432 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



one that can be set to work and keep at work without an 

 attendant. 



The Tribune gave its indorsement to the value of Halliday's 

 wind-mill at an early day; and it is pleasant now to meet ample 

 evidence to prove that the opinion then expressed was a sound 

 one. The following letter fully confirms it. It is from the chief 

 engineer of the Illinois Central Railroad. It says : 



" We put up one of these mills at a station on this road last 

 fall, and its operation has given entire satisfaction, and has very 

 much exceeded my expectations. The following is the result of 

 one week's work with the mill : 



Days. Hours run. No. engines watered. 



Monday 5 7 



Tuesday 3 7 



Wednesday 6 1ft 



Thursday 1 8 



Friday 12 10 



Saturday 3 10 



" Our reservoir is sixteen feet diameter, and the greatest 

 amount of water pumped in a given time during the week to fill 

 the reservoir, three and a half feet in two hours. The only im- 

 provement that I would suggest would be to so arrange the ma- 

 chine as to be able to disconnect the mill from the pump, so as to 

 apply hand power in case of a long continued failure of the wind. 

 This, by the by, is not very likely to happen on our prairie 

 region. The mill has not been one dollar expense to us since it 

 was put up, nor has it failed, except in one instance, to pump all 

 the water required, and that only for a short time. As soon as 

 the weather moderates, I shall put up one a size larger at another 

 station, and I feel fully persuaded that it will be greatly to the 

 interest of railroads generally to adopt them. 



" Respectfully, R. B. MASON." 



So it will be for the interest of farmers generally to adopt them. 

 Only think of the immense benefit such a tank of water in an 

 elevated position would be to a farmstead, to say nothing of its 

 advantages in the way of irrigation, or for watering cattle in 

 fields that had no living water upon the surface. It is not to 

 promote the interest of railroad companies that we should warmly 

 advocate the introduction of self-regulating windmills ; nor the 

 interest of manufactures ; but whatever we can do to induce far- 

 mers to adopt them will promote the real interest of America, 

 because wind-power is the cheapest and most universal. Upon 



