Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-06-28
A REVOLUTION
In HARVESTING MACHINERY. THE
MADDEN TWO WHEEL BIN.
DER EXHIBIT,
The Machines Proposed to be Manu-
featured at Wichita Tested and
Highly Recommended by
the Board Of Trade.

| As,announced in the EAGLE of Tuesday,
the Madden two-wheel binder and the Mad
| den chain mower were given thorough
| test by the manufacturing committee of
the Board of Trade yesterday forenoon in
a field of oats on Sites Brothers land on
| Central avenue east of Chisholm screek.
The exhibit was in every thing highly
satisfac tory. not only to the committee
but to all others who witnessed or tried
the machines The ground at first was
little soft from the heavy rain of the day
previous. Notwithstanding this, and the
further fact that in the first time around
the field the machine encountered an old
barbed wire fence which had been thrown
down on the ground, badly breaking and
dulling the sickle, two ordinary-sized farm
horses pulled the binder with perfect ease
in tolerably green oats, somewhat mixed
with weeds.
| The machine gave the utmost satisfac-
ton to all who saw its workings. Farmers
especially were delighted with it and
wanted to know when they could buy a
machine of that make. Mr.. Albert Viii
son. a practical farmer who lives five
miles west of the river and has been cut
ting all of his wheat and oats crop with
| this machine. says that although he has
two other harvesters, he would not use
either of them if he could get the Madden
| binder. Other farmers were equally as
enthusiastic in their praises of the ma
| chine.
In construction, it is the simplest,
| lightest and cheapest binder made. Its
mechanical arrangement is entirely new
and as has been demonstrated by actual
use, does not get out of order. In addi-
| ton to advantages possessed by the sickle,
which is SO jointed to the machine, as to
permit it to continue cutting in slanting,
or even in a perpendicular position. thus
doing easily all kinds of side-hill work..
The very light draft of the ma
chine is feature which at
tracts the attention of farmers and
machine experts. Some of the latter wit
messed the trial and pronounced the ma
chine without an equal. The weight of
the entire binder complete is below the av-
erage weight of other machines, fully 800
pounds There are two driving wheels in
stead of one as in other machines. This
give more traction power for operating
the sickle and the binder thanla one wheel
binder does. 1t also does away with the
most Objectionable feature-sde draft,
which is so exhaustive to teams A ma
chine cutting a siX-foot swath can be
driven through a ten-foot gateway. Twelve
feet are required for a five-foot machine of
any other make.
1t is so constructed that the driver sits
entirely back of the machine and not only
sees everything about the machine but by
balancing the weight removes all the
strain from the horses necks. There is no
Earring to either driver or team.
The ''knotter" was prOnoun ced the sim
plesC and yet the most successful one ever
seen by any of the gentlemen who exam
ined it. One great advantage possessed
by the the needle, which congresses
the bundle, is that it requires
such comparatively small amount of
power to operate it. The reason of this is,
that the power is applied by pitman at
tached near the middle of the needle which
in turn swings on a hub. In other binders,
| the power is applied to the needle at the
hub. or fuicrum of the neddle. The size Of
the bundle can be regulated to suit. The
machine is so light of draft that it can be
backed easily by two horses.
The Manufacturing Committee of the
posed of men who are practical farmers,
came back to the Board of Trade rooms
and held a meeting yesterday afternoon.
After enthusiastically discussing the mer-
its of both binder and mower and the
great advantage such factory would be
to Wichita, all the members, who were
present (all having seen the machines
work. signed report which will be sub
mitted at "a regular meeting OF all of two
hundred and more members of the Board
this afternoon at 3 o'clock. The report
states that after having given the Madden
machines thorough investigation both
as to their construction and practical
workings, they heartily recommend them
to the favorable consideration of the
Board of Trade and urge upon the citizens
of Wichita the advantages to be derived
for the location of factory in this city for
manufacturing these machines. The mem
bers of the committee who made the in
vestigation and signed the report were:
Messrs. p. V. Healy, chairman; VIM.
Matthewson, O. Martinson and j. +.
Sites. Only one member was absent.
These machines will be at work all day
today in the oat field of the Sites BIRTH
ers. on Central avenue east of Chisholm
creek Any one who wants to see per-
feet binder or who is interested in securing
for Wichita most desirable industry
should go to the place indicated. All
members of the Board of Trade are urged
to be present at their meeting this after
noon.
One of'the greatest advantages in man.
ufacturing such machines in Wichita is
that the lumber and other material can be
laid down cheaper in Wichita than in any
! other western city. Over machines manu-
| featured in eastern cities Wichita made
machines wo uid have an immense
leverage, as the freight on such a
machine from the factory in Illinois or
Michigan is equivalent to
80 PER CENT on THE COST
| Of the machine But the greatest ad
vantage By far TO be obtained over other
| machines by manufacturing the Madden
binders and mowers in this city, Is that
their simplicity of construction is such
that three of them can be put up for the
same actual cost that is necessary TO build
| only two of any other make to be selected.
That Madden inventions will sell more
rapidly than any other was the unanimous
o-,;p;o,, IF every farmer yyho saw them at