The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-06-23
A BATTLE IN THE BARLEY.
A Grand Gathering Of the YeO-
many of Madison.
Another Day of Glorious Triumph for
the Ever Victorious Mccormick.

On Saturday afternoon on Mr., Smelser's farm,
in Madison county, about midway between An
derson and Elwood a grand contest of harvest
ing machines Irvine bnders) took place The
battle ground was a seventeen-acre field of bar
ley heavily grown with timothy-there being
nearly ton of green timothy to the acre, max
ing it an extremely difficult piece to cut. There
were 1000 people present to see the contest and
eleven machines, headed by the famous Nc
Cormck, deployed into line-the Excelsior,
johnson, St Paul, Minneapolis, Deering ST. =,
Deering jr Esterly Plano, and two Champions.
The Buckeye Lowdown after making the chal-
lenge, having examined the field, backed square
down and withdrew from the contest-as that
machine has done in every case this season, the
only victories to be found recorded in its favor
being where there is clear field with no con-
testant Farmers who have given orders for
the Buckeye Lowdown are much disappointed
by the course pursued by the managers of that
machine, as they are allowed no opportunity to
see it in field contests where they can compare
it with other machines.
The Excelsior opened up the field. 1t started
in all right but ran heavy The three horses
pulled hard and the machine choked down, fail
ing to cut and pick up the grain when lodged.
The Deering Junior in this, as other contests,
failed to tie, and threw more loose bundles than
all the other machines in the field Although a
narrow-cut machine it demonstrated that it was
much too heavy for two horses and went down
choke6 in the lodged grain, from which it had to
be pulled out
The Deering Senior made its usual blunders
and wound up with choking in the lodged barley.
The Esterly did fairly well, but could not cut
the down grain. The johnson, new candidate
for favor in this State, did not show up favor
ably and the St Paul attracted little attention.
The socalled ''light-running" Plano made
tn rec rounds. stopping every time on the corner
under pretenSe of showing the machine, but
really to give the horses chance to blow. On
the third round aided by few clackers the
Plano men thought to go through with cheer
and hoisted flags on the machine, as if they had
already won the victory, but when the socalled
light running" came to the lodged grain the
picnic ended She choked down and ieering
cry came from the farmers of take down your
flags"
The side draft on the Minneapolis was a thing
the farmers would not tolerate, That was the
chief objection to the machine which pulled
hard and failed to cut the lodged grain, as had
also the machines which preceded it.
The Champion was the only machine that could
not cut the timothy bottom with the regular
reaping sickle, but was compelled to use the
smooth section or grass knife. To this reputed
''Hght" machine, which cut less than five-foot
swath, the managers had three of the heaviest
horses on the ground. On the last round these
horses were ringing wet, making strong illus
tration of cruelty to animals. The small dame
ter of the drve-wheel in this machine causes it
to run hard.
The Mccormick did not go into this contest
with the hundreds of friends it usually has in
farming communities In this neighborhood the
lately improved Mccormick had not been sold,
and it was reported by agents of other machines
that the Mccormick of to-day was the same as
the machine of fifteen twenty years ago-a
five horse machine-with other misrepresenta-
tions. When the famous harvester fell into line,
and gave practical test of her beautiful eXecu-
ton, a shout of admiration went up from the
assembled multitude. She showed that she was
lighter draft than her competitors, cutting from
one to two feet wider swath, never missing a
bundle and tying tighter than any other ma
chine on the ground AS she took up the lodged
grain without difficulty the spectators concluded
to make it harder for her and trampled down
the grain. 1t made no difference she took it
up cutting it with the greatest ease. 1t was a
beautiful and convincing test of the superiority
of the Mccormick. 1t was amusing to hear the
opposition agents before the Mccormick COM
pleted the test which convinced every one of her
superiority telling among the farmers that the
recent death of Mr. Mccormick would interfere
with the manufacture and management of the
machine, etc, etc, when they 1.-THE agents)
know that for years the active management has
been in the hands of Mr.. C. H. Mccormick, the
son Of the inventor, whose business energy and
sagacity are pushing the machine as it has never
been done before, and who will see to it that not
only will all the reputation hitherto enjoyed by
the Mccormick be retained, but that it will be
greatly increased
AT the close of the contest the hard handed,
clear-headed farmers cheered the Mccormick
Justify. awarding her the honors of the day, and,
gathering around the managers, gave them many
hearty hand shake, congratulating them upon
their victory.
AS the Journal correspondent left the field the
agents of the Mccormick had taken eight or
nine orders for harvesters, while other farmers
were waiting to close contracts with them. 1t
was, indeed day of triumph for the McCor-
mick
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