Memoir of the Life of Eli Whitneij. 223 



" Columbia, South Carolina, Dec. 20, 1801. 

 " Dear Stebbins, 



" I 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- 

 lars 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 

 to one 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 

 it respects 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- 

 der me comfortable, and in some measure independent. 



" 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. Eli Whitney." 



In December 1802, Mr. Whitney negociated a sale of his patent 

 right with the State of North Carolina. The legislature laid a tax of 

 two shillings and sixpence upon every saio* employed in ginning cot- 

 ton, 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 

 to the patentee. At that time, the culture of cotton had made com- 

 paratively liule progress in the State of North Carolina ; but, in pro- 

 portion to the amount of interest concerned, this compensation was 



Some of the gins had forty saws. 



