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"In 1818 William Eator obtained a patent for a self-acting mule, in which the operations ordinarily performed by the spinner were effected by automatic means, and this machine, though not extensively adopted, contained several ingenious arrangements." — Encyclopedia Britannica, 1893

Mule

"In 1818 William Eator obtained a patent for a self-acting mule, in which the operations ordinarily…

A woman spinning cotton on a spinning jenny.

Spinning Jenny

A woman spinning cotton on a spinning jenny.

A spinning jenny caught on fire.

Spinning Jenny

A spinning jenny caught on fire.

"Probably no inventive contribution has been offered to the cotton trade more important than the mule. Samuel Crompton of Bolton completes in 1775 his invention of the mule jenny, contriving which he had been engages for several years. But this machine, possessing great merit and advantages, did not come into general use, nor was its value known, until after the expiration of Arkwright's patent, the spinner till then being confined to the rove prepared from common jenny spinning, which was unsuitable to the mule jenny." — Encyclopedia Britannica, 1893

The Mule

"Probably no inventive contribution has been offered to the cotton trade more important than the mule.…