The Bamberg herald. [volume] (Bamberg, S.C.) 1891-1972, 1914-02-26

The one-time classic controversy as
to the real inventor of the cotton gin
has been revived recently by the pub
Ecation of two articles in The Colum-
bia State. The first was by Mr.. A. e.
kollock of Darlington, S. c., who re-
corded a tradition }current in Fairfax
county to the effect that the machine
had been invented by a Colonel Kin
caild, whose wife, according to the
story, had innocently exhibited it to
Eli Whitney, young New England
school teacher, not realizing its i'm
portance, and that Whitney had
quickly appropriated the idea and
claimed the credit.
This elected a communication
from Mr.. w. J. Elliott of Columbia in
which he set forth the contention
that the gin was invented by Ogden
Holmes, who obtained a patent sign
ed by George Washington, president
of the United States, and that prior
to this a stranger had been permitted
to see the contrivance under clrcum-
stances similar to the other case.
AS a matter of fact the entire sub
ject of the invention of the cotton
gin was cleared up a dozen years ago
by Mr.. D. A. Tompkins, of this city,
who investigated the subject person
ally and with painstaking care and
entire freedom from bias. His infor-
nation was obtained by study of all
the original documentary evidence
obtainable and was extensively circu-
lated not only as one chapter in his
book: Cotton and Cotton Oil,
which is a standard work on the
subject, but also in pamphlet form.
Mr.. Tompkins shows, in brief:
That Eli Whitney, graduate OF
Yale college, invented a cotton gin,
consisting of spikes driven in a
wooden cylinder, and having a slot
ted bar through which these spike
teeth passed, and having brush to
clear the spikes. He obtained a
patent March IA, 1894, signed by
George Washington, president; Ed
mund Randolph secretary of State,
and William Bradford, attorney gen.
eral.
That Hodgen Holme of Georgia,
an uneducated mechanic, invented an
improved gin, using circular saws
properly spaced, passing through
spaces between ribs. For this inven-
ton he obtained a patent May IL,
1895, signed by George Washington,
president; Timothy Pickering, secre-
tary of State, and Charles Lee, at
torney general.
That Whitney's invention consist
ing of combination of a wooden
cylinder, carrying annular rows of
wire spikes, with a slotted bar and
clearing brush, was fundamental.
That the practical application of
the fundamental idea was Holmes
invention of the saw gin, which con-
sisted of a mandrel or shaft carrying
collars separating circular saws
which pass through narrow spaces
between ribs.
That whereas, Whitney went South
utterly impecunious he received from
the Southern States the following
amounts: From South Carolina, $780,
600; from North Carolina at least
100000; from Tennessee about S10,-
600, making the total royalties from
the Southern States certainly as
much as $4,000, which at that time
was a fortune
Mr.. Tompkins' book is replete
with technical descriptions and pic
ture of the various models, as we'll
as facsimiles of the certified patent
specifications and drawings and a
synopsis of the testimony In the
twenty-seven law suits relating to in
fringements in Georgia from 1895 to
1906.
Mr.. Tompkins shows that in 1892
Eli Whitney of Massachusetts, went
by boat to Savannah, Ca, from which
he intended to go into the interior as
tutor to a private family. On the
same boat was travelling Mrs. Ma
thaniel Greene, the widow of the
American Revolutionary general,
who was returning from Northern
trip to her home at Mulberry Grove,
near Savannah. On this journey
Whitney naturally made the
acquaintance of Mrs. Greene. Arriv-
ing in Savannah, he failed to perfect
his arrangements for teaching and
accepted an invitation from Mrs.
Nathaniel Greene to make his home
at her house, and pursue the study OF
law, which was his great desire.
While he was in Mrs. Green's house