The Hope pioneer. [volume] (Hope, N.D.) 1882-1964, 1885-05-08

RrcHMosD, Va, April The rennoysI to
New Orleans BY Major HotclEiss Of the anvil
block upon which was made the first sickls Tor.
tho Mccormick reaper, forpnrposs Of exhibit
ing the same at the international exhibition,
recalls forcihly to mind an incident connected
with the early history OF this great labor-saylnK
machine which I do not recollect to ilass ever
seen in print, but which is well established
fact and often related By the old farmers Of
Virginia's great wheat growing valley.
During the harvest Of 1881, the nrst field trial
Of the now great Mccormick reaper was m;sds
at steele's Tavern, Augusta County, Va, inihs
presence Of many Of the best farmers in the
valley, especially invited to witness the exhibi-
ton.
1t is said that many OF the eyo-witneases on
that occasion laughed at the idea Of gathering
the golden grain with \ machine drawn by
two horses, and some OF the mere plain-spoksn
intlmated that Staunton was the proper place
for Mccormick, the Western Lxnatic Asylum
buildings having been erected there the pre-
cedng year. No one save the inventor had
much faith in the 'blue humbug," as many
called it. The machine was apparently very
simple affair, having been composed Of eight
wheels, frame and table, a reel, cutter bar,
pitnan rod, leather belt by which tho reel
was propelled, and 3 sickle, in all about fifteen
pieces including the pole What contrast
between the first harvester and those Of to-day.
Is there harvesting machine in existence that
has less than one hundred pieces? Several
hours were consumed in making the first OK
hibition, in which time about FIVE acres Of per-
fecty clean, straight wheat was cut, and Mr..
Mccormick was congratulated at its close by
many who came to see laugh. In the eyes
OF some OF the moro sagacious and far-BeSfng,
the trial was pronounced succsss, and Isaac
Steel, Esq, was in favor Of organizing joint
stock company and going to work on an ex-
tended scale, but tho inventor was not fully
satisfied with the working Of his machine, and
therefore discouraged the scheme.
The machine here alluded to was mauufac
tured on Golfers Greek, In R0ckbridgs County.
Va, about the year 1880, but was not shown
to the public until 1881, at the place above
stated. The difficulty was with the sickle, this
article giving the inventor vast deal Of anx,-
ETY. and fears that he would not be able to over
come the defect i. O., proper tempering. At
length, in 1888, two years after his first public
exhibition, he made the acquaintance Of man
named Seah Holbrook, Vorln0nter. who hsd
immigrated to Virginia, aud erected an eld-
fashioned tilt-hammer, with blacksmith shop
attached, near Fort Republic, In Rockingham
county. Mr. Holbrook was perhaps at that
time tho most skilled workman both In iron
and steel in the state. Mr.. Mccormick went
to the shop nnd home of Holbrook, where he
remained for moro than week, instruetlng
and assisting him in making the first success
full sickle that was ever made for harvesting
machine. In those days 1t required q great
deal of labor to make sickle, for the steel
from which the sickle was made came in large,
heavy, flat bars, and had to be forged into
shape with tilt-hanmers and sledges. In the
fourth trial Mr.. Holbrook succeeded In secur-
ing the desired shape and temper
The hammer, anvil and block that was used
by Mr.. Holbrook during the engagement with
Mccormick were preserved by Ills son, John H.
Holbrook, until the year 1870, when all save
the anvil block, were carried away In tho dis.
astrous flood of that year, the most destructive
ever known in the Valley Of the Shenandoah.
The anvil block was ono Of unusual size and
weight, the same being an iron stone TIVE feet
five inches long, two feet wide, and two feet
high. It's weight is 1890 pounds. This anvil
block has, since the close Of the late war, been
the property Of G. D. Harnsberger, Esq, Of
Rockingham county, and was by him loaned
to Major Hotchkiss, of Stauntou, who viii
place It OH exhibition in tho Virginia depart
ment. This anvil is all that is now left Of the
once widely known shop Of Mr.. Holbrook, in
which an important part Of the first McCor-
mick reaper was made; and while the name of
Holbrook is hardly ever mentioned, in fact al
most forgotten, it is extremely doubtful, but
for tho aid he gave the inventor, that the great
Mccormick reaper might possibly have been
second or third, and not first among the labor
saving machines Of the world. -Cor,'espoad-
ence Of The Mter-Oc