Mexico weekly ledger., 1896-11-26
An Audrain .GeniuS.
D. W. HUGHES, OF VANDALIA,
HARNESSED THE x RAY TO
A GOOD PURPOSE.
He Expects to Be Able to Tell Wheth
er an Egg Will Hatch a Hen or a
Cock-He Invented the
First Corn Planter
Biography.

Now that the flying machine is re-
ported an established fact, and people
are to be seen flying through the air
like birds, Col. ID. W. Hughes, an es-
teemed citizen of Vandalia, this coun-
ty, rises to remark that he proposes
to launch an Y ray continuance that
will discern whether an egg will bring
forth a hen or a rooster, and also tell
what color the fowl will be-. He has
already patented what he pleases to
call "Hughes' Patent Magic Y Ray
Egg Tester" by the use of which you
can, at a glance, look through a dozen
eggs at once and tell the good from
the bad ones. The good ones are clear
and bright and the bad ones dark and
cloudy. 1t dispenses with the old can
die process and does the work of four
men. They are cheap and no doubt
every dealer, hotel, restaurant and
store keeper, as we'll as housewife,
will want one. And when he gets it
completed SO the farmer a eat the
rooster eggs and set the hen eggs on
ly, If he chooses, every person who
raises fowls will need one of these
machines. Wonderful how we are
progressing, isn't it?
INVENTED THE FIRST CoRN-PLANTER.
d. w. Hughes has an interesting
record. He invented the first prac-
tical corn planter, which made it pos
sible for the farmer of this country
to lay aside the hoe when he began to
| put his corn in the ground.
This corn planter was first patented
in 1855, in Rails County, Missouri, and
a few made and sold that year; and
the year following Mr.. Hughes i'm
proved it and took out a new patent,
and removed the mandatory to
Palmyra, Mo-; and from that time to
1860, two or three thousand a year
were sold, principally IN Missouri. In
1860 the patentee went to Arizona and
New Mexico, leasing the right to
make to others, who, on account of
the war, did but little. In 1867 Hughes
returned, and commenced the BUSH
ness of manufacturing in Quincy, ILL.,,
in company with Col. s. A. Rawlings,
but found that the planter had gained
such popularity throughout several
States that it had caused several
other parties to engage in the manu-
facture of planters, differing a little
in detail, but using substantially the
same invention, the principal differ
ences being in the dropping attach
ment, using wheels, cams, levers and
triggers of various kinds, attaching
them to the original invention.
But Col. Hughes is not only a gen.
ius; he is also an oddity. He has
done what few men in this country
have done or care to do. He has
made his own coffin, in which he is to
be buried when he sshuf1es off this
mortal COLL 1t is mechanically a
daisy. He seemed to take much
pleasure in showing it to the writer
and perhaps sometimes, when pecu-
liarly tried, as we all are, he feels that
he does not care how soon he fills
this casket. 1t is water proof and
weighs owe 300 pounds.
Mr.. Hughes was born in Licking
county, Ohio, in 1929. At ten years
of age he removed to Illinois and
grew to manhood on a farm till he
reached his 10Th birthday, then he was
| apprenticed to the trade of cabinet
making, serving at this for about
three years. In 1852 he left Illinois
and removed to New London, Rails
county, this State, where he turned
his attention to inventing.
MI. Hughes has travelled in thirty
| eight States and territories and
through Canada and Mexico. He has
finally settled in grand oldAudrain and
has a cozy home in Vandalia. He also
owns a good farm neal Farber and
another near Laddonia. He has taken
out twenty patents on new inventions
in his time.
Let the scientific world take off it's
hat while Col. D. W. Hughes of Au-
drain county passes by.