. Some successful Americans . in West Virginia Times said that the introduction of the McCormick reaperwas worth to the farmers of Great Britain the whole cost ofthe fair. From that day to this the reaper has received thehighest award at every fair and exposition at which it has beenshown, and has steadily grown in favor all over the great Chicago fire in 1871 totally destroyed theMcCormick works, but they were rebuilt within a year,and now cover more than sixty acres of floor space. Thereapers go to all parts of the world, not only to the more CYRUS HALI, McCORMlCK 85 progressive co
. Some successful Americans . in West Virginia Times said that the introduction of the McCormick reaperwas worth to the farmers of Great Britain the whole cost ofthe fair. From that day to this the reaper has received thehighest award at every fair and exposition at which it has beenshown, and has steadily grown in favor all over the great Chicago fire in 1871 totally destroyed theMcCormick works, but they were rebuilt within a year,and now cover more than sixty acres of floor space. Thereapers go to all parts of the world, not only to the more CYRUS HALI, McCORMlCK 85 progressive countries, but to Egypt, India, and Persia as have been sent to Russia and Siberia. It would be a difficult task to determine the value of thereaper to the world. As long ago as 1859 Reverdy John-son, in an argument before the Commissioner of Patents,declared that the McCormick reaper was worth ^55,000,000a year to this country. If that was so, it is worth verymuch more now. About the same time William H. Seward. Modern Harvest Scene in New York declared that the McCormick reaper moved the line of civi-lization westward thirty miles a year. Certainly it is nottoo much to say that great areas of the West that are nowwaving wheat fields would still be unsettled were it not forMcCormicks invention. It is estimated that the use ofthe reaper saves in labor more than $100,000,000 annually,counting a mans wages at a dollar a day. Its inventorwas elected a member of the Institute of France because hehad, so the French Academy of Science declared, ^done 86 SOME SUCCESSFUL AMERICANS more for the cause of agriculture than any other Hvingman. An honor worthily bestowed. Mr. McCormick was an inventor and manufacturer, buthe was more. He interested himself in religion, education,journaHsm, and politics. He was especially helpful to hischurch and made valuable gifts to educational institutions. The business, now carried on by his three sons, is grow-ing in importance, and Cyrus H
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, booksubjectstatesmen, bookyear19
