Keowee courier. [volume] (Pickens Court House, S.C.) 1849-current, 1910-09-14
Cotton Ginning Formerly and Nov
augusta Herald.

III VIC OlueI lilleS every 'plunIa-
tion was supplied with its own gin
house. These gin houses were all
alike, built after the same general
plan. The gin house itself was
built on high posts, and under it
was the motive power, pair Of
mules hitcheG to long lever, which
rcvolved the central post to which
1T was attached, and which by means
of a cog gear drove the big pully
over which a belt supplied power to
the gin above. The press stood near
the gin house, and consisted OF an
immense wooden screw, which press
ed the cotton down into the baling
box. These wooden screws were 20
feet or more in length, and they
were turned by mules who were
hitched to long levers which reach
ed from the ground to point above
the screw, across the top OF which q
cross-bar passed into the levers pre-
senting the form Of the letter A. A
pyramidal roof was built upon these
levers to protect the screw from the
weather, which Of course revolved as
the screw was turned.
These unique cotton screws form
ed distinctive feature Of Southern
landscapes, as the old windmills are
landscape features in Holland. Ev-
cry plantation had n gin and screw,
and almost from any point in the
country one or more Of these queer
structures were visible.
They have all disappeared. Cot
ton is no longer ginned and packed
on the farm in the primitive old way.
In every neighborhood there are now
public ginneries, where cotton is un-
loaded from the wagons by pneu-
matte machinery, ginned on great
power gins, which gin the cotton
more perfectly than the smaller old
time gins could do it, and it is pack
ed direct from the lint room into
the baling box and pressed by steam
machinery.
The new way IS much cheaper and
Il
large percentage OF the lint that for
merly was lost by imperfect ginning,
and Is enough cheaper to cover the
cost Of hauling the cotton to the
gin, The old plantation gin would
gin from two to four bales a day,
while these modern ginneries will
gin from forty to a hundred or more
bales per day
Like the old plantation gins these
big ginneries stand idle during the
summer. Weeds grow up around
them. Spiders spin their webs from
It's beams, and the dust Of disuse
settles heavily upon the whole plant.
But during the ginning season they
are the scene Of life and hustle.
Wagons come and go In endless pro-
cession, bringing their loads Of snowy
cotton and carrying away loads OF
gray seed. Pressed cotton bales are
rolled out in quick succession, and
lint-covered and happy men give
strenuous life where during the sum-
''>' 'iS All VI utSSIllOI naQ pre-
vailed.
The ginning season begins with
the ginning of the first bale and con-
tinucs with rush until after Christ
mas, and thereafter more leisurely
until the last cotton is ginned. So
the ginning Of the first bale is an
event of Importance to the neighbor-'
hood
The season was late this year, but
the first bales have been ginned at
nearly all the gins in the lower part
OF tho State. Around all of them
now 1t Is life and push, and light
heartedness greater than usual. for
every bale now ginned represents a
value in lint and seed OF 500, a
prosperity bringing condition entire
ly new since the old screw press
packed cotton in 1866.