Morning journal and courier., 1890-05-23
Eli Whitney and the Cotton Gin. Edward Craig Bates in the New England Maga


 Edward Craig Bates in the New England Nigga
 zine.l
 The effect Of Whitney's invention upon tue production of cotton was immediate and striking. have already said that cotton was an unimportant factor in colonial produo- tions. In 1786, attention was called to the possibility of raising cotton for the English market, and more vigorous efforts were made. In 1791, the south produced 1000, 900 pounds, of which 189,3 pounds were ex- ported. The following year, however, the exportation was only 50,0O0 pounds. So dfi- cult, in fact, that the process of ginning, that tobacco, indigo, and rice baGe fair to be the permanent products of the southern states. In the winter of 17923 came the invention of the cotton gin. Encouraged by the hope of it's success, the planters, during the fol- lowing season (179S), raised 5000, 900 pounds of cotton, and sent 4S7, 500 pounds to Eng land. During the following year, the use of the cotton gin became more general in Georgia and South Carolina. It is not sur- prising, therefore, to find product of 8, 8,000,- 900 pounds in 1794, and an exportation of over 1 100000 pounds. Year after year the area of the cotton producing country, the number of planters and their slaves, and the amount and value of the crop, showed rapid growth. In 1900. the product was S5,000,- GOO pounds; in 1910, S5, 1000, ,000; in 1920, 16O, 900, 900; in 1880, 350,000, 900; in 1S40, ssO,O00,0O0; and to omit the intervening de. cades-in 1880, the crop was 3, ,20G, ,000, ,000 pounds The debt which the nation and the world owe to Eli Whitney Is proclaimed by the eloquence of statistics. They indicate that Robert Fulton was not wrong when he said that esArkwright, Watt, and Whitney were the three men who did most for man. kipd of any of their contemporaries. Nor was Lord Macaulay too extravagant in say- ing, "Whst Peter the Great did to make Russia dominant, Eli Whitney's invention oi the cotton gin has more than equaled in its relation to the power and progress of the United States"
 A few months after his graduation, in the autumn of 1792, Whitney was engaged as tutor hy gentleman in Georgia. During the journey from New York to Savannah, he enjoyed the company of Mrs. Greene, the widow of the famous revolutionary general, and her family. Their friendship proved tC be of inestimable value. On arriving 1T Georgia, he found the position for which hs had been engaged already filled. Withou' resources or employment, he gladly accepted the invitation of Mrs. Greene to remain at her house while he was carrying ou hospitable roof he remained for several months.
 The first opportunity for employing his peculiar skill was in making a tamboul frame. Mrs. Greene complained that the one she was using was imperfect, and tore the thread of her embroidery. Anxious to pleas, his kind benefactor, Whitney quickly con- structed a frame SO superior to the one il use as to excite the wonder and delight of tn whole family.
 The exhibition of skill was still in tn, mind of Mrs. Greene, when @ party of revo lutionary officers who had served under he husband came to pay their respects. Man | of them, if not all, were planters. In dis cussing the state of agriculture and thei | needs, they lamented the lack of a maohin l for separating cotton-dber from the seeds With the pressing demand in England fo | raw cotton, this was the only obstacle to thei l Greene remarked, "Gentlemep, apply to m, young friend, Mir. Whitney; he can mak ! anything" Whitney, protesting against thu praises of his friend, removed what hopefu | expectations the most ardent may have had by calmly replying that he had never seer | either cotton, or cotton.seed.
 Mrs. Greene's object in her friendly intro l duction was to attract the attention of he | influential visitors to the promising young man whom she was befriending. The con l versation, however, had an unexpected re suit. The young law student threw asid his books, and soon set off for Savannah
 There he wandered about the wharves, il l and around the storehouses, seeking sampl ] of cotton. After a long search he returne
 with small parcel. A workroom in tn
 basement of the house was set apart for hi
 use. He made the, tools necessary for hi
 task, drew his own>wire, and proceeded t
 construct a gin (''engine" is the full form
 for separating cotton-fiber from the seeds
 His purpose was divulged to no one say
 Mrs. Greene. The winter of 1892-5 we
 nearly over when his mysterious task wa
 completed. Early in the spring the cotto,
 gin was seS up in shed, and promineI
 planters from all over the state were invite
 to see it work. It was successful from tt
 start. The machine for which there ha
 been such clamoriug for many years was
 last provided by the ingenuity of a Yankt
 student.