St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1895-04-13
AND PLANTER
eeSSONE1TE'S COMPRESS.

The Ineenioas Texans Invention win Save
Cotton Kaisers Forty Millions Annually.
The demonstration of the success OF
the Bessonette process OF compressing
cotton promises to completely revOlu-
tionizc that industry. The new process
has long since passed the experimental
stage, over thousand bales having
already been treated and shipped to
the eastern and foreign markets. And
the yearly saving of s4O,0OO,OO0 to the
states wherein the Gcecy staple is pro-
duced is practically assured.
The, inventor of the new compress is
W. +. Bessonette, an ingenious young
man of Waco, Tex, who is not yet
thirty-ope years Of age. He has all his
life been dcvotetfto the origination OF
of unique contrivances for lettering
mans welfare, but the invention of the
machine in question is his most am
bilious effort, and one which was inn
mediatcly appreciated.
Some local capitalists at Waco, seeing
at a glance the bonanza which Bes-
sone:te's invention opened to them.
took the matter in hand and organized
stock company with q capital OF
81 900, ,Ooo. The stock was at once sub
scribed, several blocks being taken in
ST. Louis, and the first plant was erect
cd in the inventors home city-after
many improvements, however, had
been made upon the press originally
designed.
Among these was the attachment OF
the pneumatic system Of conveying
cotton, which is now in process OF man.
ufacturc by the Kingsland & Douglas
Manufacturing Co. of this city. When
this system is attached to the
plant already erected in Waco,
the raw cotton will be taken
through pneumatic pipes from the
car or wagon direct to the storage
house. or the gin, passing through the
cleaners on the way. After being
ginned it will be carried through metal
pipes to the compound condenser, which
converts the cotton into bale and de-
livcrs it direct to the Bessonette press.
1t is there subjected to high pressure
between a series of rollers, which
presses all the air out of the staple
and converts it into a cylindrical Sbale
five and q half feet in length by twen-
ty-two inches in diameter and averaR-
ing five hundred and fifteen pounds in
weight, although the weight may be
increased to as much as one thousand
pounds.
The bale is absolutely free from dirt,
is as solid as rock, and is positively in
combustible, the absence of air below
the top layer making it impossible for
Ere to affect the bale further than to
scorch the ends and outside layer to a
depth of about one-twentieth OF an
inch. 1t is proposed, however. to rem
der even this slight damage impossible
by the use of n fire-proof wrapper for
the bale, which, it is thought, can be
manufactured sufficiently cheap to JUS
tify its use.
The covering now in use is simply q
fold Of cotton cloth, which is the only
"tare" about the entire bale. Tare, in
the vernacular of cotton men, means
everything about bale of cotton save
the staple itself, and thus ordinarily
comprehends the ties and jute bag
ging. The value of the tare of Bes-
sonette bale, which gets to the mills
untouched by the sampler, and in as
good condition as when it left the gin,
is reckoned at double the selling price
| of the tare of the old style bale.
Tho method of samplfng cotton
ginncd by the new process is to take .
specimen of the product of the roll
just before the last end enters the COM
press. This bit Of cotton is numbered
| to correspond with the number of the
bale from which it was taken, and is
mailed ahead of the bale to the pur-
chaser When the bale arrives it must,
of course, compare perfectly with the
sample.
When Bessonctte bale leaves the
gin it is ready. for the spinner, thus
doing away with the old system OF
conveying a bale to the cotton yards
and thence to the compress. and from
there to the railroad yards. BESIDES
| this great advantage in the saving OF
handling and dray age, it is also much
more easily mixed in the mills.
In short. the claims made by those
who are conversant with the process
sre that it effectua lily does away with
every thing and every medium between
the ginner and the spinner. 1t saves
loss and expense by yardage. storage.
stealage, samplage, rottage and vast
age, and in the bagging and ties.
II the process is all that is claimed
for it by its friends it will undOubted-
" create havoc among several big
branches of the south's leading in
dustry, and will result in increased
profits to the planter-which last is q
consummation devoutly to be wished!
1t will certainly affect the existence OF
the cotton merchant, because the spin
ner will prefer to buy from the ginner
direct, without the aid or mediation OF
| the factor. For the same reason, the
existence Of all cotton exchanges lex.
cept those dealing in futures). is like.
wise threatened. More than all, II the
Bessonette process comes into general
use throughout this and other cotton
raising countries, it will send the great
Jute Tagging trust into the limbo Of
things undone.
Railway and steamship companies
have already guaranteed a reduction Ol
about thirty per cent. in freight rates
because of the ease with which the
spool.lilse bale may be handled, and the
facility with which it may be packed
In u car that would hold twenty
ginned, or forty-four compressed bale.
Of the old style, may now be put seven.
ty-five bales compressed.under the Bes
sonette plan. In fact, it is said, thai
any car may be loaded beyond its ca
pacity.
The saving on each eale under thi.
process is as follows:
| FirSt-Saving Of compress charges. .....e s
Second-Saving In drayage III
Third-Saving in insurance. ...... IL
Fourth Saving in weighing ng-.............. II
| E'ifth-Rcaiizing from mills increase In
price per bale. which increase Is based ON
the following items:
| EirSt-BcSSonettc tare. will not exceed Sx
pounds. whereas tare on old-style bale is
| 3 pounds. the mills thereby receiving
l..s pounds of cotton. against III pounds
tare, or . value of 1.O
Second-The cotton covering Of the Hes
sonette bale is 20 cents. the value OF the
old-ssyle bale covering and ties at the
| mill is 10 cents, o difference OF ........ II