Topographic map of a portion of Texas from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) project. The map includes towns, historic or notable sites, bodies of water, and other geologic features. Scale 1:125000

Topographic map of a portion of Texas from the United States Geological Survey (USGS) project. The map includes towns, historic or notable sites, bodies of water, and other geologic features. Scale 1:125000

This book gives an overview of the twelve Blackland Counties of Texas in alphabetical order. For each county, a brief description of the geographic and agricultural characteristics is given as well as statistics on population and county income. Additionally, a geological description of the Black Prairie Region gives more specific aspects of the area and the soil compositions and a final chapter discusses the property market of the area.

Photograph of (left to right) Sadie Kell, Willie May Kell, Caroline (Carrie) Kell, and Elizabeth (Bess) Kell in patterned dresses and bonnets. The girls are daughters of Frank and Lula (Kemp) Kell of Wichita Falls, Texas.

Patent for a new and improved windlass. This design consists in "[t]he combination of a frame having the cross-bars near its lower and upper ends, the windlass-shaft journaled in the side pieces of the frame and having the balance-wheels and the pinion, the operating-gears mounted in one side of the frame and one of said gears meshing with said pinion, an upright mounted upon the lower front cross-piece of the frame and having a guide-pulley at its upper end, arms extending laterally from said upright, and a guide-roller journaled in said arms" (lines 11-21).

Patent for "a platform-binder in which the needle or cord-carrying arm is placed below the deck of the platform and the cord-tying mechanism is placed above the deck of the platform, and the needle being so arranged as to pass beneath the upper plate of an ordinary platform five or six inches in depth and to receive the grain and to compress the same without the assistance of any packers or specially-operated packing mechanism" (lines 8-18).

Patent for a grain-binder that will "first, to construct a needle in sections, and to construct mechanism to curve said needle in position to a proper curvature to conform to the sheaf to be bound at the beginning of the binding operation, and to again straighten out said needle at the end of the binding operation, so as to pass beneath the upper deck of the platform, so that the grain can be shifted direct from the grain-receiving platform on the needle by a suitable conveyer invented by myself and patented February 17,1891, No. 446,473, thus dispensing with all packing and elevating and receiving mechanism, thus promoting simplicity and cheapness of the construction of such grain-binders; second, to construct a simple, light, and durable clutching mechanism to connect and disconnect the binding mechanism with the harvester or conveyor gearing; third, to construct a simple gear-shifting mechanism to impart reciprocating movement to the conveyer, and, fourth, to construct a light and simple locking mechanism to lock the gear-shifting mechanism in position after being shifted to the desired position" (lines 15-40).

Patent for "improvements in compressing and discharging mechanism and a starting mechanism for grain-binders constructed on an ordinary harvester-platform, so as to adapt the well-known Appleby type of binders to be used on an ordinary harvester-platform, the sheaf to be formed direct on the platform, thus adapting the above mentioned cord-tying mechanism to be used in connection with the conveyer invented by myself and patented February 17, 1891, No. 446,473" (lines 12-23).

Patent for "... a new and useful Gearing for Harvester-Conveyers..." (lines 4-5) including instructions and illustrations.

Patent for a flour bin and sifter that improves on a patent that was previously granted to the inventor (No. 411,671). The improvements improve "in an adjustable attachment to the bin whereby said bin may be easily and adjustable attached to a wall; a cut-off inserted near the base of the bin to regulate the flow of material into the sifter; a scraper adapted to scrape the upper side of the cut-off so that no material can be drawn out with said cut-off; in having the sifter connected to the base of the bin by single instead of double pins, and in a single door hinged to the front face of the sifter, and so closely hinged that when the same is open no dust can fly out in the face of the operator" (lines 20-33).

Patent for the combination of parts in gear-shifting mechanisms in harvesters and binders, making construction cheaper and simpler. Includes instructions and illustrations.

Patent for a locking-lever for the gear-shifting mechanism for harvester-conveyers. Includes instructions and illustrations.

Patent for a new and improved gear-shifting mechanism for harvesters. This design "has reference more especially to a gear-shifting mechanism for a reciprocating conveyer in which a gear is engaged and automatically disengaged as the conveyer nears the end of its stubbleward movement" (lines 10-15). It consists, "with a bar provided with a guide having a slot and a depression in said slot, an antifriction roller on said guide, a block or track having a recess, a movable bearing pivoted to the harvester-frame with one end and extending with its other end to the guide" (lines 106-112).

Patent for an improved quarter circular press with a rebounding plunger. The "improvements are in the arrangements and securing of the plates to receive the king-bolt; and braces to guide and support the lever; and, the links linking the plunger-bar direct to the king-bolt, and suitable tripping mechanism" (lines 20-26).

Patent for a new and improved butt board for grain binders. This design "relates to improvements in butt-boards for grain-binders to even the butts of the gavel of grain to be bound and to also adjust said gavel in regard to length so that short grain will be bound near the center as well as long grain . . . [i]t has reference more especially to the construction of the butt-board and operating parts, so as to even the butts of the grain and adjust the same to proper position to the binder at one single movement of the butt-board" (lines 12-27).

Patent for a baling press that has a rebounding plunger and is meant to have "an effective and substantial tripping and catching mechanism, simple in construction, low of production, and durable and easy to trip" (lines 22-25).

Patent for an improved quarter circular baling press that forms "a catching and tripping mechanism simple in construction and low of production; and second, to retain the plunger-bar within its proper limits to again come in proper position on the other catch or set block after being tripped, independent of any vertical or horizontal guides as hereinafter fully described" (lines 19-26).

Patent for a feeding chamber and door for baling presses that vertically extends so that "the feed material need not be tucked down by hand or foot to a level of the baling chamber, as this is accomplished by the door being closed down, a lever and weight can be attached to the door to properly depress the material to allow the door to latch, and as the door prevents the material from bulging up the compressing can be accomplished direct in the feeding chamber, the plunger need not pass but a short distance beyond the feeding chamber thus requiring less movement of the plunger and thus gaining more power" (lines 23-35).

Patent for a tool that tightly twists wire around a bale in a bale press. It works quickly and works better than other wiring tools. "This tool is so constructed that two or more wires can be grasped at two different times independent of each with one movement of the hand, not loosening the grip on the first wire while the second wire is grasped and cut off" (lines 35-40).

Patent for a bale wiring tool that "consists of a shank of proper length and diameter, with wire clamping and cutting mechanism on its lower end, and mechanism on its other end to rotate said tool" (lines 23-27). It also has "two independent clamping and cutting jaws, so that one wire can be clamped in the tool, while the other wire can be drawn tight around the bale and then placed in the tool and clamped and cut off, when the tool can be rotated by a brace or by a rack and pinion...and the wire twisted to form a tie" (lines 28-35).

Patent for improvement in devices for marking livestock by using steel blades either to cut or heated to burn the surface of livestock’s skin. (Lines 71-73) There is no mistaking the marks of one owner from those of another. (Lines 85-86) Illustration is included.

Patent for a new knotting mechanism for grain-binders for harvesting machines. Patent for "a new and improved machine for the purpose of cutting and binding grain into gavel automatically and successfully." (lines 18-24) including instructions and illustrations. Patent for a new knotting mechanism for grain-binder, including illustrations.

Patent for change to harvester reels so that the "reel can be moved to any desired position and by which, also, to support the reel after it has been moved into the desired position" (lines 9-12).

Patent for a new and improved grain conveyer for binders. This design "relates to that class of grain-conveyers for binders and harvesters, &c., in which arms unfold when started from the outer end of its travel on its forward movement and in that position shift the grain in front of it, and thus shift the grain off the inner end of the platform and deliver such grain to suitable compressors . . . and such arms fold back at the beginning of its rearward movement and pass back underneath the grain on the platform" (lines 12-23).