The Dickinson press., 1893-06-10
MACHINERY At TIE FAIR.
GREAT PROGRESS SHOWN IN
AGRICULTURAL MACHINERY.
The Display of Agricultural Ma
chlnery one Of the Most Inn
portant xhibi.s-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 lhNeStl-
gated and examined the similar exMblts
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, anu
in most cases uncontortably SO. Inc
confidence inspired i'll most Americans
that no other nation can compete WIN
hem in the variety and eAceiiehee ol
tller of tine soil and in increasing the
effectiveness and power of Il single labor
er has led them to make the most pos
Sible of their resources in this eXhiblt.
The great and worldwide known man
ufacturers of agricultural machinery nave
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 walch
they do not exhibit at all because some
other concern makes specially OF them
and would naturally have the best chance
of coming out first in the competition.
No other nation has attempted to enter
the lists against the United States except
Germany in the matter of drill serders and
Il few other minor displays of machinery
which suggest agriculture on small
scale. The United States exhibitors i'll
this section. however. fear no cOlnpeti-
tion i'll foreign countries. because as they
say. 1--WE have met all the other nations
On neutral ground in the actual com
petition of foreign trade. and the superior
ty, 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 i'll adapting the
best means of reaching required end
and of deyisng all sorts of machinery
for tightening toll has made him master
in the production of all kinds of aGricul-
ings 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 Il necessity. Skill
ana ingenuity and wise patent law did
| the rest. The outcome was that Amer
lean agricultural machinery obtains the
preference i'll every market where it is
known. ! met Il man the other day who
mad Travelled for a leading agricultural
machinery house in every state and ma
fion upon the American continent as an
agent for the sa lie of their goods. He
said that he found no competitors worth
mentioning save his own countrymen.
II Chile. Argentine Republic, Paraguay,
Uruguay, Brazil. Mexico, and Canada,
| he found that American machinery had
taken the place of all foreign makes and
that 1T was giving entire satisfaction
lie SAID that there was an increase in this
| line of trade every year. you, perhaps, -
said he would not believe. "but have seen
as fine fields of wheat in Argentine Re
public as the sun ever shone upon. 1t
was being cut by American twine binders.
| The demand for American made headers
is becoming very large on account of the
| quickness in which grain ripens. and ]
| look to see them in use there altogether
before many years elapse."
In looking over the exhibit, as a whole,
it will be noticed that there has been
much pride taken in the appearance of
the machinery. There is nickel plating
| everywhere, plenty of paint and varnisll
and an abundance of the finest quality
of hardwoods in the construction. This
| trick has been learned rather late in the
day by exhibitors in foreign countries
who come in competition with all kinds
of agricultural machinery with silver
mountings ard mahogoney finish. These
foreigners are generally of the opinion
that agricultural as well as all other ma
chinery should shine like new dollar
and remind the observer of the interior
furnishings of one of the palaces of the
Hohenzollern consequently, American
machinery has often been at a disad-
vantage in mary expositions. The United
States is not to be outdone. however in
thing is secured up until you can see
yourself in it. and nickel plating can he
| found upon almost every imaginable ma
chine. even down to a potato digger and
an ordinary plow. This trick of outward
appearance has not been attended to by
Americans in other exhibits, much to
their disadvantage when compared to the
displays 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
ten years seems to have been to secure
lightness, strength and durability. some
times 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
brightly Lta polished a;am &C. or brill brilliantly painted
strength and durability, no less than tight
ness. The wonderful advances made. in
the cheap production of steel In the
United States during the last decade
have made the adoption of steel in the
manufacture of machinery no less than
in the construction Of buildings. almost
as cheap as iron. To understand the
advances in farm machinery construction.
one has but to examine the original Wood
moving machine now upon exhibition
| there. and then look at the latest pattern
of mowers manufactured by that firm.
| The frame work of the old machine is
constructed entirely of wood and cast
ings. While the new model. with the
| exception OF the tongue evener and whip
pie trees. is constructed altogether Of
steel. This is equally true of all agricul-
| tural machinery which ia now upon ey-
! h:hition here. Pows. walking and sulkey,
cultiyators. harrows. feed cntters farm
engines, corn planters and potato dissers.
| are all constructed mainly of steel. This
| age of steel is also marked by con-
! tinued decrease in prices of implements.
i Twine binders which used to bring $3.50
| and upwards are now sold for 500 or
S125 each. Every implement upon exhi-
bitiOn here is sold for half or less than
half of the price it brought six years ago.
The advance in construction has been by
leaps. and the great production of the
! United States in all lines of agriculture
| necessitating cheapness of prices to com
pete has compelled corresponding re-
duction in the terms of agricultural ma
chinery makers for their wares
Many of the exhibitors have carefully
constructed models of their machinery
/ which ale run by electric motors. in order
to show the exact motion and steadiness
of their action. In the exhibit Minnesota
is we'll represented i'll tiirrshers by the
Minneapolis and Minnesota companies,
and i'll mowers and binders and harvest
ers by the Walter A. Wood company, as
successors of the Minneapolis Harvester
works. In this respect. the North Star
state presents somewhat of novelty
among Northwestern states. Most of the
agricultural machinery comes from Ohio.
Illinois. Indiana and TIE Eastern states.
The Minnesota exhibit. however. does not
make an Indifferent showing among the
best of them in thceshins machines, ell
zines. and in twii:e binders. 1t is we'll
I