El Paso herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1901-1931, 1910-11-19

master, brought out a reaper which
had some of the characteristics of the
old fashioned mandrake dropper. 1t is
generally conceded that the English
are entitled to the credit for perfecting
the self-rake reaper But the vital
principle of the-mOdern harvester, the
cutter bar with the reciprOcating
sickle, is the product of American ge-
MUS, and the partisans of Mccormick
and Obed Hussey claim for each of
them the honor of the idea. The patent
records show that Hussey got the first
patent on the principle, his patent hav-
ing been issued in December, 1888, while
McCormicks was issued six months
later. But the records of the time show
that Mccormick had been using his
machine and perfecting it some two or
three, years before Hussey's patent was
issued.
McCOrmicE's Great Invention.
The world generally has conceded to
Mccormick the honor of inventing the,
modern harvester, and he seems to have
lar better claim to it than Fulton
has to the invention of the steamboat.
With jefferson making the first scien-
tlfic mouldboard to a plow Rumsey
pioneering with the steamboat and
Mccormick perfecting the harvester.
early Virginia was as well represented
In the field of invention<as it was in
war and statecraft. Innumerable pat
ents followed McCormick's. and after
1880 the seld- binder, using Irvine for
binding, became the principal aim of
the inventors. The problem continued
to grow one step nearer TO solution
with each patent, until Appleby ap-
peared with a device which mas since
been adopted by all binder makers.
W. H. Payne first brought out the
bundle Carrier. and many a small boy
on the farm who used to gather
sheaves" has offered up his prayer of
thanksgiving to Payne. Now the self
shocker is being developed ana II IS
probable that soon two men VIII be
doing the work formerly done by five
The story of the mower is nearly as
long as that Of the binder, but like
the binder, the American type of NOW
er is acknowledged by the whole world
10 be superior to that of any other
country. 1t is said that three-fourths
OF the worlds farming machinery Is
modelled after the American designs
and, this includes the mower The
buggy rake, hay tedder and the hay
fork are all American Inventions The
threshing machine is of Scotch origin.
but Its principal Improvement IS due
to American inventors. Corn harvest
ers are. of course, of American origin
the first one being a sled with ooIidue
knives, which was dragged between
two corn rows by a horse Two men
stood on the sled and gathered the corn
as they passed.
The Cotton Gin.
No invention in American history has
affected the destinies of the nation so
completely as the cotton gin. 1t prob
ably holds the distinction of beng the
only invention that ever brought on a
great war. Waen Whitney invented the
gin he gave an increased value to the
labor of the negro slave. The outcome
was that the north and the south split
on the slave issue and fought the great
est war of modern times. 1t may be
possible that 1t would have been an
-'rrepressi6le conflict" if the cotton
gin had not been invented, but many
students of history think not.
And what of the future OF the Amer
lean farmer in the matter of inven-
tiOns? 1t is predicted by the big I'm
plement makers that there will be Won
derfW progress in the next score OF
years. 1t long has been realized that
the gasoline engine, the petrol tractor
and like machinery make for wonderful
economy in farm affairs. But the farm
er is a conservative fellow. He would
much rather feed a horse a bushe1 of
corn than to spend the price of that
busnel of corn for gasoline or other
form of power But the latest depar-
ture is calculated to overcome this con-
servatism. The use of denaJured al
cohOl is admirably suited for the farm,
and the farmer now can raise his own
motive power as we'll as he can raise
horses. Potatoes are about the easiest
thing 10 raise, and they make large
quantities of alcohol suited to tractor
purposes. A still has been introduced
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