Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1893-06-15
MACHINERY AT TIE FAIR,
GREAT PROGRESS SHOWN in
AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY.
The Display Of Agricultural Ma
ohlnery one Of the Mosthm-
portant ExhIbits-The
Northwest Well
Represented.

The display of agricultural machinery
In the southeast corner of the agricultural
palace of the Columbian exposition is
considered by those who have investi-
gated and examined the similar exhibits
at the Paris and Centennial expositions
as the finest ever made. 1t covers
wide area of the first floor and yet the
space to each exhibitor is limited, and
in most cases uncomfOrtably so. The
confidence inspired in most Americans
them in the variety and excellence of
contrivances for tightening the toll of the
tiller of the soil and in incr easing the
effectiveness and power of single labor
er, has led them to make the most pos
sible of their resources in this exhibit.
The great and worldwide known man
ufacturers of agricultural machinery have
each the largest amount of space allotted
to them, while the lesser lights have
sometimes to put up with very contract
ed limit of floor space. These large firms
limit themselves to that class of ma
chinery in which they expect to excel
their competitors. Nearly every company
manufactures very many machines which
they do not exhibit at all because some
other concern makes speciality of them
and would naturally have the best chance
Of coming out first in the competition.
the lists against the United States except
Germany in the matter of drill seeders and
a few other minor displays of machinery
:" which suggest agriculture on small
scale. The United States exhibitors in
this section, however, fear no COMPETE
ton in foreign countries, because as they
say, 'Wes have met all the other nations
on neutral ground in the actual COM
petition OF foreign trade, and the superior
ity, adaptability and durability of our
machines have so demonstrated them
selves that we have experienced no
trouble IN selling them, even where the
natural aptitude of the buyer favors some
nationality other than the Yankee" The
skill of the American in adapting the
best means of reaching required end
and of devising all sorts Of machinery
for tightening toll has made him master
ttural macfirery. Nature and surround
ngs have aided the American largely in
this work. The farmer here has had to
till large areas and to do it as cheaply
as possible because his products came
into competition with those produced by
the cheap labor of all nations. Cheap
ness and amount of produce have been
the two problems which have confronted
him. The result has been that labor
saving machinery was a necessity. Skill
and ingenuity and wise patent law did
!he rest. The outcome was that Amer
I
preference IN every market where it is
known. l met man the other day who
had Travelled for leading agricultural
machinery house in every state and ma
ton upon the American continent as an
agent for the sale of their goods. He
said that he found no competitors worth
mentioning save his own countrymen.
In Chile. Argentine Republic, Paraguay,
3 Uruguay, Brazil, Mexico, and Canada,
ne found that American machinery had
taken the place of all foreign makes and
b mat 1t was giving entire satisfaction.
IA he SAID that there was an increase in this
SSgline of trade every year. You, perhaps"
'Ssaid he would not believe, "but have seen
ssSa as tlne fields of wheat in Argentine Re-
public as the sun ever shone upon. 1t
aawas being cut by American Irvine binders.
Line demand for American made headers
squickness in which grain ripens, and ]
l0ok to see them in use there altogether
i%petore many years elapse."
8gs In looking over the exhibit, as a whole,
xaat will be noticed that there has been
pride taken in the appearance of
the machinery. There is nickel plating
plenty of paint and varnisll
an abundance of the finest quality
&6M hardwoods in the construction. This
H4frlck has been learned rather late in the
Nay by exhibitors in foreign countries
Tho come in competition with all kinds
Ss9f agricultural machinery with silver
nountings and mahogoney finish. These
"a foreigners are generally of the opinion
That agricultural as we'll as all other ma
e3gchinery should shine like a new dollar
sehd remind the observer of the interior
furnishings of one Of the palaces of the
l1ohenzollern's; consequently, American
9ssn1a chinery has often been at disad-
Vantage in mary expositions. The United
Atates is not to be outdone, however, in
tsAatkat regard, at this exposition. Every
Thing is secured up until you can see
M yourself in it, and nickel plating can be
found upon almost every imaginable ma
chine, even down to a potato digger and
IN ordinary pillow. This trick of outward
temperance has not been attended to by
Americans in other exhibits, much to
their disadvantage when compared to the
sdisplays of the foreigners.
Another fact is extremely noticeable
in looking over the exhibit as whole.
The principal aim in the construction of
agricultural machinery during the last
item years seems to have been to secure
ightness, strength and durability, some
dimes at the expense of effectiveness and
ECONOMY of power. All machinery as
much as possible is being constructed out
Of steel, which gives strength and light
ness as compared with wood. The old
plan of casting in iron all the heavier
portions of machinery. especially the
framework, is going out of fashion, and
ss4DEaSnLly pONSned OF primarily painted
steel is taking its place. This gives
sstrength and durability, no less than light
ness. The wonderful advances made in
"a the. cheap production of steel in the
Emitted States during the last decade
have made the adoption of steel in the
Manufacture of machinery 10 less than
lin the construction of buildings, almost
sehs cheap as iron. To understand the
6dyances in farm machinery construction,
0ne has but to examine the original Wood
moving machine now upon exhibition
here, and then look at the latest pattern
ssSM mowers manufactured by that firm.
frame work of the old machine is
Reconstructed entirely of wood and cast
5Dgs. While the new model, with the
Exception of the tongue evener and whip
ole trees. is constructed altogether of
1teel. This is equally true of all agricul-
machinery which is now upon ex-
q Edition here. Flows, walking and sulkey,
cultivators, harrows, feed cutters. farm
Sengines, corn planters and potato diggers,
ssass Ire all constructed mainly of steel. This
age of steel is also marked by con-
tinued decrease in prices of implements.
Ewine binders which used to bring $3.50
sud rda NOM cold for 11n0 or