The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1903-07-29
TWIN CITY LETTER.
How Grain is Weighed by the State-In-
geniOuS Devices to Prevent ErrOrS-
Complaints of Shortage by Shippers are
Often Based Upon GueSSeS.
ESPECIAL CORRESPONDENCE

sold. The car was weighed by the
state weighing department and a
check was sent to the shipper in
payment, based npon the number
of bushels named in the weighmas-
ter's certificate. The shipper
claimed his car contained more
wheat than the certificate indicated,
and after some sharp correspon-
dence in which he charged the state
department with having made an
error, he brought suit against his
Minneapolis agent for the amount
claimed to be still due him. At the
trial the state weighmaster was an
important witness, for he was ex-
pected to give all the details of the
states weighing service. While
the weighmaster was on the stand
one of the questions asked him by
the shipper attorney was substan-
TALLY as follows: us it not a fact
that when a train load of grain ar
rives in Minneapolis during the
busy season, when railroads and
their employees have all or more
work than they can dds it not a
fact that at such times a whole train
of cars loaded with grain runs
across the scales without coming to
a stop? And is it not fact that in
such cases the weight of each car is
caught on the fly? that is, taken
while the car is in notion"
This question was asked in appar-
ent sincerity and it shows how little
most people know about the meth
DDS employed by the state in weigh
ing the North western grain crop.
Grain is not weighed in train lots,
while moving or otherwise, neither
is it weighed on a yard scale. On
the contrary each car is weighed at
the place where it is unloaded, and
or scale equipped with all the
modern devices-the very best that
money will buy.
The grain is shoveled from the
car to the pit by steam shovel.
From the pit it is carried to the top
OF the elevator or mill by cup belt,
and discharged into receptacle
called a garner. The garner is
large enough to hold a car load
Immediately under the garner is
the scale hopper, and the grain is
allowed to fall from the garner into
the hopper by pulling lever. Some
of the hoppers hold a car load while
others do not hold 500 bushels.
After the grain in the hopper has
been weighed the pulling of another
lever sends it through a discharg-
ing spout into bin.
Some of the elevators, not many,
have track, instead of hopper,
scales. In such cases the loaded
car is weighed, the grain unloaded,
and then the empty car weighed.
The difference between the results
represents the net weight.
| Moc% of fho coo1oc 800 - ~ -
terminal elevators and mills have a
mechanical device which automati-
cally stamps the weight of each
draft upon card. After the weigh
err has entered the weight indicated
by the counterpoise upon his book
he compares his entry with the
card, and if they agree he knows he
has made no mistake. In case the
scale has no device of this kind,
(there are only two or three such
instances) the weigher, after enter.
ing the weight upon the book
makes record of the particular
weights used to balance the hopper
as well as the figures indicated by
the counterpoise. This makes his
record show not only the weight o.
each draft, but just how he arrived
at the result.
But to take the weights of the
cars and enter them upon his book
is not the whole duty of a state
weigher. It is his duty to know
that all the machinery of the eleva-
tor is doing it's work properly, and
that all the wheat from the car is
swept into the pit and elevated te
the scale hopper. In fact, he is in.
structed to see that everything is
done in business-like manner and
the interests of the shipper fully