Ladysmith news-budget. [volume] (Ladysmith, Rusk County, Wis.) 1907-1927, 1912-03-22
OFFERS VALUABLE SUGGESTION
r. o. Sinclair Proposes a Device to
Aid in Clearing and CuI-
tivating New Land


seven men at work picking up, and
piling the small logs and much small.
| where the stumps had been taken off
and l said to myself that a machine
could and should be made. that
could be handled by two men and ac-
complish the work of fifteen men, at
that kind of work Not long after
this | heard of two different, and in
telligent men, making an effort to do
such work with spring-tooth hay
rake, and failed. Later I found my
self often thinking on these lines, in
my Wakeful hours of the night, and
while smoking my evening cigar, this
natter would spring up and l would
try to Danish it, but back it would
come, and l would be battling again
with levers, wheels, spring teeth and
shovel plows. Then | got to think
ing what occurred in my youth, when
grass for hay was cut with scythe
and raked with common hand rake.
have used them myself, until it
seemed as if my arms were being
pulled off. But some kind soul made
what he called a horse hay rake;
learly every part was wood, a cheap
affair. My father, bless him, bought
one of the first made for $3.50, many
people said it would not work, but
t did work, and | could do more with
t than ten strong men could in the
same length of time with a hand
rake. The outfit cost $1,000 for har-
ness, $4,000. for horse and $3.50 for
the rake and proved to be the great
est labor-saving machine, considering
the cost, that has ever in my time
been produced for the farmer. And
t was used in just such a country as
this, in which we live. No wonder
then that | have expected somebody
would create a machine to help clean
Up the rich SOIL But as they have
lot l have caused to be made as
suggestion, only, a little sample
which l fully believe would accom-
plish much.
This is not patented nor to be pat
ented, but is simply for the general
good of the public, and is sugges-
ton or invitation to some smarter
man, with more creative and inventive
ability to improve upon. This sample
is twenty inches long, with beam
or tongue twelve inches long, with
wheels eight inches high, which gives
a space below the axle to ground of
nearly four inches. The real machine
large and strong to do the
heavy work in question, is intended
to be twenty feet long, with beam
twelve feet long, wheels eight feet
high, with spring teeth extending to
the ground, and into the same, to
the depth of five inches below or low
er than the wheel The distance
from the axle to the ground is to be
nearly four feet. This machine is
supposed to require some eight or
ten horse power, the first time over
the ground, and if there be too much
to contend with, for horses or oxen,
it should be drawn whit capstan,
after it has been over the ground
once it is expected that four horses
are sufficient power. 1t is fashioned
somewhat like a hay rake. The rake
proper being sixteen feet long, from
which fact it is evident that the ma
chine may move quite slowly and yet
accomplish much in a day. If a cap
stan be the power used, one man to
handle the lever and boy in charge
of the team, could run the business
if necessary.
The man or men who take charge
of, and run the machine walk behind
and are perfectly safe from any dan
ger The dumping part is much the
same as hay rake, but much lar
ger. If the stumps are blown out
with dynamite and broken into reas-
onably small parts, they will not pre-
vent the work, but would be drawn
into the Windrow. AS the machine is
to be constructed of wood, and we
are in a timber country, almost any
man with common ability in handling
tools could make one. With the black
smith work, the entire thing, to be
drawn with horses or oxen, would
not cost $50 and one machine would
supply the wants of several neigh
bors, who could assist each other in
making and using, if it were not