The Hawaiian gazette. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1865-1918, 1901-09-20
Inventor Paul Is
Now in the
City.
From Thursdays d.ily)

Washington, the invention Of X. IL.
Paul, of Brisbane, Queensland, Austria
liza. Then inventor arrived here yes
terday on the Ventura en- route to the |
Colonies and will continue on his voy- |
age to Brisbane today. He is carrying |
home with him some Of the cane cutters |
and appurtenances and upon his arrival
the invention will be given a practical
demonstration in the cane fields OF
Queensland, under the direction of DR..
Walter Maxwell, for some time director
of the Hawaiian Sugar Planters Ex-
pertinent Station. DR.. Maxwell Is inter-
ested in the development of the inven-
ton of Mr.. Paul, and it was at his
solicitation that the inventor went to
Philadelphia armed with specifications
and models to have the invention COM
pleted and patented.
No other invention of the kind was
found during the search of the records
of the Patent Office.
! Inventor Paul claims for his cane
cutter which is in reality a very sim
Pile affair, a complete revolution in the
methods of cutting down cane and saw
ing labor and time. The principle of
his invention was developed as a foil to
the proposed elimination of kanaka and
Colored cane-field laborers In Queens
land and the substitution of white la
borers. Mr.. Paul states that with the
loss of the colored laborers the sugar
industry of Queensland is menaced by
| failure. 1t was for this reason that
several principles of the use of pneuma-
tic tools were brought into requisition,
the result being a tool which will cut
cane with the least expenditure of mus
Gle and time. There has as yet been
no real demonstration of the qualfica-
tions of the invention of Mr.. Paul as
substitute for the cane knife in the
hands of hardy field laborer, but Mr..
Paul believes a step In the right di-
rection has been taken and he has faith
| in the future that his cane cutter Will
prove the friend of the sugar planter.
The display of the cane cutter at the
Honolulu Iron Works was witnessed
by h. f. Dillingham;, f. NJ. Swanzy T.
f. Paxton, T. Give Davies, l.. A. Thurs
ton, II. Focke, Mr. Dryer, Manager
Hedemann of the Iron Works, w. #.
Dillingham; and others
The cutter, which is about three feet
in length and weighs about six pounds,
or pneumatic mining drirl and is han
died with one arm. An iron pipe lead
, ing from a compressed air chamber was
! attached to an overhead beam from
which hung about fifty feet of ptiablt
red piping This was attached directly
to the cutter the vent leading to q
cylinder whence came the power tt
operate the cutter Two or three
punches of Lahaina cane of an average
height of ten feet were brought into
the shop and when the air was let into
the pipe the inventor placed the end OF
the cutter which is a keen blade about
two inches in width, upon stick of cane
A slight pressure upon the blade against
the cane pressed the shank back into
the cylinder; there was a sound of es-
Gaping air through vent hole in a
hilt-like handle which the inventor
grasped with his right hand. the shank
throbbed under the blows of the piston
at the rate of 5000 per minute, and the
blade cut cleanly through the stalk
The inventor was at a disadvantage In
endeavoring to cut cane which was not
rooted or in natural position. 1t Is
claimed by Mr. Paul that laborer in a
field would merely approach each stall
of cane, lunse the cutter forward unit
il struck the stalk and the same woulc
, be severed without difficulty.
Very little comment was made upor
, the exhibition except that the cutter
appealed to the planters more as
novelty than as useful appurtenanct
: to well-cquipped plantation. Most o
them believed that the old way of cut
t,rl
5 without introducing any new tangled
ideas, except when the latter have beef
proven successful beyond peradventure
Mr. Paul deplored the lack of grow
|, ing field of cane in which to demon
: strate the qualities of his invention
o However he had not Intended to shoy
g his invention here until the same ha'
n been tried in Queensland fields by DI
! Maxwell, as the inventor relies upon hi
!, judgment as to whether the cutter /
- a successful competitor to the cane
= knife as at present patented, or wheth
er it is to be modified. Two years ag
Mr. Paul conceived the idea of the cut
: ter
d Il saw the loss in labor in swingin
{ the cane knife up and down to ge
. sufficient power 10 do an inch or tw
Il inches of work" said Mr.. Paul 10 a
II Advertiser reporter after the exhibition
= II concluded that a tool could be mad
II to do continuous work. l went to Phila
y delphia where / had the tool made.
:, then obtained patents. having no diff
a Guilty in obtaining them"
The cutter is what may be termed
pneumatic tool with reciprocatin
. piston striking & 900 blows per minui
e. on shank having free play OF half a
D inch. This works backward and fol
s. ward. Into the shank chisel is fitte'
Il When the chisel is pressed against
stalk of cane the shank is pushed bac
- against the piston which opens an a
n port and starts the piston reciprocal
in in, consequently striking the sham
ne These continuous blows on the shan
drive the chisel through the cane stalk