Payette County ID Archives News.....Dan Coates An Inventor February 19, 1904
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Patty Theurer seymour784@yahoo.com February 13, 2006, 1:31 am

Payette Independent February 19, 1904
Payette Independent
Payette, Idaho
Friday, February 19, 1904

Dan Coates An Inventor.

D. B. Coates, the well known wool grower and ranchman of Little Willow, has 
blossomed out into a full fledged inventor and has had the success to get 
tapped off by producing a device, which, while not calculated to bring him as 
much glory as would a flying maching, is so thoroughly practical and decidedly 
useful in this section of country, that it is sure to bring him a great deal 
more of the coin of the realm.  Mr. Coates’ invention is an automatic alarm to 
be used in frightening away coyotes during the lambing season and anyone who 
has seen it operate cannot doubt that it will prove to be of immense value to 
the sheepmen, saving them from a great per cent of loss by the ravages of the 
skulking denizens of the sagebrush.

The alarm is very simple in construction.  It consists of a set of ten steel 
barrels, diverging from a central hub like spokes of a wagon wheel, over which 
is a wooden frame and on this frame is a glass case, serving as a protection 
for a candle.  When the alarm is put into operation the candle is lighted and 
as it burns down it is so arranged that it severs twine strings, which are 
attached to strong springs connecting with the steel barrels, which have been 
loaded with charges of powder.  As the strings are broken, the springs, 
suddenly released, strike upon ordinary gun caps fitting, over touch-holes in 
the barrels, causing the powder to explode with a loud report.  By using slow 
burning candles and several of the alarms it is understood a shot can be fired 
every ten minutes throughout the night.  Another advantage is that a strong 
odor of burned powder is produced by the discharge.

Mr. Coates recently completed the model of his first machine, which he has 
named the “Shepard Alarm,” and applied for a patent.  Several days ago he 
visited Boise and arranged for the manufacturing of the alarms with the result 
that they will be on the market almost immediately.  He has arranged with D. D. 
McIlveen of Payette to act as his agent in handling the alarms and for the next 
week the latter will have one of them on exhibition at the Moss Mercantile 
store where they may be seen by those interested.  




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