The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1898-12-07
SAVES PLANTERS MONEY.
The Roand-Bale Press at Weldon, n. O..
Free Ginning, Free Bailing and no
Insurance Charges
Correspondent -Manyactme,'s Record.
lsurance Charges.

be easily knocked out by wedge and
hammer and again utilized. In the
form of what might be termed cotton
batting the material reaches the core
and is adjusted then in less time than
is required to describe it. The space
between the rollers gradually dinlin-
ishes in size, and the density becomes
greater and greater until the limit is
reached. In forming the bale is
merely wound around the core by the
machinery. The lenth Of time requir-
ed varies according to the velocity OF
the press. A bale can easily be com
pleted within ten minutes, and when
the entire plant is working to its full
capacity it can turn out twelve bales
an hour, or nearly 800 every twenty
four hours. An indicator shows when
the limit of the bale has been reached,
and by merely pushing lever the
machinery is stopped. A covering Of
burlaps is then placed in position and
the press rolls it around the cotton
The removal Of the cotton from the
press is an exceedingly simple opera
tion, requiring less than a minut,.
After the covering is stitched together
the ends are closed in the same man
ner, after extracting the core. Next
the bale is weighed and the weight
stamped on the outside, while label
indicating the point where it has been
made up, is also pasted on the cover
While the baling is in operation
generous sample of the cotton is taken
from the press. This sample is used
by the cotton buyers, and hence it is
not necessary to open bale and ex-
pose the interior to damage from the
weather and other causes, which every
cotton planter knows forms not
small item of loss each year. The
sample is taken out and numbered
similar to the bale, accompanied by
certificate signed by the superinten-
dent Of the press and others, so that
there is no question that it is speci-
men Of the grade of the bale from
which it was taken.
By the side Of the cotton-press
building, and within ten feet Of the
press itself is branch of the Sea-
board Air Line Railroad. An empty
car is pushed to the door and tie
bales loaded on the car by hand di-
rectly from the building without
transfer. The car stands under the
same shed from which the pipes pro-
ject, and it is not an unusual sight to
see wagon load of cotton being drawn
into the press and the finished bales
being loaded into the car at the same
time. Such is the rapidity with which
operations are conducted that the ma
terial brought to the plant in the
morning may be shipped in two or
three hours by train to the Norfolk
market.
The simplicity of the mechanism is
especially noticeable. As already
stated, water power is used at this
plant entirely. But sixty horse
power is required to run the ginning
machinery and the baling press. The
latter alone requires but twenty-five
horsepower. This is supplied by one
turbine wheel, and power can be turn
ed on and off as easily as if it were
steam or electricity. There are no
intricate parts to get out Of order, and
about the only possible delay that can
occur is by the slipping of a belt,
which is of little significance. The
various rollers are mounted. with
heavy covering Of rubber, which pre-
vents the cotton from clogging in any
way. If the movement of the cotton
into the press ceases from any cause
the machinery can be stopped imme-
diately. The force required to oper
ate the ginning and baling plant COM
prises but FIVE or six hands, including
the superintendent The only expert
required in the operation of the plant
is Mr.. a. e. Wilson, the superinten-
dent. Judging from the success which
has already been attained, Mr.. Viii
son is evidently the right man in the
right place. One man can operate
the levers Of both presses. A negro
boy is usually placed at each to pick
off PARTICLES Of cotton which may occa
sionally stick to the rollers or to watch
that the feeding of the press is regu-
lar. One man can attend to the
operation of all of the gins, while an
other is kept to assist in handling the
bales. The scale of wages at this
place is not over So per week for each
hand, and from this an idea Of the