CYRUS HALL McCORMICK 



Illinois, and Ohio, had written to McCormick 

 for " Virginia Reapers," as they were called in 

 the farm papers of that day. These seven 

 letters, as may be imagined, brought great joy 

 and satisfaction to the McCormick family, 

 which was now, under the leadership of Cyrus, 

 devoting its best energies to the making of 

 Reapers. The Reapers were made and then, 

 when the question of their transportation arose, 

 Cyrus for the first time saw clearly that the 

 Virginia farm was not the best site for a factory. 

 To get the seven Reapers to the West, they had 

 first to be carried in wagons to Scottsville, then 

 by canal to Richmond, re-shipped down the 

 James River to the Atlantic Ocean and around 

 Florida to New Orleans, transferred here to 

 a river boat that went up the Mississippi and 

 Ohio Rivers to Cincinnati, and from Cincinnati 

 in various directions to the expectant farmers. 

 Four of these Reapers arrived too late for the 

 harvest of 1844, and two of them were not paid 

 for. Clearly, something must be done to sup- 

 ply the Western farmers more efficiently 

 At this time a friend said to him, "Cyrus, 



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