The Nezperce herald. (Nezperce, Idaho) 1900-1957, 1909-05-27

Va. one hundred years ago His father. farmer a mssnto
N was OF revolutionary stock His greatgrandfather ws an M
NSLT9I dian fighter In Pennsylvania on bis fathers farm o $50
E4@kI acres young Mccormick was equipped for tho struggle wnlsh
- RAJ finally TO make him the foremost manufaeture o. ne
world He learned the rudtments In a little nld sehoolhouse MIN y" "a
Their and brother he worked with hs hands in the farm carpenter SHOP 2
smthy He hammered iron and shaped wood lie held he p"~ IN . ~
row.. lie cared for horses and cattle
Robert Mccormick. the father. had fashioned a hemp brake. a esves
huner. a bellows a thrshng machine and had esayed a reApins pehi~
which. however. proved impraaieable His ambition 10 perfect a renpef an
his disappointment In not achieving a IN Incentive 70 the boy who cary
displayed an inventive ability which, In bis ense. ma De aWuDuueu 70
heredHy and environment AT the age OF IS young Me'ormiek Invented =
grain cradle AT p he patented a hillside pillow. Two years later he oant
a slfshapening pillow aud during the zane twelsenonh was ~orA"s ~ "'
details OF his masterpiece.
The need OF a machine TO replace the sickle and tt sStbs had hs<n
recognized by other than the Mccormieks The Royal AsHeuitafal s~aeo
OF Great Britain had offered a prize for the invention Of such a device
this country Obed Hu~y. a seaman OF Nantucket. ws In ISIS granted ms
nrst patent for a practical reaper. Two years befofe. IN isl' ofae naH
Mccormick had with his " hands fashioned every part o. a rapng ma
chine which he exhibited to neghbos In Virginia His patent was not takes
AT the age Of 80 Mccormick started n horseback for the West m
whose Development he was to play 81 great a part From the hills d Wr
ginia he rode 70 the praires OF Illinois His prophetic vision r~ ne snn
burned grass blossom into fields OF golden grain His Imagination "a nred
by the thought OF the time to come when the trails would b main Travelled
roads when the Isolated eeartnss or te pioneers would become E~t ausN
when the hum OF water wheels would be heard along the banks Of us
streams lie anticipated the tme when the wheat neids Of the State Of bis
choice should be known throughout he world lie forecast ms dy rhsn
the pitfai cry FOR bread BY the starving hordes % the Old World would b
heard in the land Of plenty and the answe returned In ship loads Of What
and -four He had ath TO believe that great Industrial communities ouh
be born and men and women and Children cons 10 people the wonderful
land. In all this al the bright particular star Of HIS hofe and faith and
being-he reaper he had Invented Ia which he believed and which % q
termined 10 fore into universal use AMI his dream cane true.
Mr. Mccormhk located In Chicago a fuitgrOwn man.. sys the Reeord.
Herald and within ten years he Mccoruiek reaper a. known In every
part OF the country AZ the worlds fair In London In 1851 the Grand Coon
ell Medal" va awarded TO Mccormick. aud. although the London Times had
at nut rdiculed his Invention a a -crosa between a Aaiey chariot a
wheebauow and a flying machine" It later concded that ~hs Mroonnkk
reaper Is worth the whole cost Of the exposition"
Ten yenrs that brought prosperity and fame were ot Without strife A
individualIst. Mr. Mccormick would never brook eosnpsstfoa AZ
other me came forward with similar Inventions the agricultural machinery
world became a scene Of battle For years s"res Of lawyers we're engaged
In court By the warning harvester kings Bitter rivalry Developed The eco
nOmie advantages Of combination. the wastsfnlns. Of comp~uioa. ho~svsr.
brought together warning interests o tine past and ~eided them into = Kw4s
harvester company. with a output OF 10000 harvesting machines a PEAR.
pNyes a square nile Of factories traekags of 1900 cars az hs 100 ws<~
houses and six busy railroads Of is own