Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1889-05-29
Harvesting Machinery.

When McCormiok's mind and genius
were strained through several years after
he discovered that the smooth or knife
blade sickle would not successfully cut the
straw of standing grain, he received no
magnificent offers of money to encourage
him in SOLVING the difficulty. During the
eight years he was striving to discover the
principle in mechanism which finally made
the serrated blade practicable for the pur'
pose, it was rather jeers than encourage
ment he received. He spent his time ano
patrimony freely in the accomplishment u
the supreme object upon which his heart
and energies were set. The forty years,
which have interviewed since the reaper
with its sickle was thus perfected, have
brought many other attached inventions,
till now the twine-bound and perfect sheaf
is gathered and dropped in dozens at the
same time that the waving stalks bow their
heads for the gathering into the garner
The use of Irvine is the perfected method OF
binding over its predecessor of wire, and
at this stage of progress in gathering the
cereals from the fields where there are rain
falls in harvest time, it seemed that the
husbandman was content to make no
further demand upon genius or mechanical
skill to give him more perfect machine
All the inventions and appliances are only
SO many improved methods perfecting de-
tails in rapid execution, subordinate to the
sickle upon the principle of which there
has not been and doubtless never Will De
any Improvement, for it is perfect in itself.
The reaper-binder has therefore become
necessity, also, lately, and as superior TO
the hand sickle or cradle as the turning
plow is to the wooden point which was
made to answer the purposes of the rudest
husbandry of the ancient or of the most
backward soil-culture upon the globe OF
this age. 1t is not only necessity to the
large farmer, but to the extent OF his
harvest-work equally Sd to the smallest
The method of binding by Irvine, as re-
marked, is the present most complete and
most approved, but in these times OF mo
nopolies and trusts, avaricious spirits have
seized upon it as a commodity to be made
subject to their greed and to the upJustih-
able extertion of millions of dollars from
the grain. growers of our country. 1t is a
tyranny which forces obedience, and can
not for that reason be avoided.
The State Grange of Illinois represents
the spirit of the grain-growers OF the whole
country and comes forward offering prize
of ten thousand dollars to the inventor who
will perfect an attachment to the reaper
which will bind the sheaf with straw. 1t
does seem that such an invention would
not be as difficult as that which comprised
the machine originally, and much less than
that which Mccormick solved to render
the cutting capacity free from all him
drance. No such direct offer and assured
announcement from the start cheered him
in his easslessly-applied energies day
after day, and year after year, devoting the
prime of his manhood to the ezacting task,
1t was the brave and generous and
gifted and cultured Whitmell P. Tunstall
who, forty five years ago, when discussing
the line of progress in material development
which Virginia should adopt, claimed fol
the people of his State the possession oil
much more ability to originate and execute
proper plans than many of his cotempo-
raries seemed disposed to admit. They
were looking elsewhere, in great
measure, for genius and ability and &C
complishments to aid them, whilst he
claimed that Virginia, in proportion to hel
population, possessed more than any Other
State. Virginia produced the man who
annually relieves millions of men of hard
toll, and now when the greed for unholy
gain has fastened its hands upon q neces
sary appendage to that complete machine
whose agency accomplishes so much relief
cannot some Virginian become successes
of Mccormick in that respect, at least, ane
solve the problem by invent;pg an attach
ment which will twist the straw for bind
ing the sheaves. Such genius has NOR
encouragement to work out tie problem
than ever cheered the hours and the day
when McCormick's mind guided his ever
busy hand in his first efforts, and it woult
seem to be fitting sequel to the who'll
matter, that not only Virginian, but on
of the Valley, where Mccormick drew hi
inspiration amid the hills and valleys o
his birthplace ard home, should come fortl
and win the laurels with which the op
pressed husbandmen of cz.g country viii
entwine his name.