The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1889-05-03
Irvine Trust Eoilad

Irvine Trust Foiled
The following is taken from the Quin-
cy Wing of April 18th:
A representative of the Wing dlscov-
cred an appliance yesterday which
promises to play very important part
in the fight which the farmers of the
west and the northwest arc making
against the Irvine trusts and combine
tons. During the past five or six years
Irvine has come into universal use for
binding grain. Irvine binders are now
used OH nearly every harvesting ma.
chine and the demand for Irvine has ill.,
creased enormously. Unfortunately for
the farmer. all the material used for
making Irvine, sisal and MANILA, is grown
in foreign countries. To get it to Ameri.
ca requires from four to six months
time, involving large expense, and the
machinery used in the process of manu-
facture is covered with patents. 1t has
been an easy matter for the Irvine
manufacturers to effect combinations
and to steadily advance prices to point
which was unreasonable and unjust.
But the farmers of the entire north
west have rebelled against these trusts.
Farmers alliances everywhere are hold
ing meetings to devise ways and means
for tllwarting the combinations. In sew
eral Of the states this matter has been
brought to the attention of the legisla-
lures and bills are now pending calculat-
ed to bring relief to the farmers. In
the Illinois legislature, Senator Chap
man has introduced a bill providing that
the manufacture oftwine shall be under
taken in the penitentiaries of the state,
SO that the farmers may not be Obliged
to buy dollars worth from the trusts.
In fighting tine twlne monopoly the
farmers are confronted by very serious
obstacles. Complicated machinery is re-
quired to make Irvine and the equip
ment of a factory involves heavy expen-
ditures. Enormous quantities IF Irvine
are required to supply the demand, as
the wheat crop Of the country las in
creased 250,0UO, 600 bushels since tho ill.,
PRODUCTION of Irvine binders While the
demand for Irvine is constantly increas-
ing, the crop of fiber from which it is
made-sisal and nlanilla-has been short
for the past two years, and it has been
no difficult matter for importers to Sc
cure control of the raw material and ad-
vance Of prices. Irvine is now six cents
higher than it has formerly been sold for
and the prices which ought to he asked
for it. To establish and equip anti-lnon-
opoly factories for making it would re-
quire a large amount of capital and even
then the independent manufactures by
the trusts which control the material.
Several of the farmers alliance advo-
cate the abandonment of binding ma
chinery until the Irvine trust can be
brought to terms. The farmers gener-
ally do not take kindly TO this sugges-
ton, however, stating that help is
scarce and it would be almost impossible
to harvest their crop by hand; further
more, the waste Of loose grain would
more than counterbalance the amount
saved by discarding Irvine even at pres
ent prices.
While driving down from LAGRANGE
yesterday representative of the Wing
noticed harvesting machine working
in the tall sedge grass along the Missis-
sippi bottoms. Curiosity led to an inves-
tigation. The men who were operating
the machine were ut first not disposed
to furnish any information, but careful
inquiry developed several very import
ant facts which will have much to do
with affording u complete solullon of the
Irvine question.
The machine was Mccormick self
binder exactly sucll as is used on zoe, 600
farms in this country, except for one
slight change. 1t was supplied with
simple device, whereby wire instead of
Irvine was used for binding. This de.
vice has recently been perfected and is
now being thoroughly tested. The men
who were operating the machine yester-
day stated that they had been at work
with it in the field for several weeks, cut
ting and binding tall sedge grass, and
the most thorough test had failed to re-
veal single defect. In fact it works to
perfection. 1t has tied acres without a
miss and is, ifpossible. more certain
than Irvine would he under the same
conditions. This improvements weigh
five pounds. 1t can he applied by any
farmer in u moments time and NIcCor.
mick Irvine binder can be changed to a
wire binder. All there is of this device
is wire twister. which is supplied in
place of the knotter now used on the
Mccormick. In looking at the machine
even an expert could not detect any
change excepting that two spools of
wire had taken the place of the ball of
Irvine. The workman said yesterday
that the twister is the same which was
so successfully used OH the Mccormick
for many years, before the introduction
oftwine. The company is now making
this improved device and will meet all
demands as far as possible for the ap.
preaching harvest, and before the con-,
mencement Of the second harvest eau
have 100000 Of them in the market if
necessary. The same guarantee is given
with this device as with the old wire
binder and the twinc binder now in use.
The worktnen said further that the
company was introducing this device to