Year: 1871

men who have entered into the cultivation


of cotton since the results of the war


brought about an entire change in the sys-


TEN of labor in the South, has been followed


by the establishment of public cotton gin


neries at all the leading shipping points.


Formerly, when only the wealthy possessor


Of slaves, large estates and expensive ma


chinery embarked in the production of the


great staple, each producer prepared his


crop for market on his own plantation. But
now there are thousands Of small cotton


the cost of a good ginhouse, and it is to ac-


commodate these that public ginneries have


sprung up. We have in this city several,
| and they annually gin for their customers


thousands Of bales, enabling the producer


of even one or two bales to sell his small


product at as good advantage as the pro-
| ducer of hundreds. This is a great benefit


to the country generally, and the result will
| be, undoubtedly, constant increase in the
| production of cotton. The small farmer can
| plant his little patch of cotton just as well
as his acre or two Of corn, potatoes or


beans, and he will be sure Of being able to


dispose of it at the highest price at the
| great market, and not be the victim Of the
speculator because he is too poor to own an
engine, gin and press.


We yesterday paid a visit to the Star
Cotton Ginnery, which is now being fitted
up by Messrs. Wallace & Chopin, on the


corner of Hunter and New Levee streets,
and take no little pride in announcing the
fact that when this is finished ready for
operation, which will be some time during
the present week, We will have in our city


the most complete establishment of the


kind ever set up, and that our small farm


ers in the interior will be enabled to bring


to their aid the most perfect machinery we


ever saw for TIE preparation of their cotton
for sale. So interesting were all the ar


rangements in the Star Ginnery that we


think that short description of them would
not prove uninteresting to our readers.
The main entrance to the building is on
New Levee street, where the cotton is


brought in on the drays or floats, and driven


at once upon one Of Forsyth's immense five


ton platform scales to be weighed. 1t is


then unlOaded upon cars which run upon


track direct to the gin room, where it is


then hoisted by an elevator TO the platform.


from whence, after being taken from the


bags, it is carried by patent selffeedirg
apparatus into the g ms. As it is ginned,


the cotton is carried into lint rooms, sep


arated from the gins by closely ceiled parri


tons, and is taken from thence to the press.


which stands Immediately in the rear, there
packed into bales aud placed again upon
the cars returning from carrying the cotton
in, run out to the front door and shipped
or, if required, stored in the ample ware
house, where it will oe kept safe and dry.
clean and unhandled


The machinery used in this ginnery was
all built by our fellow citizen, Mr.. E. N.
lvens, of No. IS St. Charles street. TIE
engine is of forty-horse power, and drives
FIVE of Halls self-feeding gins, seventy
four feet drove pump and the immense lever
press.


What struck us most in this establish
ment was that, while fifteen bales of cotton
can be ginned and packed per day, every
thing appeared SO simple. Labor is saved
in every act to be performed, while speed
and safety have been provided for in
manner perfectly admirable. The lint
rooms are another original feature worthy
of attention. They are three in number,
receiving the cotton as it is driven by the
machinery from the gins. They have
capacity Of, one ten bales, and the other
1o11


separated by a passage way four feet wide.
are other rooms Of larger dimensions, but
built in the same manner. These, by an
ingenious arrangement OF folding doors,
can be made to communicate directly with
those In front, while shut off entirely from
the others. The object of this is to enable
the workmen to keep different lots Of cot
ton separate and distinct, and at the same
time bring it from the gins to the press
without extra handling and thus preserve
its glossy, feecy appearance when baled.
We might 60 further into particulars in the
description Of this really model establish
ment, but will pass on to the intentions and
expectations Of Messrs. Wallace & Chop
pin in their enterprise, and to point out to
the farmer how much it VIII be to his inter-
est to have them succeed.


Firstly, they propose to furnish bags. free
Of cost. to all farmers desiring to send seed
cotton to them to be ginned. All that will
have to be done is to write for them through |
their factor, stating the number required. |
Secondly, they will gin the cotton simply |
for the seed it contains only charging, of |
course, for bagging and hoops, and deliver
the cotton fresh from the press, put up in |
the best manner, in Ear more merchant
able condition than if it had been shipped !
from the country and subjected to the in
c!emencies of the weather, or if it had been
ginned by inexperienced or careless hands.
Experience has proved that when men make
a speciality Of one particular branch of
business, they acquire great skill and per-
fection in doing it. So, therefore, it is pre-
sumed that in the cotton ginning business
men who do nothing else will do it better
than anybody else; and all dealers in cot
ton know how important it is that the work
Of ginning should be carefully done. Some
times this alone makes a difference of
thousands of dollars in large crop. No
one who inspects the Star Cotton Ginnery
can doubt that this work will be done to
perfection there.


Farmers will therefore see that it will be
to their interest to patronize this establish
ment. First, because they can save all