Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1899-08-31
# THE RoURpE II BALE PRESS. SS,ssS M
Benefits 10. o.Farmets and dinners, Demonstra.
y $5 ted III Operation 3;

ted III Operation. NJ. &;
us Mr.. 7. w. sPrf 81, of Hrntsyllie Ala. !, is
president Of tho West Eantsyiile Cotton
Mill, and operates at the same place ono
of the largest ginning plants III the couns
try. # He has been using the roundlsp
bale for two years, aud expects to put
up 6, 900 TO Il, 900 bales of 500 pounds
each during the coming season. Mr..
Pratt has also organized companies for,
building two very large roundlap bale
plants at Tuscaloosa and Demopolis,
Ala, and estimates that he will handle
at these two points this year Sc, 900; to-
40, 900 bales of:250 pounds each or the
equal Of u, 900 to 20, 900 square bales
In q letter to the Mannfacturer's Record,
giving his experience with his Hunts
vile plant, le says:i y. 4 81 ,.} II Is:J
We are ginners and cotton manufac-
turers, and operate ten 70-saw gins and
four presses. For two years we have
operated roundlap bale presses Of the
American cotton 90. The first year we
handled 1900 500 pound bales. This year
with good crop in this vicinity, We ex-
pecJ to put up 5000, or 10000 bales. Cur
experience has been most satisfactory,
both from a ginner's and manufac-
turer's standpoint, and the fact that we
have so largely increased our business is
ample evidence that the planters arc welI
satisfied. The universal opinion ex-,
pressed by all customers Is that they are
moro than satisfied. And why should
| they bo otherwise ? We gin and COM
press for 81 and pay tho planters one
| eighth cont premium on their crop, or
if we buy in tho seed, as is now the rule
hero, wo pay them on this basis, and they
sell their load and get spot cash for It.,
thus saving much labor formerly neces-
sary. Under tho old process they paid
So for ginning, made n trip to tho gin
| with their load, generally had to leave it
and wait several days for ginning, and
then madn second trip for the cotton
and seed and another trip to market. In
! the spring we furnish them seed at tho
samo price we paid when ginning was
done, and thoy arc then suro of getting
good seed for planting, and only what
they want. Henoo there is no, waste.
Any planter who has dealt with us will
certify to tho fact that ho can better
afford to haul cotton twonty to thirty
miles to our gins rather than gin near
homo, with '',c extravagant old-fash-
Toned motho> He can not only save
time, but make money by 80 doing, and
gets paid for all the cotton ho brings,
Vhotbor ho Qtl1u of 1,D1I,
Drop. He also appreciates tho saving in
having the bale sampled onco instead of
many times, and he futher understands
that ho gets u better grade than ho does
on tho old o,untry gins, owing to the
superior machinery used for cleaning,
otc. So much for tho planter.
"Now let us SEQ how tho ginnor stands.
First, ho can gin, cover and compress 500
pounds Of lint in eight minutes, using n
good outfit of flvo 70.saw gins to tho
press, and can do botter with n larger
battery. This can be dono mt cost not
exceeding forty cents all told, whilo tho
old process costs him not less than $1.25
including bagging and tics. In case the
ginnor wants to buy and soil cotton on
his own account, most Of tho railroads
Of tho South will allow him compress
fees of eight and ono-half cents per
hundred weight, or forty-two and one
half cents per balo. If ho wants to sell
his cotton to the American Cotton Co.,
it allows him a premium of 1925 por
bale over tho value of tho same cotton in
square bales at his locality, thus giving
him $1.25 after paying royalty of twenty
conts per hundred weight for tho use of
the press, mainten nee of tho same and
regular inspections. The gin plant can
be run with less labor and loss cost of in
suranoo than tho old system, and if cot
ton is stored, four times as much can bo
placed in tho samo room.
"There is no chance of mixing balos or
samples, owing to tho perfect system in
uso, and no chance of losing cotton by
country damage, as water will not por-
moato the bale, owing to all air boing ex-
cludod in baling. The street buy or, sam
pler and cotton thief, owing to complete
covering, have no chance to got thoir
'auger in to use n common expression,
as there Is no necessity for cutting tho
covering under the American Cotton
Co.'s sampling system.
"From manufacturers standpoint,
tho advantages of tho system arc too nu-
merous to mention, but the best evidence
of tho advantages derived by tho mills is
that cotton tnds ready sale at good
premium ovor the square bale, and now
mills are now being erected which will
do away with balo breakers, opening lap
pors, etc. There is no necessity for mid
dlemon, as the mills can buy direct from
ginnors or from the American Cotton
Co., and be sure of getting what is Or
dered.
"The warohouseman who has handled
tho roundlap balo is loud in his praises.
1Io has no turtle backs to handle, no
lost tics to replace, no damaged bales to
pick and inspect, and he knows that tho
weight stamped plajfioiy upon tho bur-
lap covering is tho actual weight of tho
bale, and will not vary, Ho can handl o
to the mills, load in cars or on wagons
with half the holp formerly required,
ard his warehouse is not Uttered up with
cotton and dirt, as under tho old system.
The howl Of tho middlomen, town crop
handlers, compress stockholders and op-
orators is but natural and oxpocted, rs
thoy arc hurt, and badly hurt. But who