360 



THE ILLINOIS FAEMER. 



Dec. 



several State Fairs for scouting these 

 propositions, and appointing on the 

 committee persons of skill and experi- 

 ence, and against whose integrity no 

 snspicion could be successfully brought 

 to bear. 



At the State Fair at Decatur, the 

 subject was thoroughly discussed and 

 no other conclusion could be arrived at, 

 than that the new and valuable im- 

 provements of the Grover & Baker 

 were at the bottom of this new mode 

 of catechising the committee, as with 

 an intelligent committee these facts 

 would stand out too prominently. 



The pretence that the W. & W. ma- 

 chine would not enter the lists without 

 their questions were put to the com- 

 mittee was evidently to cover up their 

 defeat, for no sane man could for a mo- 

 ment suppose that the officers of the 

 State Fair would permit of so humili- 

 ating an example, nor would any intel- 

 ligent committee allow themselves to 

 be thus insulted. The only safe infer- 

 ence that can be drawn from the prem- 

 ises, is that charged in the closing re- 

 marks of the correspondence of the 

 Chicago Tribune which we here in- 

 sert : 



"The sewing machines are the great center of 

 attraction, and hold a crowd of interested ladies 

 throughout the day. There are three exhibitors, 

 but as each has several machines, they manage to 

 occupy nearly the whole of one side of the long 

 hall. First, as we enter, stands the Grover & 

 Baker. They exhibit both the Grover & Baker 

 lock-stitch, and their shuttle-stitch, like that 

 of the Wheeler & Wilson. These machines made 

 for family use cost $45 each. 



We note several important improvements since 

 the last State fair, among them their adaptation to 

 embroider, to sew on braid, and to tuck and hem 

 in a superior manner. The main wheel is so ar- 

 ranged that it can be instantly adjusted to a long 

 or short belt, and made to run ligkt on gossamer 

 fabrics and tightened up for leather work. The 

 specimens executed by these cheap and durable 

 machines, we have never seen equalled at this or 



any State Fair. We are with the committee in 

 their examinations, which are of the most search- 

 ing nature, as they are determined to give an 

 award that no one can cavil at. When we see the 

 work of these Grover & Baker's, we are not sur 

 prised that old and popular machines hesitate to 

 enter the arena with them, unless on some scale of 

 points that shall lose sight of these valuable late 

 improvements." 



Some of our lady friends say that 

 one feature in the G. &. B. machine is 

 its simplicity, and the ease of learning 

 to operate it. This is an important 

 point, for those in tho country too dis- 

 tant from the office to take lessons. 

 This machine is so simple, so strong, 

 so durable and so easy to learn to ope- 

 rate, that it appears the agent of the 

 W. & W. did not dare come in open 

 competion, hence the pretext to make 

 an excuse to stand on his former lau- 

 rels all of which we must concede were 

 nobly won, though unfortunly for him 

 now outstripped in new improvements 

 by his competors the public have no 

 further interest in these petty wars fur- 

 ther than to avail themselves of the 

 best and cheapest. 



We are not the owner of either of 

 the machines named, having one of the 

 Taggart & Foss machines which makes 

 a Grover & Baker stitch. The first 

 machine that we purchased was a 

 Quaker City, a very good cheap ma- 

 chine, but not well adapted to light 

 fabrics; to some extent the same fault 

 follows the Taggart & Foss machine, 

 but on the whole it does very good 

 work, though not to be compared with 

 the new G. & B. machines. 



We have made these rather extend* 

 ed remarks more as an act of justice to 

 the officers of the Iowa, Michigan & 

 Illinois State Fairs and to benefit > )ur 

 readers, who intend to purchase ma- 

 chines, to aid those rival parties. We 

 are glad to see a sharp competition be- 



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