The Bolivar bulletin. (Bolivar, Tenn.) 1888-1946, 1904-12-23
A COTTON PICKING MACHINE THAT
REALLY PICKS COTTON.

Demonstration OF the Lowry Auto
Picker at the Foster Plantation
Proved the Claims for it. Large
Crowd Went Out From the City
and Saw a Machine With Almost
Human Intelligence. Planters
and Merchants Adopt Resolutions
Endorsing Claims of the Inventor
and Commenting the Device.
(From the Shreveport Times.)
How much cotton would cotton picker pick if a
cotton picker would pick cotton?
Mr.. q. A. Lowry, inventor of the Lowry auto
cotton picker, claims that his MACHINE operated by
five boys, will pick twenty five times cotton
than the average negro hand picker of the South,
and the demonstration of his machine given in the
presence of many prominent cotton men of Shreve-
port and planters from The surrounding country on
the Foster plantation i've miles this city, yes
terday afternoon proved a and there
not the least doubt among the spectators that they
had at last cotton picking machine that
would really pick cotton.
Mr.. Lowry and Col Jerome Hill, the well known
cotton of Memphis, who has been in business
in that city for thirty years MORE have been in
the city since the opening of the national cotton
convention, and intended to give an exhibition of
the cotton picker last Wednesday, but account
of the non arrival of the machine the exhibition
was postponed until yesterday afternoon. The
trip to the Foster plantation was made on special
train the Vicksburg, Shreveport Pacific rail-
road, provided by the interested in the patent.
An invitation extended to all parties interest
ed in cotton picking by lchine, and large num-
Der of Shreveport's most prominent cotton men
spOnded The party was accompanied by a repre-
sentative of the Times.
The special train of three coaches, in charge of
W. FL. Quisg, division freight agent, and FL. B.
Hearne, commercial agent of the Vicksburg,
Shreveport K Pacific road, left the Union Station
at o'clock, carrying planters end representative
business of the city. The Foster place was
reached in fifteen minutes, and the cotton. picker
was in the field ready for business.
Col. Hill, in a few appropriate remarks, well
coined the guests, stating that the cotton picking
machine had only been exhibited a few times be-
fore this and had proven a success; that the
chine talked for itself, and he felt satisfied that
after those present had witnessed its operation they
would agree that the cotton picking problem had
been solved also the labor question, which is year
ly growing perpexing throughout the
South.
The machine swas started, moving off like
charm and picking one whole and two half rows of
cotton clean within very short space of time. The
inanin1ate machine acted almost like 1T wss hu
man. and nobody in the crowd could recall such a
wonderful invention since the Mergenthaer type
setting machine first made its appearance. All of
the witnesses were of the opinion that Mr.. Lowry
had the correct theory; that the machine he has
now, which is to extent in crude state,
would when perfected. do every hing its inventor
claimed for it.
The machine yesterday did what it advertis-
ed to do, and that to really pick cotton.
In picking with the Lowry picker human brains
direct the machinery to the open bolls, the ma
chine withd raws the cotton from the boil, carries
it to the bag and carries bag. The operator is
seated, and his only duty is to see that the ma
chine, that porti n of it which ISL termed the
''arm,' is brought into contact with the open bolls
The machinery does all OF the o her things and
does them well. -Four negro 10 ;, two OF whom
never before saw the machine, operated the arms
yesterday, and each picked at The rate of l26 bos
per minute. 1t is estimated that the machine will
pick at least 5000 pounds Of cotton in one day.
This estimate is made the accepted ratio that
it requires the seed cotton out of from 20 TO 100
bolls TO weigh pound. Gasoline furnishes the
motive power for propelling The machine, and the
cost of days consumption is very small item.
The cotton bolIs used in the cemo. stration
as fall they could possibly be and the plant
dry and brittle, but Notwithstanding this the cot
ton was picked almost without any trash.
y most attractive feature of the Lowry cotton
picker is its simplicity, which will make it hard
matter for il TO get out of gear, and any man who
has ever operated common gin can operate the
picker.
After the exhibition. which lasted about one
hour, Col Hill asked those who had witnessed it
for their opinion. An informal meeting was held
Immediately, and the following resolution, offered
by WI. Foster and seconded by w. f. Taylor
ent:
Resolved, That, having witnessed the Eos
ter plantation, near Shreveport La, the Lowry
cotton picker at work, p ased TO certify it
as success and an invention that solves the most
serious problem that confronts the cotton grower
today, and we thank and congratulate Mr.. C. A.
Lowry for having conceived aud put into Operaii N
a machine that enable one man TO pick five times
as much cotton he could with his unaided hands.
We commend it to the cotton producers of the
South
W. F. Taylor, w. L. Foster. W. E. Glassell, E
L. Keene, Andrew Queries, f. j. Moore, G. H
Minge, >, \. Evans, L. YOuree, w. w. Page, j. L
Whitworth, James Fulliove, W. P. Hall, g. B
Wimbish, W. F. Dillon, T. c. Barrett, L. NJ Nc
Duffe, W, Strauss, H. B. shofeld, John Vance, j.
W. soady, R. NJ. walfort, j. H. Prescott, y. NJ
West, Jr., George Darby, W. NJ. Forrest, c. F
Moore, L. W. Mize, t. C. Roquemore, c. W. Har-
dy, I. j. LeatOn, a. r. Holcombs Z. L. Giles, W.
Bath, Adolph Cohn, j. w. SOrber, L. S. Cain, T.
p. Hay, W. P. Goss, G. Harwell, E. ). Hardy
II. Cuisine, F. NJ Williams, j. A. Thigpen, S. j.
Harmon, j. c. Pugh, W. r. Steere, J. j. Green, W.
s. Penick, E. X. Holman, II. Youree, o. H. Sam
pie. F. III. Leonard, W. B. Crouch, S. b. McCutch-
con, E. A. Frost, E. /. Dorr, A. NJ. West, Charles
Randall, s. Il. Hicks, John SeweI, 4. l.. Frazier
J. g. Sutherlin, Charles LipscOmb, 4. A. Goodwin.
After the adoption of the resolution calls we're
made for the inventor, who came forward after
some persuasion and introduced by Col. Hill
Mr.. Lowry stated that he highly appreciated the
compliment paid him and wanted to assure those
present that the machine would be manufactured
in the South, that the South might get ali the
benefit possible from the invention. Ills senti-
ment well received.
Mr. Lowry and Col. Hill will leave today for
Memphis, where another demonstration will be
made.
William Forrest, son of the great Confederate
cavalry leader in expressing his opinion of the test
said
II am pleased to be here and witness this great
and successful test of the cotton picker
W. c. Moore, of Cheraw, S. c., who is one of the
most successful cotton planters in the South, and
who attended the recent cotton convention and re-