The Big Sandy news. [volume] (Louisa, Ky.) 1885-1929, 1915-12-31

i.titl 'ss-i.. .,. = ~ IA.
sacks about the place, turned them IN.
side out and shook them until there
! was no dirt or dust left In them. These
he piled in tho cabin ready for use.
He got Mrs. Weston to sew a strip
Of stout bedticking across the mouth
OF ffty pound meal sack so he could
sling 1t across his shoulders. the open
mouth OF the sack at his left side ready
\ to receive the cotton as he picked II
Then he waited for more cotton to
I open.
He went through the prize acre OF
corn and pulled the fodder of as high
! as he could reach II was rather dry by
this time. but he thought dollar or
two could be made in that way TO cut
down the expense OF the acre. He got
! 200 good bundles OF fodder. which Mr..
Somerville sold for him at 2 cents a
bundle-that meant 81 clipped from the
1 expense account
! BY this time enough open bolls CLEAN
! ed white among the cotton plants to
make II worth while to start picking.
| Singing his sack over his shoulder. Joe
began Systematically going down one
| row and up another When he came to
nm open boil he g7lsped IL near the
stem with his left hand. then with
thumb and first three fingers of his
right pulled the fluffy cotton from the
flaring mouth OF the boil
| lie had never noticed before how
much green cotton boil was like a
| green hickory nut husk. only larger.
and the boil opened mt the outer end
when ripe very similur 10 chestnut
burr after The frost had fallen upon It.
When he filed the sack he carried IL
| was emptied directly into one of the
oat sacks lac had provided. and the cot
ton never touched the ground. Each
bit OF dend leaf or stem or hull OF the
| dried boil was picked ont. and nothing
As each oat sack was filed he tied the
mouth Of It with stout Irvine and stow
ed il away In the dry cabin.
In week he had picked enough to
make bale. The sacks were loaded
into the wagon. and neighbOrhood
gin owner was induced to raise steam
| and gin the cotton for him.
The cotton was dumped into hop
| per: then II 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
hnffaFv ~ a. Ave-
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 ynnked OF in jiffy. and the seed
fell into trough below. Behind the
saws was n brush" which collected
the lint from the saws. and Il passed
over a set OF rollers In continuous
web or bat" and fell In loose folds into
great box below the gin stand.
When all had been ginned big lid
with screw above was let down into
the box where the fluffy bar lay
fold upon fold Tile screw was tight.
ened until the cotton was mashed to
about one-tenth OF its loose size. rough
jute bagging was wrapped about 1t and
six thin iron bands or ties placed
| about the bale TO hold II In shape. The
press" was opened-and out rolled
Joe's bale OF cotton,
by jlnks. that's the earliest bale I've
ever seen in this county, and I've been
ginning here twenty-five yeais." re-
marked the owner OF the gin. The
bale was weighed
Mighty near standard-490 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 $15 ton for them TO sell 10 a
| cottonseed oil mill for crushing pur
poses took them back home TO sell for
seed and for his own use.
The new bale Of cotton was hurried
| to town. At the cotton warehouse n
hole was cut In the side OF the bale by
the weigher. who certified the weight
and pulled sample OF the lint from
I, 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 bale
had been produced three weeks lrefore
cotton was expected TO come on the
market lie took lock of the fiber
between the thumb and forehnger 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 u
lock OF tolerably straight cotton. Re
peatlng the process tive 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 II.
"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 hit, sir. handled II so 1t
would be clean" said Joe
"What'll you offer. Dan?" inquired
Mr.. Somerville.
"Well. New Orleans spot cotton is
fnr