The story of his efforts, as told by himself, is interesting. The facts pertaining to the construction of his machine may be found in cyclopedias and in court proceedings. Although America is considered the cradle of this art, we must bow to Bell and others and claim only that which we have accomplished, founded upon the information and machines they left.
In the fishing village of Nantucket, on the island of that name, of Quaker parents, a boy first saw light who later became famous because of his inventive talent. In that little village the whaling industry, upon which success in life depended, was extensively carried on. Like other boys the lad, Obed Hussey, took to the sea, but tiring, turned his attention to a machine for reaping grain. He made a model of the machine, and in 1832-1833 constructed a machine which he operated in the harvest fields near Cincinnati, Ohio. He "builded better than he knew," for his cutting apparatus sings his praise in the harvest fields of every continent, and will probably do so until man ceases to exist. It has been modified in various ways, but no material improvement has been made since it left his hands.
HUSSEY REAPER.
His machine was a combined reaper and mower. He placed his gearing carriage upon two wheels,—not a mowing machine of the present day is constructed otherwise. He jointed his cutting apparatus to the supporting frame in order that the machine might conform to irregularities of the surface of the ground. Again it may be said not a mowing machine of to-day is constructed otherwise. In order to adapt his machine to cutting grain, a detachable grain receiving platform was applied, and a stand for a raker as well. As "manual delivery reapers" thousands of such machines are made in America and sent to Europe, where the self-binding harvester has not yet won its way.
These four things were new:
His cutting device;
His raker's stand;
The cutting apparatus jointed to the gearing carriage; and the