Dakota County, Nebraska - Chapter 20, 1893

rr-y H-I'*^ wire stretcher was intI- vented by Col. J. F. Warner, and patented October 2, 1888. A large number of them liave been fiiiished up, at Dakota City under the management of Frank Ay res. In this tool there is a perfect stretcher, staple exti-iictor, and bar to run spools of wire off on; also, a good tamping stick. There is no wear to this tool. It will out last a generation. It draws the wire around corner posts just where it is wanted. A man can stretch enough more wire in a day with this than any other stretcher in use to pay the cost of it. In fact the labor* of stretching wire is nothing with this implement. This invention is the result of actual work in tlie field and the unsaiisfactory use of various other stretchers.

J. F. Warner also invented and received a patent for a portable fence, but on account of high winds in this section it was not a success here.

Admu Weiizel invented ii corn planter, the picture di' wliicli will 1)6 seen on another page. It is said to be a lirst-class invention and he has already been offered a iai-oe sum of money for it. Had Mr. Wenzel been a mail of capital he could have handled his patent to hi'tter advantiioe. As he is comparatively a poor man it has been slow work for him to introduce it to the j)ubl c sutKciently to create a demand for the planter.

Jjizerne King, son of Thomas J. King, of South Sioux City, on January 17. 1893 i-eceived a patent for :i --(Juttiiio Machine for Mowers and Reapers." Thisis a I'adically new and supei'ior device. It is well kuow-n that sickle sections are usually riveted to the sickle bar permanently, and this fact' makes the grinding a task of i^reat labor and uncertainty, requiring considerable caie ;iii(l skill. Should a section be broken by accident. the rivets must be removed by a blacksmith. In the pie>-ent case, no rivetiiiy^ vvhatever is requii-ed, ar.d the i-ntire series of sections can be removed by the simple removal of some nuts and a bar. The sickle bar is foi'iiied with a vertical front lip, cut out at intervals corresponding to the sections. Each section is formed with >](U' recesses at a point between the shank and the eilges, makiuiz; s(jmewhat a dart shape. In [)\;\ciiig the.-e ^e(-ti(^n^, iherpfore, the recesses engau;e the vi'i'tical projections of the l)ar. and it ouly lemains t(t lay on the top bar and bolt it down tiat on the shanks t,) secure the sections. i>y this arrangement each section eaii be reiiiovt'd and separately ground, insni'ing a biltir edge at far less trouble and time. This is an emiiu'iirly piactical in\ention that presents decided ad- \ aiitages.

(lid not have tlie means to ^et it properly l>efore the people and thus far he lias not realized anything from it, although mechanics claim it is a first class machine.

There have been numerous other inventions l)y Dakota county people, but we have been unal)le to learn enough facts in regard to them to give them further notice.