The Clarksburg telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1874-1926, 1896-10-30

The Decring Harvester company OF
Chicago. quoting from their retail prices
of their various classes of machinery in
1873 aud 1896. make the following state
ment. showing the decreased cost aud in.
creased efficiency, OF farm machinery:
The twinc binder was unknown in
1878, but the Marsh harvester. much
more primitive machine. in which The
binding was done by men riding on the
tsEine binder fcf1iIs today at fFon 800
Tor cheaper ui.ichines TO Sl35 far Tin
Qeerips tpllrt aud ieiiI-bcafine mn:
The seif-rfkc reaper. which * now
sold at fron 500 10 so. So|d for $50 %
Mowcrs soid in 1873 fos fibm 500 "a
$1l5. according to the make md width
of the cut. MnchineS OF vastly greater
cheaper machines to $45 for the Deering
roller and ball bearings.
When the wire binding attachment was
added TO the old Marsh harvester from
1916 TO 1870 the combined machine sold
for 500. of which $40 was for the Mt.
tachmcnt and $50 for the harvester
Wire binders are not sold now. having
been superseded by the twinc binder. In
1873 We introduced the Irvine hinder
the world. Its retail price was thor
$40 to $325. A better and more capahIr
machine is sold today. ms above init
mated. ut but little over onc-thir,l that
price. Binder Irvine, for use ON these
machines. sold in 1883 at from 10 TO y
cents per pound. II was, Of course. mn
known in 1873. Today much bcttcr
Irvine retaiis at from Gis to IL ceu;s pcr
pound. according TO quality.
This steady decrease In price does no,
mean decrease in quality and efficiency.
On the contrary m upward tendency in
the mechanical construction and quality
of material has been rs marked as the
downward movement in prices. This
fact-the advance in yalne coinciicnt
with the decline in price-lins been mntlc
possible by the use Of economical meth
DDS in construction. and by iahor-Snvinr
machinery. rather than by any decrease
in wages paid. The cost OF producing
each machine has also hccn reduced liz
the tremendous number OF machines
turned out Ivy single firm.
The old mower. for which tho farmer
paid in the ncighborhood Of 500. had
but mcager means for adjustment. and
were neither rs efficient nor ms durable
as machines that retail today at ,$iO.
The old self-rake rcapcrs which r~tailcti
ut 500 were primitive and clumsy rs
compared with the $6j machines OF TO.
day.
The Decrinr twinc binder today. run.
ming on roller and ball bearings. cost
800 less than the old Marsh harvester
and requires two less men and two less
horses than did that machine. In other
words, one man and two horses can
handle more grain with the Dccrinr roll.
cr-bcaring Irvine binder than three men
and three horses could handle In ISL
with Marsh harvester TINT cost INC
farmer 500 more money"
These statements of leading mnnu-
facturers of hieh-gradc farm machinery.
merely emphasizes what any man OF or.
binary intelligence already knew In a
general way and what every wheat-grow.
er in the country knew by practical cx-
periencc. that the last twenty years have
been marked by wonderful improvements
in the efficiency OF farming tools accom-.
panied by no less marked reduction In
the retail price. When Gov. Altceld
and the lesser lights of Populism claim
that no part of the decline In wheat a
the result of improved machinery and
methods. they simply run contrary to
facts which are patent 10 every observer
and put themselves in n false position By
denying truths that are MS well Inow,
as the MULTIPLICATION table