Memoir of the Lafe of Eli. Whitney. 223 
** Columbia, South Carolina, Dec. 20, 1801. 
“ Dear Stebbins, 
“T have been at this place a little more than two weeks, attending 
the Legislature. ‘They closed their session at 10 o’clock last evening. 
A few hours previous to their adjournment, they voted to purchase, 
for the State of South Carolina, my patent right to the machine for 
cleaning cotton, at fifty thousand dollars, of which sum, twenty thou- 
sand is to be paid in hand, and the remainder in three annual pay- 
ments, of ten thousand dollars each. . 
“This is selling the right at a great sacrifice. If a regular course 
of law had been pursued, from two to three hundred thousand dol- 
las would undoubtedly have been recovered. The use of the ma- 
chine here is amazingly extensive, and the value of it beyond all 
calculation. It may, without exaggeration, be said to have raised 
the value of seven eighths of all the three Southern States from fifty 
‘oone hundred per cent. We get but a song for it in comparison 
with the worth of the thing; but it is securing something. It will 
enable Miller & Whitney to pay all their debts, and divide something 
between them. It establishes a precedent which will be valuable as 
trespects our collections in other States, and I think there is now a 
fair prospect that I shall in the event realize property enough to ren- 
me comfortable, and in some measure independent. 
i Though my stay here has been short, I have become acquainted 
with a considerable part of the members of the Legislature, and of 
the most distinguished characters in the State. My old classmate, 
H.D. W., is one of the Senate. He ranks among the first of his 
age in point of talents and respectibility. He has shown me much 
Polite attention, as have also many others of the citizens. 
: Truly your friend, 
J. Stebbins, Esq. Ext Wuitnex.” 
; Ih December 1802, Mr. Whitney negociated a sale of his patent 
"ght with the State of North Carolina. ‘The legislature laid a tax of 
two shillings and sixpence upon every saw* employed in ginning cot- 
°n, to be continued for five years, which sum was to be collected by 
the sheriffs in the same manner as the public taxes; and after de- 
ducting the expenses of collection, the avails were faithfully paid over 
= the patentee. At that time, the culture of cotton had made com- 
Paratively little progress in the State of North Carolina; but, in pro- 
"ton to the amount of interest concerned, this compensation was 
* Some of the gins had forty saws. 
