Reports of Committees. 41 



Sewing Machines. — The exhibition of Sewing Machines was of the first order. 

 This wonderful labor-saving machine is brought into use in almost every neighbor- 

 hood, in the manufacturing of clothing, boots and shoes, and in all the departments 

 of labor where the needle was used by hand. We are not able to compute the great 

 saving of labor, and that of the most severe kind. Now with great rapidity is the 

 needle applied, and the working of the machine adapted to all kinds of garments, 

 stitching, hemming, felling, tucking, cording, braiding, quilting, gathering, embroi- 

 dering, all done with ease and dispatch. Many are the inventors of Sewing Ma- 

 chines, and they have long been laboring to bring them to the present high state of 

 perfection. 



Those that were on exhibition were Singer's, the American Sewing and Button- 

 Hole Machine, Grover & Baker's, and AVheeler & Wilson's, all performing their 

 work well and with rapidity, each having perfect specimens of work, which shows 

 what can be done by strict application in one direction. Your Committee were 

 hardly able to satisfy themselves which was the most perfect machine. The Singer 

 Machine performs its work with ease, decidedness of power, very quietly, and is 

 worthy of many patrons. The American Sewing and Button Hole Machine is 

 worthy of high commendation for its adaptation to plain sewing, and all the varie- 

 ties of fancy work, and the same machine can with case be so changed as to work a 

 button-hole in the most perfect manner. The mechanism is of the first order. It 

 has an improved shuttle, and uses a straight needle, and runs with ease and dis- 

 patch. The Grover & Baker machine was rapid in its movement, doing its work 

 well. Steam power was applied to one of their machines, which demonstrates the 

 fact that a Sewing Machine can be used by power to practical advantage. Beautiful 

 specimens of work were made by Miss B;iker, showing her perfect knowledge of the 

 machine and how to use it with skill. Of the Wheeler & Wilson machine, we can 

 speak in high commendation. It is a beautiful machine, doing its work finely. The 

 lady that worked it knew all the power of the machine, and with great ease and in- 

 telligence wrought her work well. We can only say, every family should have a 

 Sewing Machine. Either will not disappoint you in its operation. Therefore make 

 your own choice. 



Reaper and Mower. — It is supposed by most people that the Reaper and Mower 

 arc of modern invention by some Yankee, but such is not the fact. We are informed 

 by history, that in the Oriental countries, the Reaper was used by one or two oxen 

 in the early part of the christian era. The machine was driven on two wheels 

 through the standing grain by an ox yoked in a reversed position, with the machine 

 forward of the ox. In Britain, as early as 1785, a machine was invented, propelled 

 forward by a horse or ox, clipping the heads of grain and depositing them in a large 

 box, which was emptied when full. In the account of this machine a drive wheel, 

 pullies, pinions and tooth wheels are mentioned. Iron combs or teeth are also spoken 

 of. In 1 799 another Reaper is spoken of, propelled by a horse being hitched behind , 

 which cut and lodged the grain in a swarth on one side of the Reaper. It is said a 

 boy could manage the machine with one horse, cutting a swarth two feet wide, and 

 could do the work of six men. In 1807 a Mr. Plunkett constructed a machine in 

 which the horse drew the machine instead of pushing it forward, according to the 

 usual custom. After this period many inventors entered the field with reapers of an 



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