West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1916-06-08

was no dirt or Dust left In them. These
no piled I'm the cabin ready for use.
HO got Mrs. Weston TO sew a strip
OF stout bedticking across the mouth
OF fifty pound meal sack 30 he could
sling Il across his shoulders, the open
mouth OF the sack at his left side ready
TO receive the cotton as he picked It.
Then he waited for more cotton to
open.
He went through the prize acre OF
corn and pulled the fodder or as high
as he could reach. 1t was rather dry by
this time. but he thought n dollar or
two could be made i'm that way TO cut
down the expense OF tho acre He got
200 good bundles OF fodder, which Mr..
Somervlllo sold for him at cents n
bundle-that meant IS clipped from the
expense account.
BY this time enough open bolls gleam-
ed white among the cotton plants to
make IL 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
an open bon he grasped IL near the
stem with his left hand, then with
thumb and first three fingers OF his
right pulled the fluffy cotton from the
faring mouth OF the boil
He had never noticed before how
much n green cotton boil was like n
green hickory nut husk, only larger.
and the boil opened at the outer end
when ripe very similar to n chestnut
burr after the frost had fallen upon II.
When he filed the sack he carried It
was emptied directly into one OF the
oat sacks no had provided, and the cot
ton never touched the ground. Each
bit OF dead loaf or stem or hull of the
dried boil was picked out, and nothing
marred the whiteness or his product
AS each oat sack was filed he tied the
mouth OF It with stout Irvine and stow
ed II away in the dry cabin.
In n week he had picked enough to
make bale. The sacks were loaded
Into the wagon, and n nelghborhood
gin owner was induced TO raise steam
ana gin the cotton for him.
The cotton was dumped into a hon
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
battery OF saws, about five feet long
and the swiftly revolving saws would
catch the lint growing to each cotton
seed. Tho result was that the seed
could not pass the saws. but the lint
was yanked Off in fifty. and the seed
Tell into trough below. Behind the
saws was brush" which collected
the lint from the saws. and Il PASSED
over n set OF rollers I'm n continuous
web or bat" and fell I'm loose folds into
n great box below the gin stand.
When oil had been Rinned big li,l
with screw above was let down into
the box where the fluffy "bat" lay
fod upon fold. The screw was tight
ened until the cotton was mashed 10
about one-tenth OF its loose size. rough
jute bagging was wrapped about It ana
SIX thin iron bands or ties" plnced
about the bale to hold It I'm shape The
press" was 0pened-and out rolled
Joe's bale or cotton!
BY links. 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 STANDARDIZED pounds.
only ten more and you would have
had a standard bale"
Joe sacked his cotton seed and, re-
fusing an offer from the glnner at the
rate OF $40 ton for them TO sell to II
cottonseed oil mill for crushing pur-
poses, took them back home 10 sell for
seed and for his own use.
The new bale OF cotton was hurried
10 town. At the cotton warehouse a
hole was cut I'm the side OF the bale by
the weigher, who certified. the weight
and pulled q sample OF the lint from
the hole he had made. This was wrap.
ped I'm a piece OF clean manila paper,
and Joe and Mr.. SomervTIe sailed
forth to sell the cotton.
The first buyer they went to could
scarcely believe his eyes that 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. no pulled steadily.
IL parted, and IN each hand he had n
lock OF tolerahy straight cotton. Re
peating the process Ave 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 It.
This IS a new cotton I'm this neigh
bOrhood,' ho said. "The staple is
about an inch and an eighth. The best
w9 get around here IS an inch. It's
mighty nice and clean-lf the bale Is
all like this"
Every bit. sir I handled Il 80 It
would be clean" said Joe.
"What'll you offer. DanT" inquired
Ar. SomerVille.
Wen, New Orleans spot cotton Is
quoted today at y cents n pound for
middling. This, however, classes as
middllng fair, n grade or 20 better.
On account Of the staple and cleanli-
ness OF the cotton I'll give you 12la-"
TOO low for that grad0- said Mr.
Bonneville.
"I'Il make II -" urged the tuyer.
Write youF bid on the sample" The
buyer did 80 and signed his initials.
The next buyer raised IFS offer half
q cent a pound. Tho third and last
buyer I'm town was the representative
OK q great firm Of New Orleans fac
fOrs.
Il think our farmers ought 20 be en-.
couraRed 10 grow better cotton and
handle Il cleanly and properly, ~ you
have. young man. and get Il on tho
market earlier. I'll pay you Is cents. %
You've Elre bought bale Of cot
ton" said M Bonneville. Here are
the warehouse receipt and weight