Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1913-03-04
aaisesllantous Rsaains.
COTTON GIN IN HISTORY
Has Unique Place in the Development
of the South.

Has Unique Place in the Development
of the South.
The ton gin is the historical ma
chine of le south. No other piece o
mechanism has played a more impor
tant part in the development Of th'
agriculture and commerce Of peopl'
than has the invention Of Eli whitney
says the Atlanta Constitution.
! At a very early date in the cultiva
ton of cotton in the south, efforts wer'
made to improve upon the +, 1ndial
types of roller gin, and several ma
chimes were constructed which wer'
admirable serviceable for the ginnint
of long staple cotton, but virtually use
less for short staple cotton.
Eli Whitney, a native Of Massachu
setts, came to Georgia in 1872 and sooI
became interested in the culture o
cotton. Recognizing the great impor
tance of the crop and the limitation'
placed upon it by the lack Of a ma
chine which would separate " shor
staple cotton from the seed, he Sc
about solving the problem. piscardint
the roller gin, he substituted woodeI
cylinder with spikes or teeth Of iror
wire and secured a patent for his de-
vice. Whitney had scarcely received
his patent before Hodgen Holmes ap'
piled for and received q patent for
gin similar in some respects to Whit
ney's, but having tooth plate or circu'
lar saws revolving on a cylinder, In:
stead Of the spiked wooden cylinder o.
Whitney's. ."
How Whitney's invention was subse'
uuently modified by the use Of saws II
not clear. He had some trouble In pro-
tecting his patents, but he has passed
permanently into history as the inven'
tor Of the saw gin.
All the same, the honor Of establish
ing the first practical and productive
power Gin in the world must be con
ceded to Hodgen Holmes. This CIR
was run by water in Fairfield county
S. c., by James Kincaid, in 1875.
The successful operation Of the saw
gin, no matter who may have been tht
original inventor, gave a tremendous
impulse to the growth Of cotton In tht
southern states of America. Prior t
its introduction the separation Of shor
staple cotton from the seed was done
entirely by hand, and the task wa!
usually given to the slaves at night af'
ter the days work in the fields hat
been done. This was an exceedingl!
slow process. Very rapid seeders were
able to seed but four pounds of lin
cotton a week in addition to regular
work, and a bale Of cotton represented
two or three years Of such intermit
tent labor.
In 1895, when the saw gin had beer
In use for barely three years, the south
ern states produced 100000 bales o
cotton, against the $4,000 bales which
were marketed in 1892. Since then th'
increase has been gradual up to th'
10000 bale crops Of the presen
time.
In course Of time the manufacture o
cotton gins has become an established
Industry, in which southern men play
ed an important part. Among thes'
was Daniel Pratt who founded th'
Daniel Pratt Gin company, at Pratt
Vile, Ala. in about 1887, and continu
ed at the head of 1t until his death IL
1872 In 1899 the plant was absorbed
by the Continental Gin company.
In 1853 Joseph Winship established
a shop in Atlanta, Ga. for the manu-
facture of cotton gins. A few year,
later he sold out to his two sons. Rob
ert and George Winship who conduct
ed the business until December 20
1884, at which time the Winship Ma
chine company was incorporated ant
continued in successful operation un'
til 1t became a part Of the Continenta
Gin company.
While due credit should be given Il
these southern pioneers it must not b'
forgotten that New England talent ant
capital became early interested in th'
new industry.
The manufacture of the Eagle cottor
gin was begun by the Bridgewater Gil
company in 1888, which continued II
existence until December, 1899, wher
1t became a constituent Of the Cont
mental Gin company. The Eagle gir
is still being manufactured by the lat.
ter company, and is today. as 1t ha.
been for many years, the gin mos
largely in favor with the export trade
In the period before the Civil war
when large plantations were the rule
custom gins" were few and far be.
tween. Each plantation had its owl
gin outfit, operated by mule power IL
most cases, and with little attention
paid to the saving Of time or labor
The emancipation Of the slaves brought
about a new order Of things. Many o.
the plantation gins had been burned
during the war and control had beer
lost over labor. Thus the necessity o.
the situation brought the commercial
or custom ginning plant into existence
They begun to spring up all over the
south, and with the substitution o.
steam for mule power they multiplied
very rapidly. Custom ginning is nov
one Of the most thoroughly developed
and lucrative industries in the south.
ern states.
A FRIEND IN NEED.