The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1882-04-26
North Carolina Inventions.

Prof. 0. r. Smith tell. US that his
cotton picker instead of proving a fail
ure at Atlanta Exposition as was re
ported, met with more commentator
than he had reason to expect; and will
be brought forward more prominent
" than ever, in due season. We:ruly
| wish him success. The need for a good
Cotton picker is already very urgent,
and each season becomes more press
ing, as the negroes drift Northward
and Westward or Gas the case with
nearly all the better class acquire lands,
or a business, of their own; thereby
reducing the supply of contemplating
labor. It is reasonable to assume that
a really practicable Cotton Picker
would save one fifth of the cotton which
is 10 lost every year. The manufac-
turer of such a machine would become .
millionaire, at a Royalty of even one
dollar per bale.
We note, by the by, that Mr.. Chas.
G. Price, Jr., of Elizabeth City has filed
a patent for a Picker, when the papers
of that town unite is priising, as both
''simple and practlcaUle.' clearing the
cotton row as fast as an horse can
walk, We trust these high hopes may
be realized in actual practice
In the above connection we recall
the fact that eur young friend, Reuben
p. Davis, Of Monroe, tat one time a
newspaper MANI has patented the ma
chine which he used successfully on bis
own farm last fall for cleaning dirty
seed cotton. 1t cleans the cotton Of
all dirt, leaves, trash, &c, before enter
ing the gin; thus adding n ortwo cents
per pound 20 its value. As it cost only
S25, the machine ought to sell very
rapidly, after having a fair test, and
after Mr.. Davis prints testimonials to
that effect in the Farmer and Mechanic.
Some years ago or estimable and
universally esteemed friend, General
Collett Leventhorpe, of Gala well, in
vented a corn-sheller, which ought to
sell we'll. if we'll introduced, as the cost
was only SO, and it did good work.
Rev. 7. H. Pegram, of Winston,
has invented a car coupler, which his
friends think will be a great success.
He got the idea, by sudden inspiration,
the Leader states, just after reading the
remark that q thousand lives had been
lost in a few years past. in coupling
freight cars. Mr.. d. Frank Caldwell.
Of Greensboro, has also patented a
Car-Coupler.
This reminds US that a brother. NJ.
S. Shctwell, now at Harrisburg, Penn.
some years ago made a model Of a car
coupler which was self fastening, and
would suit any height of truck, and,
to our notion, was superior to any We
had seen. He, however, deemed the
costs of a patent, and Of securing its
adoption, were too risky to undertake.
He preferred to patent his simple con-
triyance, known as THE nj. 3. SHOT
WE'LL CAR R~EPLACER," (for assisting
the restoration of de-railed cars and
engines) and we notice that it is fast
coming into favor; some 40 Railroads
now using it and the New York Cen
trail R. r., which has many hundreds
of trains, is negotiating for its adop-
ton.
Mr.. Shotwe!l i. a young Southerner.
who Immediately on graduating at
Princeton College, received the com
%pliment of being rendered responsible
and salaried positions; 6rst, il a gov
ernmental post (under the Democratic
adnlnistration), and when that wa.
terminated by the Republican restora
ton the Office of Draughtsman and In
spector, of the noted 'Psnnsylvapia
Steel Works." At Harrisburg, where
upwards of 1000 men are EMPLOYED.
night and day, building the engines
and cars, which move all mankind. and
the rest Of folks.
We hope it will not be many months
before the experience and training that
Mr.. Shotwell has acquired and Is &C.
quirlng, will be brought South to assist
in building up some one or another of
the various car-works and machine
shops that are ia process of ~organiza-
ton in North Carolina and elsewhere.
though perhaps we ought to say he ex,
presses very kind feelings towards the
Harrisburg people, and saws he has
never been annoyed by unkind illusions
to his Southern nativity and ..Junior
Reserve Rebel Cavalry Service.
Patents have been granted a, 70,
Wren G. Penland, Ashevijle
sssignor Of one half to J. NJ. Rrook'
SHEER, for prunning-knife; Lewis s
Heiner, assignor to himself and E. O
Elliot, Catawba Springs, N. e., seed.