Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1901-06-08
MCCORMICK BINDERS
Carry Off All the HOnOrs
At Monroe, n. c.
CHARLOTTE, N. c., June 5, 1901.
JeSSrS Riddle & Carroll

CHARLOTTE, N. o., June ., 19Ul.
MeSSrs. Riddle & Carroll,
Yorkville, S. c.:
Gentlemen: Yesterday, at Monroe, N.
c., on the farm of Mr.. Armfield, the
Mccormick and Deering Binders met
in friendly field trial, at the request Of
Mr.. Plyler and others, who announced
tneir purpose to buy the machines that
Cid the best work. There were present
many prominent farmers of Union
county, and as great deal OF inter-
est had been worked up, warm time
was looked for. The two machines had
been hauled to the field on their trucks,
and the first contest was on the point
of .untrucking." This was WON by the
Mccormick, being untrucked three or
four minutes quicker than the Deerlng.
The next point was on the reel ADJUST
ment, and was WON by the Mccormick,
it showing a forward and downward
adjustment for taking up down and
tangled grain of II feet better than the
Deering. The machines were then put
in the grain, short oats, the Mccormick
being drawn by a medium sized pair OF
mules, and Deering by pair some 3OO
pounds heavier. The Mccormick ma
chine went off without hitch, and al
though some acres in all were cut by
it, it never missed a bundle. The Deer
ing missed tieing several bundles at
first. but got better later on. The Nc
Cormick team stepped along easily,
while the Deering mules had to be lash
ed constantly by an assistant driver,
who walked behind them in the stub
ble This performance set the crowd In
a roar of laughter. The Deering
bundle carrier worked so hard that
their expert had to take hold and help
the driver trip it occasionally. This
made their third man working the ma
chine In all this time the Mccormick
was doing the prettieSt work l ever
saw, and their team had hardly raised
the sweat. 1t was tieing tight, square
butted small bundles, while the Deer
ing bundles were loose and uneven, and
often tied above the heads of the short
er grain, which scattered out and was
lost. They also lost considerable Of the
vator roller and the top of the binder
deck, The Mccormick lost not head
in this way.
To make a long story short, the work
of the Mccormick was so far superior
to that of the Deering that there was
never a doubt as to which would win,
and as a result, a number of farmers
bought McCormicks, while the Deering
machine was hauled off in disgrace, to
be offered at a bargain SALE" I say
disgrace" because no other word
would suit, for the Deering people had
persistenly circulated the absurd re-
port that it would take four big mules
to pull the Mccormick Binder. They
had preac ched this heavy draft" argu-
ment so much against the Mccormick,
that we were compelled to show them
up in their true colors. You can tell
your York county farmers that they
can get Deerings cheap in Monroe now.
Before the contest they offered them at
SIS under Mccormick prices, and they
will doubtless be cheaper now.
The conditions of the trial were that
the farmers who wanted Binders should
be the judges, and they gave unanl-
nous verdict in favor Of the McCor-
micks, by buying our Binders. Thus
ended the famous contest. Now what
of all their vain boastings that they
would wipe the earth up with the Nc
Cormick?" Who is there now to make
good all Of their broken promises?
Promises they knew full we'll would be
broken if the two machines ever met In
the same field. They went to farmers
who had given us orders for machines,
and in some cases succeeded in getting
them dissatisfied by the most shame
full Misrepresentation and fair prom
ises to protect them in any suit they
might get into by trying to get out Of
their obligations to us. The great ma
jority of farmers resented this insult;
yet a few were persuaded, for the sake
of SIS or $40 difference in price. to sign
Deering orders also, and now it turns
out that the Deering Co., not only re-
fuses to protect them. but actually de-
plores the fact that they had been ap-
preached at all while they were under
contract to take another machine. The
farmers are very much worked up over
the matter, and the Deering people are
laying very low at present. After the
contest you could not find one on the
streets of Monroe. I shall be in York
Vile tomorrow, the 9Th. Yours very
truly, A. ]. HUFF.