New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1884-05-14
CYRES LII. MCCORMICK.

Chicago, Nay 13.-Cyrus II. Mccormick,
head the great harvester manufacturing company and
supposed OF the richest men ia Chicago, died at
his nome in this city this morning age se'eny-nIc he
lad been an inv aid for a number OF years.
Cyrus Hall Mccormick was born February l5 1909 at
Walnut Grove Rockbridgc County, Virginia. Of pare Is
who were natives OF that but descended from the
scotch-Irish stock OF the North OF Ireland. Robert
Mccormick the father, well-to-do farmer with a
mechanical turn OF mind. lie owned and managed sew
eral saw mills aud grst mills and backsmiths and car
pcnters' shops and invented several machines which
proved to be Of value. one OF his inventions
Teaping machine with which he struggled for fifteen
ears bat he finally Obliged 10 abandon it on ac-
count OF defects III It's operation which he could not
overcome. He threw 1t aside in 1891, ana few months
later hisson Cyrus, who had already secured patents
upon hand-cradle and hillside plough of his invention.
put mechanical shape Of ais ideas the
subject OF reapers, AMI thus first to the world the
machine which has rendered his name famous. He
pcrncnted with 5the contrvance for several years "A
farm given to him for the purpose by his father, and in
1874 he secured letters patent upon it.
About this time young Cyrus Mccormick bee ime in
tcestcd In smelling works, but met with serious
financial reyerscs He then determined to devote his at
tcntion exclusively to perfecting and introducing his
reaping machine RE first placed it upon the market in
1910 In 1915 he moved to Cincinnati and In the same
year secured patents upon several important improve
mcnts in tle machine. IN Ist7 ne moved to Chicago
works for the manufacture Of his reayers Up 20 lSi3 he
had not made the machines himself bat had had them
manufactured by firm al BTOckpOu n. y. In
ISIS he began building them himself, and made seven
hundred the first year For some years past now the
annual sales OF the machines have ranged between forty
and fifty thousand
Mr.. Mccormick In 1850 took his younger brothers,
william > and Lcander j., into partnership with him.
The OF them died in 1860. The latter has been
for time yice president OF the Mccormick Harvest
ing Machine Company which. OF course the Inventor
has been president. Mr. Mccormick was married in
s3s to a Miss Fowler To them were born three sons
and two daughters. The eldest son. twcnty-siX
years old Is connected with the manufacturing company
of which his father the founder.
His famous invention brought enormous wealth to Mr..
Mccormick, and many hOnOrs we'll Gold medals and
grand prizes werc showcred upon him at eXpOstions,
and Napoleon III. gave him the Grand Cross OF the
Legion Of Donor. His wealth he used wisely and well
In $50 he founded and literally endO wed the TheOog
zeal Seminary OF the Northwest, at Chicago. He also
endowed a chair In Washington and Zee University Viz
giuia and gave the University Of Virginia fine 20
inch refractng telescope. He was devoted member
OF Presbyterian Church and his mansion In Chicago
and his home at Richheld springs centres
OF Christian hospitality and culture.