Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1897-10-09

and dust are thrown to one side by the
air. Here also the grain is run through
a series of screens when necessary, to
remove sticks, clods of dirt and stones.
The next two floors are known respec-
lively as the circle floor and the bin
floor, and it is here that II sees tie
most apparently ineYtricable confusion
Of ramifying grain chutes which dr.
verge in every direction from great
centraliling circles, and permit the
grain to be distributed far and near to
tic various storage and shipping bins.
These two floors are wild and weird,
with little f%ootpath bridges and hand
rails running from circle to circle and
disappearing far away in clouds OF hy-
ing dust, all OF which, coupled with the
dull steady roar OF machinery and con-
STINT vibration OF the entire building.
mikes it an uncanHy place even in broad
daylight.
Before the vast bulk Of grain in the
storage bins can be placed in the steam
ers' holds it must 70 through a COM
plete rehandling. 1t is dropped from
the bottom OF the storage bins to the
shipping bin leg and again carried to
the top Of the building to the scale floor,
weighed by the shipping scales. and
then stored in the outside series Of bins
known as the shipping bins.
When a steamer is to be loaded with
grain these shipping bins are drawn
upon by long chutes hung upon the
outside Of the building. which fairly
well adjust themselves to the varying
position Of a floating vessel. The
weigher keeps a tabulated record Of all
the grain run into the shipping bins.
and when they are emptied all that is
necessary to determine the amount Of
grain delivered 10 the vessel is to add
up the sum total Of his weighing rec
ord.
The energy and motive power required
to accomplish the constant redlliupard
depletion Of these stupendous grauaries
is simply appalling, and as an cxcmpli.
i@tcation Of this fact it may be said thai,
the Locust Point elevators herewith n.
Illustrated can unload, at their maxi.
mum capacity, 500 ears averaging 1900
bushels each day, storing the grain in
Their rapacious maws Of bins and dis.
gorging it again with equal facility.
10 do all this necessitates the con.
ccrted action Of an army OF employees
and two 900 horse power engines. The
belts, by the way, which run the hum.
dreds and hundreds Of feet Of steel
Shafting in these mazes Of gigantic
machinery are alone astounding, for
they measure no less than six feet in
width and il takes two sections Of ia
leet each to reach to the top Of q single
building. In fac; the exhibition ~
these tremendous forces. working a.
they are to-day at ~hercu.ean pressure.
- profoundly impressive, gaining in
strength by the mental comparison
with what commerce and mechanical
devices were only q short 80 wears ago.
FROM the simple to the complex. from
unassuming individual effort 10 all.
powerful consolidation of cooperative
action, aud the story of human progress
Is epltomized.
May the glad refrain Of wheat. one
dollar a bnsbel wheat, chime on. This
joyous inspiring song is heard oil day
ana all night long in the big elevators,
ne ~
as well as In the homesteads of the
farmers surrounded as they are BY
their erstwhile fruitful. golden-yellow
stubble fields.
WILLIAM DI'wIDDIE.
At Management.
What two fruits go best together,
MISS s~omergirl?" said Cholly pierite, as
they bent their steps in the direction Of
the rocks.