However, this threshing machine gave the craftsmen who built it a lot of inspiration. Simon knew that the craftsmen he had brought from other places were now working on developing a way to sift flour using either animal or water power. They were thinking of creating a large sieve and having horses pull it back and forth, much like the threshing machine, to shake the sieve and achieve automatic sifting.

Although it sounded simple, for craftsmen who hadn’t studied much theory, it was a difficult task. Still, Simon fully supported their efforts and even told them that if they succeeded, they would be rewarded just like they had been for...