The weekly Union times. [volume] (Union C.H., South Carolina) 1871-1894, 1890-07-04
THE NEW COTTON GIN.
WONDERFUL INVENTION FOR THE HANDLING
OF COTTON.


A WONDERFUL INVENTION FOR THE HANDLING
OF COTTON.
SYRACUSE, n. Y, June This city has
never aspired to fame as cotton raising
centre, but it may achieve fame as the birth
place OF cotton roller gin which is des-
tined TO revolutionize the manufacture of
that great commercial product-cotton.
From the day Eli Whitney invented the cot
ton saw gin TO the present there has been
steady growth and advancement in the me-
chaniss which the fabric is prepared for
marketM ct with oil Of the inventive skill
displayed, the principle of the Whitney gin
is still followed. Some five years ago Mr..
j. r. Montague, o Matchmaker and jewe'er
of Syracuse, was much impressed by an
article that appeared in the Scientific 4meri-
can, which stated that what was now wanted
was q cotton gin which would separate the
fibre from the seed without injury to the
staple. There was nothing on the market
except the saw gin, which was barbarous
method Of handling SO delicate q thing as
cotton. For the last hundred years experi-
ments have been made without number, and
much wealth and energy expended in the
endeavor to secure gin which would sepa-
rate the seed without tearing the cotton.
Mr.. Montague realized the need Of n gin
which would do the work better aud quicker,
and after years of industry and study has
succeeded. At times it seemed rs if there
was no way Of overcoming the difficulties
aud he would be tempted to give it UP.
But he stuck to il. Friends became inter
ested in the movement, and..when they recog-
nized the merits of the invention, saw there
was "millions in it," The Montague Roller
Cotton Gin Company was incorporated,
composed of Southern capitalists. and men
s,,ta al 81, IF
They backed Mr.. Montague and to-day the
machine is ready to be placed on the market.
The working Of the machine has just been
witnessed here.
This roller gin, The first complete ma
chine Of its kind, is a simple LOOKING affair
aud does not look rs though it would make
all the stir and commotion among cotton
raisers and dealers that it is claimed that
it will. The implement is about five feet
high and about the same in width On top
is q hopper W hich extends ncross the gin.
In this is placed the cotton just as 1t
comes from the fed. Undernc cath the hop
per is a picker to separate it. The cotton
is delivered from these rolls to drum, with
ribs, running at great velocity which
frees the cotton from dirt, sand and pieces
Of the leaf. The cotton then drops to q set
Of steel rolls, one-hnlf an inch in circum-
ference, which have play of about six
inches. Above this is an "agitator." which
turns the seeds around, and in = rrice they
are separated from the staple. The see1
falls into one compartment aud the pure
white lint into another. The whole thing i,
rs compact rs it can be, and is easily rcgu-
lated.
1t was given n most thorough trial and
those who witnessed its operations were en-
thusiss!ic in its praise. Tests were made
with sea island, Peeler nnd upland cotton.
The tests seemed to demonstrate that the
Montague roller is just the thing needed
for sea island and Pecler cotton, leaving the
fibre as fnc and long as though picked by
hand The Southern gentlemen who have
seen the gin say that this means o greatly
enhanced value for this grade of cotton.
Every fraction of n cent saved OIL e pound
Of cotton means thousands of dollars to
some one. Mr. Montgomery says: Another
advantage claimed is the manner in which
the fibre is cleaned from the seed. In tho
saw gin, more or less fibre adheres to the
seed which is removed by slow process.
In this case the seed is cleaned perfectly,
80 that the only thing TO do is to convert the
product into cotton oil, lard or "the finest
imported olive OIL" Mr.. Montgomery says
that when the Montague gin is placed on
the Southern market it will revolutionize
tho cotton industry. lie was loud in its
pi aisos, Arrangements will ut once be
made for the manufacture and introduction
Of the Montague gin in the cotton growing
States.