McCook weekly tribune. (McCook, Neb.) 188?-1886, 1885-04-02
OUR EXPOSITION LETTER.

eIlt from personal study OF this eX
hibition, than the agricultural class
Probably as much as two-thirds O
the machinery exhibit including i'm
plements, are directly devoted to tn,
various operations of the farm, say
ing nothing of the many useful hell '
for the house keeper and her work
There are great blocks of space occu
pied wholly with plows, cultivators
planters, reapers, threshers and farm
mills, shelters, grinders and feed pre-
parators, all more or less useful in the
multiform labors of the farm. There
is a recently patented potato planter
which takes the entire tuber, cuts il
into suitable sizes and plants eight
acres per day, dropping and covering
the seeds, without any other aid than
a horse and his driver, and it's inven.
tor claims that it will more than re.
pay its cost in one seasons saving OF
time and labor, and of corn and wheat
machinery there is SO much and such
variety as would seem to almost make
the labor of the husband-man lux.
ury instead Of drudgery.
In the patent Office exhibit, taken
in comparison with the more modern
devises exhibited outside, one can see
the wonderful strides that have been
made, not only in the improved farm,
but in all other classes of machinery,
There is seen the original model OF
the reaping machine, quaint and odd
in construction and appearance, but
which revolutionized wheat culture.
and without which it would seem i'm.
possible now to supply the world
with bread. Here also the cotton
planter may see the model of the
original cotton gin, which led to the
development of this great industry
and is believed by some people
curious in such speculations, to have
exercised no little influence in shap-
ing political and social questions, af-
fecting the country. This original
gin was patented by Eli Whitney.
March 18th, 1894, nearly century
ago, and was the invention of his leis.
ure hours while engaged as school.
teacher in the South. Compared with
the many improvements now exhib
tied in gins OF the present day, it is
much in the category as the old
wooden mould board of antiquity
But, if there would have been nc
Whitney, there would be no Pratt
with his rapid manipulation, as with.
out Robert Fulton with his slow.
awkward boat, there would have been
no palace steamers, blowing river
lake and ocean. How little do the
busy rushing throng think of their
obligations to the patient, anxious
pioneers of art and invention! 1t is
of interest to note here, that fire de.
stroyed the patent office Dec. goth.
1885, when 1000 models were burned,
another similar disaster Sep. 9th,
1878, destroyed $1,000 models on
which letters had been granted and
$4,000 models Of applications pend
ing. The total of models lost foots
up to 121, 900, and there are now in
the office 14S, 500 models, occupying
a space Of 63,5OS superficial feet, a
striking evidence of the activity Of
the American brain.
Two large excursion parties from
Boston, have at different times been
here. They left the Hub and pro-
ceeded straight to St. Louis, where
they chartered one of the Anchor
Lines magnificent boats, came down
the father of waters to New Orleans,
stayed one week and lived on their
boat. Few people appreciate the
fact that such a magnificent line OF
steamers as tie Anchor Line now ply
on the muddy Mississippi.
The states are vieing with each
other not only in the extent and mag.
nifcence of exhibit, but otherwise at
tracing public attention to their re-
spective merits. Hon. Robt. w. Fur
mas, of Nebraska, commissioner fol
his state, not satisfied with making
one of the greatest exhibits OH the
grounds, has called to his aid the
art preservative, and in a handsome
little book portrays the vast resour
ces, advantages and promises of that
great commonwealth. From his lit
tie book we learn that since its first
settlement in 1855, the increase il
population, as compared with neigh
boring states is in the ratio of Bic
per cent; she has a school fund val
ued at s5O,00O,0OO; she has nearl,
5000 miles of railroad lines and near
ly 5000 miles of telegraph; she raised
in 1854, of corn 169,O00.OOO, and o
wheat 100000 bushels; and he
live stock are valued at over s7S,
100000, and thousands of intelligen
and enterprising people are flockins
to and finding rich and CHEAP homes