The people's journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1891-1903, 1902-04-03
WORLDS GREAT BENEFACTOR.
THE INVENTOR OF
THE COTTON GIN.
1t Was Holmes Not Whitney,
The Honor Belongs to Georgia
and Not Massachusetts.

and Not Massachusetts.
Henry =. Moore in Sunny South.
The invention which produced tn
greatest revolution known TO history il
agriculture, In manufactures and il
commerce was that Of the cotton gin
The greatest stimulus to the world
progress was created by the cotton gin
England and the continent of Europe
tlourishcd under Its influence as the,
had never flourlshed before; the wilds
of America were transformed by it anC
pathless wilderness became, as if b,
magic, fields Of fruitfulncss, blooming
gardens and populous cities that rival
led the prOudest capitals of the old
world in wealth, power and magnlli.
cence. The direct result Of this sim
pie machine was to render commodity
hitherto but little utilized readily mcr-
chantablc and almost in a twinkling Ii
became king of the worlds commerce
and finance. Hence il becomes very
important question, who invented the
cotton gin, and one that has not re-
ceivcd the consideration from histo
rians that it deserves.
The great Macaulay appreciated the
marvellous results of the invention and
effects upon the civilization of his time.
But he seems 80 have treated with I'M
wontcd neglect Its authorship, and ac-
cepted, contrary to his usual custom,
the common version without lnvestiga
ton. In all Tic histories of the United
States that it has been my privilege TO
read, in all the histories of Georgia,
while noticing The fact that Whitney's
claim was contested for a period ex-
tending more than generation, neith-
er the grounds for the litigation nor
the circumstances attending nor the
name of the unsuccessful claimant ap-
pear in their pages, and although Gcor-
gia did not escape the charge of ill.,
gratitude in the doubtful issue of the
causes tried IN this State, there is no
defense set up.
Eli Whitney, according 10 the best
accounts obtainablc, produced the first
device for separating lint cotton from
the seed. His machine proved, after
testing il, TO be impractical. 1t con-
sisted of cylinder into which annular
rows of spikes were driven, revolving
30 as to pan the spikes through inter-
walls between wires which formed the
breast of 'le gin.
Eli Whitney was born at Wcstbor-
ough, Mass, December s, 1865. He
was nailsmith by trade and during
the revolutionary war, when nails were
in demand and wages rcmuncrativc, he
managed to save enough money to
take him through Yale college. Gen
eral Nathaniel Greene, prior TO the
war, had been an anchorsmith at Prov
idcncc, and it is quite likely, in the light
of subsequent events, that the two had
been thrown together. At any rate, SO
1t Is related, as the widow Of General
Greene was returning from visit 10
Providence, her old home, to Savannah, ,
she chanced to meet Oh shlpboard
young Whitney, who, ostcnsibly, was
coming to Georgia to enter private
family as tutor. lie also proposed, it
is sail, TO employ his spare time III
studying law. Ben 6 disappointed in
his expected engagement, he accepted
the invitation of Mrs. Greene TO ac-
company her TO her antation-Mul-
berry grove, few miles up the S
yannah river.
in its infancy. There was no way of
separating the lint from the seed cX-
cept by hand, which was a very tedious
process. A good days task for ne
gro was pounds of lint cotton. Un-
der these circumstances it is obvious
cotton growing could not be very lu.
crativc. Hence it was not engaged III
extensively.
About this time Colonel Robert For.
sythe, father Of John Forsythc, the
noted statesman, aud Majors Pend!
ton and Brewer, comrades of Gcncl;
Greene who resided at Augusta, called
10 pay their respects to Mrs. Greene,
and during The course of conversation
the fact was mentioned that agfic"l
ture would be very profitable # some
one would invent machine for clean
ing cotton. Thus the matter was
brought TO Whitncy's attention.
subsequently Mrs. Grcelc married
Phincas Miller, and they accompanied
by Whitney, moved to Augusta, where
Miller and Whitney associated will
them Captain James Ioole, the llrn
becoming Miller, Whitney u Toole
They purchased t@o tracts of land or
Rocky creek, ~ itichiloHu CoullIy
from Thomas AID Mary Glascock, Sep
tember %, 1907, now known as tn
Phinizy place and established thci
gin factory. A patent had been issue
to ELI Whitley March II, 1904, signc
by George Washington, President; Ed
mund Reidolph, Secretary of State
and Wiliam Bradford, Attorney Gen
cral. subsequently Whitney returnc
to Connecticut, leaving his partner
MiJsr, to look after his interests i
the South, while he established I'll
whitney Arms Co., at Whitneyvill,
tonn. Toolc seemed to have droppc
out of the concern, for we hear n
more about him. Whitney died at N
Haven January 8, 1925, leaving lare
estate. y handsome monument W,
erected to his memory, which was II,
yelled with elaborate exercises, II
distinguished United States Senate
Charles Sumner, delivering the culog
IIodgcn Holmes, the inventor Of II
saw gin, the same that is in use
the present day, and for which no su
at hoo hnDr fnnnI