The Wichita daily eagle., 1901-06-16
WICHITA A CENTER
Is the Greatest Distributing
Point for Machinery.
BIG HARVESTER TRADE
Six thousand Binders Sold
During the Year,
G HARVESTER TRADE

Wichita has become one Of the greatest
inuepots fer farm machinery IN the
world.
Central Southern Kansas and Oklahoma
have come to be regarded as the garden
spot Of the United States because Of their
great production Of grain and this vast
country. an empire within itself, looks to
this city for the modern machinery with
which 10 harvest its b0untlful crops.
All Of the great manufacturers Of farm
machinery look to wichita when they
figure on supplying this great section
with farm machinery. People who have
not made special investigation Of the
farm machinery sold here would be as
founded if they were given the true num-
Der Of machines and their value. Just
now the farmers are buying wheat har-
vesting machinery. The self binder is
what the farmer wants and in fields all
over this southwest they are now cutting
down the golden wheat. The machine men
are working ike beavers, some Of them
eating their dinners in their Offices so
that they may be present If they are
called by telegraph or long distance tel
ephone by some dealer or farmer who
wants to hurry up the delivery Of that
machine which he ordered. There have
been a number Of these binders sent to
Oklahoma by express 10 insure their
prompt delivery.
II is singular thing to see a dealer
running out big harvesting machine
and a great bundle OF irvine to be loaded
into an express car on a regular passen-
ger train. but that very thing is happen
ing in this city. The Deeriug company
has done that very thing several times
during the past week. Kansas sunshine
cannot be stayed and the golden wheat
ripens and the farmer wants his ma
chine and he gets H.
Information gained among the dealers
in farm implements in this city reveals
the fact that they have sent out into
what is called Wichita's territory this
year over 6.0o0 self binder harvesting ma
chimes They are all twine binders now.
These machines We're not all unloaded in
this city. but they were all sold through
Wichita houses Sometimes when a deal
er gets q big order he ships the machine
on 70 its destination without ever being
unloadad from the time it leaves the fac
tory until It reaches the man who pur-
chased II Of the Wichita house.
It is the unexpected great wheat crop
that has made the demand for so many
new harvesting machines. One is as
founded when he stops 10 think what
these 600 harvesting machines mean ard
that q 600 horses viii be required to run
them. They viii require 1900 men TO
run the machines and shock the wheat.
Strung out on a highway ready to drive
into the harvest field. allowing four rods
to each machine and teams so as 10 pre-
vent collisions they would make a pro-
cessiOn seventy-two miles long. Think Of
q procession Of that kind, ali new ma
chimes marching into the wheat fields
of southern Kansas and Oklahoma These
self binders cut on an average Of fifteen
acres a day, and when these new ma
shines drive in at night $1,000 acres shat
IN the morning was a waving sea OF
golden ripe wheat win be in the shock
These new machines are but a small pOr-
tion Of the machines running in the
wheat fields of Kansas and Oklahoma
There are other thousands bought last
year and the year before. and before.
There is no denying the fact that the
dealers in farm implements in this city
are surprised. The railroad companies
are astonished and the great manufactur-
Ing establishments are astoUnded at the
demand for machinery in Kansas and Ok
lahOma wheat fields.
f. c. Smyth and Sons sold 500 pounds
of binding twine to one farmer yesterday
and the Deering company has sent out
about three million pounds of twine TO
farmers in southern Kansas and OklahO-
ma. The territory tributary TO this city
keeps right along surprising people and
a few incidents like these presented in
regard 10 the present harvest viii cause
some people to wonder. but If all the
facts IN regard 20 this wonderful wheat
harvest were recorded II would read like
the widest dream. People are slow to
believe that southern Kansas and Okla
h0ma-Oldahoma which O few years ago
was wild waste of grass and a sub
iect OF dispute between Dave Payne and
his boomers and the cattle barons, is
today an important factor in furnishing
ne worlds slpDly of food.