli
Whitney, of Connecticut, gave "a powerful i'm
petus to the culture of cotton, and regarding
this most useful invention very interesting
incident is related, which we believe has never
heretofore appeared in print. 1t seems that
Mr.. Whitney conceived the idea of the gin
while he was employed as tutor to Mrs. Gen
eral Nathaniel Greene, at Mulberry Grove,
Chatham county, on the Savannah river, and
set about carrying his idea into effect. Hc'
constructed gin, and when he thought it was
perfected invited certain persons from this
section OF the State to see it in operation.
Among those present was Mrs. Greene, who
manifested much interest in the invention.
While looking on at the working of the gin,
however, it suddenly became clogged from
some cause, and Mrs. Greene took comb
from her hair and placed the teeth of it just
in front of the roller of the gin, so as to un-
clog the machine, and the cotton began com
ing out beautifully. This little act suggested
one of the most important and useful improve
ments of his invention to Mr.. Whitney. HI
Immediately adopted it, and then for the first
time really perfected his gin. This anecdote
was told to Mr. John NJ Guerard, of this city,
by Mr. p NJ. Nitingale, of Brunswick, grand
son of General Greene, who vouched for its
TRUTH .-Sarannah Nears.