The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1899-11-27
USE FOR Farm ENGINE
INGENIOUS SOUTH DAKOTA MAN
CONVERTS ONE INTO A GRAIN
TRANSPORT
TIED SOME WAGONS TOGETHER
With Nearly Five Hundred Bushels
of Grain He Made the Trip to the
Railroad Station, Covering Fiji
teen Miles I'm Six HOurs-PrObabIe
Revolution In the Present Method
of Transporting Wheat.


of Transporting Wheat.
SIOUX FALLS, S. D., Nov. 26.-An in
genicus Faux county farmer, named A.
]. Wakefield. has found a new use for
thrashing engines which promises to rev.
olutionize the present method of trans
porting grain from the farms Of South
Dakota TO the nearest market points.
Wakefield a day two ago, conceived
the idea that his thrasher engine would
serve the purpose of hauling his grain to
Faulkton, the railroad point nearest his
farm.
Accordingly, as an experiment, he hitch
ed five wagons together, one behind the
other, and after loading them with an
aggregate of 400 bushels Of wheat, coupled
the thrasher engine to the string OF
wagons and started on the journey to
Faulkton. The trip of fifteen miles
made in six hours. Wakefield had but
one assistant. One of the unique features
of the innovation is that the thrasher
engine is the same with which he thrash
ed his grain. Thus it serves double pur-
pose, that of thrashing as we'll as furnish
ing the motive power for taking the grain
to market after it has been thrashed.
Wakefield conceived the idea from read
ing a newspaper article stating that farm
ers in Roberts county, South Dakota,
were utilizing thrasher engines for pIow-
ing raw prairie lard. If the engines could
be used for blowing on unbroken land,
why, he asked himself would they not
do still better in hauling wagons loaded
with grain over the comparatively smooth
hi l.
now proved that such use of thrasher
engines results SUCCESSFULLY
During the passage of the curious pro
cession along the country roads the farm
ers living along the route temporarily
abandoned their work in order to watch
the strange sight. Everywhere on the
Journey the greatest interest was evinced
In the experiment, and when the unusual
procession entered Faulkton 1t attracted
the attention of hundreds of the towns
people Wakefield carefully noted the
manner in which the engine hauled its
load, and is satisfied that the capacity Of
the engine is sufficient to haul double the
number of loaded wagons transported on
the experimental trip
1t is therefore his purpose to haul about
l,OO0 bushels of grain on the next and sub.
noticeable from the experiment. Not
Nithstandfng the consumption of coal .
the employment of the thrasher engine
makes, in Wakefield's opinion, a coz sid
cradle saving, both in time and money.
over the usual method of hauling grain
to market with horses. Fifty bushels of
grain is an ordinary lead for a team of
horses. Thus the 400 bushels hauled by
the thrasher engine on the experimental
trip would have required ten trips ii
hauled by a team.
Counting alone the time consumed
would mean great saving in utilizing
the engine over the old method of trans
porting by team. Another favorable
feature which Wakefield notes is that the
employment of the thrasher engine rem
ders unnecessary the taking from the
fields Of the horses at a time when, owing
to the probable early setting in of win
ter and the consequent stopping of fall
farm work, every hour they are en-
ployed in fall blowing is of the utmost
Importance.
Wakefield believes that outside of haul
ing his own grain to market, consider
able money could be made by hauling by
means of the thrasher engine, the grain
Of other farmers to market Charges
would necessarily be fixed at such a fig
ure as to make a saving to the farmers
and still leave a good profit for the own
er of the thrasher engine.
He says he also expects to see the own
ers of thrashing machines which are
each season taken from the towns into
the country districts to do thrashing for
farmers, employed at the completion Of
thrashing In hauling grain to market in
stead of being taken back to the homes
of their owners to remain in idleness until
the following fall, as Is now the case
A good result which is expected to come
n Of tIro cIac
in the transportation of grain to market
points is that the constant passing of the
heavy engines, having as they do wheels
with unusually broad tires, over the coun-
try roads, will pack smooth and other
wise improve them to such an extent as
TO place them in condition of excellence
not equaled anywhere else in the world.