Willmar tribune. [volume] (Willmar, Minn.) 1895-1931, 1915-12-15

Ill open Doll ne graSped It near the
stem with his left hand. then with
thumb and first three fingers Of his
right pulled the fluffy cotton from the
daring mouth of the boil.
He had never noticed before how
much green cotton boil was like a
green hickory nut husk, only larger,
and the boil opened at the outer end
when ripe very similar to chestnut
burr after the frost had fallen upon it.
When he filled the sack be carried it
was emptied directly into one of the
oat sacks he had provided. and the cot
ton never touched the ground. Each
bit Of dead leaf or stem or hull Of the
dried boil was picked out. and nothing
marred the wilderness of his product.
AS each oat sack was filled he tied the
mouth of it with stout Irvine and stow
ed it away in the dry cabin.
In a week he had picked enough to
make bale. The sacks were loaded
into the wagon. and a neighborhood
gin owner was induced to raise steam
and gin the cotton for him.
The cotton was dumped into a hon.
per; then it was conveyed to the gin,
an arrangement of round small saws
with fine teeth, set so closely together
on revolving shaft that the seed could
not pass between the saws. A roller
Kept throwing the cotton against the
battery Of saws, about five feet long.
and the swiftly revolving saws would
catch the lint growing to each cotton
seed. The result was that the seed
could not pass the saws. but the lint
was yanked off in a jiffy. and the seed
fell into a trough below. Behind the
saws was a brush" which collected
the lint from the saws. and it passed
over a set of rollers in a continuous
web or "bat" and fell in loose folds into
o great box below the gin stand.
When all had been ginned q big lid
with screw above was let down into
the box where the fluffy "bat' Law
fold upon fold. The screw was tight
ened until the cotton was mashed to
about one-tenth of its loose size. rough
jute bagging was wrapped about it and
SIX thin iron bands or ''ties'' placed
about the bale to hold 1t in shape. The
press was opened-and out rolled
Joe's bale of cotton!
by jinks. that's the earliest bale I've
ever seen in this county. and I've been
ginning here twenty-five years." re-
marked the owner Of the gin. The
bale was weighed.
mighty near standard-49O pounds.
Only ten more and you would have
had standard bale"
Joe sacked his cotton seed and. re-
fusing an offer from the ginner at the
rate of SIS ton for them to sell to Il
cottonseed oil mill for crushing pur.
poses, took them back home to sell fol-
seed and for his own use.
The new bale Of cotton was hurried
to town. At the cotton warehouse q
hole was cut in the side of the bale by
the weigher. who certified the weight
and pulled sample of the lint from
the hole he had made. This was wrap
ped in a piece of clean manila paper
and Joe and Mr.. Somerville sailed
forth to sell the cotton.
The first buyer they went to could
scarcely believe his eyes that a bale
had been produced three weeks before
cotton was expected to come on the
market He took a lock of the fiber
between the thumb and forefnger OF
his left hand. Grasping the ends OF
the lock with the similar fingers of his
right hand, he pulled steadily.
1t parted. and in each hand he had q
lock of tolerably straight cotton. Re:
peating the process five or six times.
he had every strand Strengthened out
and, placing the two pieces together,
he went to the stronger light by the
window and examined 1t.
This is new cotton in this neigh
borhood," he said. 1.-THE staple is
about an inch and an eighth. The best
we get around here is an inch. It's
mighty nice and clean-if the bale Is
all like this"
Every bit, sir. handled it SO 1t
would be clean," said Joe.
"What'll you offer, Dan?" inquired
Mr.. Somerville.
well, New Orleans spot cotton Is
quoted today at II cents pound for
middling. This, however, classes as
mfddling fair, a grade or so better
On account of the staple and cleanli-
ness of the cotton I'll give you 1917"
TOO low for that grade" said Mr..
Somerville.
I'll make it 49," urged the buyer.
write your bid on the sample" The
buyer did so and signed his initials.
The next buyer raised his offer half
a cent a pound. The third and last
buyer in town was the representative
of great firm Of New Orleans fac
tors. 49,
81 think our farmers ought to be en-.
couraged to grow better cotton and
handle it clearly and properly, as you
have, young man. and get it on the
market earlier. PHI pay you ii cents"
you've sure bought bale of cot
tom said Mr.. Someryille. Here are
the warehouse receipt and weight" /. :
The buyer made a calculation.
bale Of 400 pounds at II cents
comes to $6860. Here's your check.
Come around again, son. Glad to have
met a progressive farmer like you"
''Well. joe" said Mr.. Somerville,
that's doing q heap more than folks