The gold leaf. [volume] (Henderson, N.C.) 1881-1911, 1908-11-05
Cotton Picking Machine.

The | thurman Vacuum lotion
Picking Machine Looks Like
the Real Thing---Some Inter-
esting Facts About John 5.
Sherman, the Inventor and
Manufacturer---ls a South
erner and Practical Man
Familiar With the Interest
He Seeks to Promote.
Those who saw the Thurman cot
ton picking machine in operation at
the Raleigh fair are in position to
Judge of the practicability of the
thing for themselves. Those who did
not see it may be interested in the
following description Of it which IS
taken from an exchange. We saw
the machinein operation at the State
fair. in Il patch of transplanted cot
ton, the bOlls for most part lmma-
ture and but partly opened, and
working under unfavOrable cOndl-
tions as it was the Thurman cotton
picker impressed Us as being the
nearest approach to the real thing
q practical and successful cotton
picking machne-that we have seen.
We are moved therefore to give space
to the article below:
In the cotton report issued by the
government for 1907. the fact that
no machine had ever been invented
successfully gather the cotton crop,
was bewailed Since the government
report was written there has been
put upon the market, with no
previous heralding, what experts
claim will solve the problem OF cot
ton harvesting and save millions OF
dollars to the cotton growers both
in labor and in the amount OF cotton
harvested.
The inventor and patentee OF this
method is Southerner, John 5.
Thurman. For ten years Mr.. Thur
man has been the successful manufac-
tGrer of compressed air and vacuum
house cleaning machinery OF his own
invention. While it is the lot Utmost
inventors to see some one else reap
the actual benefit from their inven
tiOns. this has not been the case with
Mr.. Thurman. He has not only been
n successful inventor, but a success
full financier and manufacturer.
Mr. Thurman was born in Lynch
burg. Va. forty years ago. and Is II
practical mechanical engineer and
locomotive designer, and his expert
ence was obtained in the machine
shops Of the Norfolk and Western
railroad before studyingengineering.
Mr. Thurman. when twenty years of
age, was mechanical engineer OF the
Jacksonville, Tampa and Key West
railway system in Florida; later chief
mechanical engineer of the Internal
tiOnal and Great Northern railroad;
later with the Big Four system, and
finally. before entering into business
for himself. was chief mechanical
engineer of the Missouri Pacific and
Iron Mountain railroad systems. and
for some time was locomotive de-
sigEer on the Big Four railroad
In every position he was the in
ventor OF some device or improve
ment III the mechanical operation of
the rnilrOad. His invention, the
method Of house cleaning by com
pressed air and vacuum, and the
issuance to him Of 157 patents on his
devices, led him to enter the field as
a manufacturer.
Mr.. Thurman did not announce his
successful invention OF the cotton
picking machine until he had given
it Il thorough test. His system OF
gathering cotton consists OF the
application OF practically the same
principle of mechanics and physics as
are used in his house cleaning device.
Amotor driven bygasoline. the most
inexpensive fuel that can be obtained
today, is mounted on a wide wheeled
truck. The operation of this engine
produces Il vacuum in a tank con-
Meeting with IL receptacle for the
gathered cotton. Two or more lines
of hose, each 100 feet long, connect
with the cotton tank. At the end OF
each hose is Il specially constructed
and patented nozzle, controlled by
the OPERATOR THIS nozzel placed
near the opened boil of cotton, draws
the cotton into the hose and deposits
it in IL receptacle on the wagon.
1t does not require expert opera
tors to handle the nozzle and any
man or boy can run the engine.
Two men will gather 400 pounds
OF cotton in a day working ten hours,
which is easily seen to be an
enormous saving of labor.