The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1891-11-22
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GOOD NEWSF0R THE SOUTH.
Cotton Pioksrs That Will Not
Striks Nor Oct Drunk.

Sertko NOT ooS Urunks
ws.ssrNsl Machines Assent - ss rat o.
sAs A1assss ~ the ssutAsr~ Cstssa HAS.
vsstsr OVERWHELMINGLY o. tAs l.vs,tss.
ana ths Rsesnt spessssc.l Tsstat Atiaats,
The Southern Cotton Harvester Company. Of
which Isaac Blum Of 12S Duane street IL Prssi-
dent. believes that Il has solved the labor
problem Of the South. and now II IL getting
ready to reap tho reward for its labor.
II cost last year 100000. 900 to pick the COT
ton crop. and IL was hard work for tho farmers
to get II picked even for that amount Of money.
A peculiarly Of the colored man in the South
10 that he will not work II he has any money.
He picks the whole cotton crop. He 10 paid at
the end Of each picking. After he has picked
the first crop from the lower part Of the plants
and gets his money for It he goes homo and
gets drunk or temporarily quits work. It
comes time for the second srop and The farmer
goes to him and says:
II want you to pick my cotton tomorrow"
swait till next day." he replies.
It will rain and will lose the cotton" ssys
the farmer.
Cant help It." says the ooiored man: and
the farmer has to wait until every cent Of the
money no pays for the picking Of his FIRST crop
is gone before he can induce the colored man
to 20 to work again. He has the Same trouble
between the second and third cropa Perhaps
rain comes and large part Of the crop 10
knocked on on the ground and 10 . total loss.
It IL the curse Of lazy workmen. the farmers
say. that keeps them poor. The Harvester
Company's device for fortune and to solve the
problem IL machine that will knock the cot
ton OF the plants into the machine itself and
drop It into bags. ready to 60 to the gin. It
was invented By James A. House Of Bridge
port, Conn. On tho strength Of his invention
he has been elected Fellow Of tho Royal
Academy Of Inventions. and tho Academy has
awarded him diploma and gold medal
Every one familiar with cotton growing
knows that wind and rain boat the cotton OF
the plants" said Mr. House to TEE Sun re-
porter who called on him at his factory In
Bridgeport last Monday. "The idea for the
harvester came from an observing young man.
who noticed the effect Of the wind and rain.
Cotton had always been picked. and the young
mans father had paid out thousands Of dollars
to have It picked. Tho wind and rain simply
shook the bush and the cotton fell. He saw .
big saving Of money in . machine that would
shake q plant just about a. hard a. the rain
shook It. and not so hard that 1t would injure
the plant itself or the unopened bolls. The
machine must have . oontrivance to keep the
cotton from falling to the ground. This is tho
perfection Of that little idea" Mr.. House
pointed to box-like machine on four wheelA
Agitation 10 the principle 1t works on. and
1t does exactly what the wind and rain do. but
It doesn't let tho cotton fall on the ground"
He tore OF long sheet Of ticking that COW
cred the lower part Of the machine and reveal
ed series Of long slender steel whips fast to
uprights on the side. and bed OF nat seal
Hoped wheels. about q foot In diameter. and
overlapping each other. There were six up
rights or shafts on each side Of the machine
and twelve delicate and flexible whips on
each shaft The whips were one-auarter Of
an inch thick at the shaft but tapered to six
teenth at the end. The shafts were attached
to q rack on top OF the machine At the tail
end Of the machine were two long arms. Be-
tween these arms were two shafts filled with
circular brushes Of very flexible steel. and
from each side Of the machine extending to
the brushes was flexible steel comb. The
disks or scalloped wheels on the bottom Of the
machine were set on nne springs and moved
pushed the machine back and then forward
few feet He pulled out clutch and the
whipS began tanning back and forth. the cir
cular brushes revolved. and long strips OF
toothed steel that extended along each side Of
the disks and up into the long arms began
hitching upward and back. Mr.. House stood
OF and admired his work. and then he began
to explain.
"Cotton." he said. "is planted in even rows.
thirty-six inches apart Now. hitch team Of
mules to this and begin at the top Of row.
mule on each side and the plants in the CEN
ire. The bottom there. that is. the disks.
pushes apart as easily as q stick can be passed
through water. and the plant goes between
them. The bottom. you see is very close to
the ground. and the disks come in contact
with the etem or base stalk of the plant only.
They are revolving The friction of the stalk
going between them turns them. Now. the
branches Of the plant on which the cotton
grows are all within striking distance Of the
fine steel whips. The revolving Of the rear
wheel Of the machine makes all the machinery
60. It drives the whips back and forth Each
shaft Of whips makes about one-third revo-
luton and then comes back. striking tho