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"The Clipper"
A. T. Ferrell & Co.
Hand Crank Operated Seed Cleaner / Separator
I have been specifically
looking for an old Clipper Seed Cleaner since my friend in
Tennessee told me about them. I was not picky about a
model number. A lab / salesman sample desktop model
would work for most of our needs. One of the farm
models would work even better.
I watched local papers and
eBay auctions for years and never could find one for sale
close enough or reasonable enough. I thought that this
was odd because the region was a major seed and grain
growing area and most farms had them - My Great-grandfather
Schoenborn included. However, they seemed to have all
disappeared or perhaps were on display as "antiques."
Out
of the blue, Saturday morning, February 24, 2007, I received
an email with a photograph attached. It read, "I have an 1800's small farm
hand operated clipper for sale. It is still original and
functional. It has about 10 assorted screens that are all in
good condition. I am including a photo. $150"
I first forwarded the email
to my buddy for input. He said that as long as it was
intact and all of the moving parts working, I should get on
the road and take a look at it. So I called the seller
and found out he was about 45 minutes away. But based
on his description, the asking price, and the amount of time
I had been searching, I told him that I would come down with
a trailer prepared to pick it up.
But the weather was not
cooperating. The piece is all wood - very old dry wood
at that - so it could not get wet. Plus as Dad pointed
out, the trailer would shake the heck out of it. I
talked to the guy and he said that he had a large step van
that he could deliver it in for the cost of gas. Dad
said that anything under $50 would be a good deal
considering we would have to waste a few hours and burn gas
ourselves. So, I told the guy it was sold and took him
up on the delivery offer. He delivered it for $40 (it
was a "van" like the UPS trucks!)
Clipper Seed
Cleaners were invented and manufactured in
Ohio by John E. Smith. In 1891, he sold
controlling interest in his company to A. T. Ferrell who
moved manufacturing to Saginaw, Michigan.
A.
T. Ferrell and Company soon became one of the leading
producers of seed and grain conditioning equipment.
The
company still manufactures agricultural equipment,
including seed cleaners, operating as a
division of the Bluffton Agri/Industrial
Corporation. The
picture on the right is from 1952.
