CHAPTER III 



THE INVENTION OF THE REAPER 



NOT far from the McCormick homestead 

 was the "Old Field School," built of logs 

 and with a part of one of the upper logs cut out 

 to provide a window. Here the boy Cyrus sat 

 on a slab bench and studied five books as 

 though they were the only books in the world, 

 Murray's Grammar, Dilworth's Arithmetic, 

 Webster's Spelling Book, the Shorter Cate- 

 chism, and the Bible. 



He was a strong-limbed, self-contained, serious- 

 natured boy, always profoundly intent upon 

 what he was doing. Even at the age of fifteen 

 he was inventive. One winter morning he 

 brought to school a most elaborate map of the 

 world, showing the two hemispheres side by side. 

 First he had drawn it in ink upon paper, then 

 pasted the paper upon linen, and hung it upon 

 two varnished rollers. This map, which is still 

 preserved, reveals a remarkable degree of skill 

 and patience; and the fact that a mere lad 



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