the age of invention-第1节

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The　Age　of　Invention；　A　Chronicle　of　Mechanical　Conquest


by　Holland　Thompson




　PREFATORY　NOTE

This　volume　is　not　intended　to　be　a　complete　record　of　inventive　genius　and　mechanical　progress　in　the　United　States。　A　bare　catalogue　of　notable　American　inventions　in　the　nineteenth　century　alone　could　not　be　compressed　into　these　pages。　Nor　is　it　any　part　of　the　purpose　of　this　book　to　trespass　on　the　ground　of　the　many　mechanical　works　and　encyclopedias　which　give　technical　descriptions　and　explain　in　detail　the　principle　of　every　invention。　All　this　book　seeks　to　do　is　to　outline　the　personalities　of　some　of　the　outstanding　American　inventors　and　indicate　the　significance　of　their　achievements。

Acknowledgments　are　due　the　Editor　of　the　Series　and　to　members　of　the　staff　of　the　Yale　University　Press　particularly；　Miss　Constance　Lindsay　Skinner；　Mr。　Arthur　Edwin　Krows；　and　Miss　Frances　Hartwithout　whose　intelligent　assistance　the　book　could　not　have　been　completed　in　time　to　take　its　place　in　the　Series。

H。　T。

COLLEGE　OF　THE　CITY　OF　NEW　YORK；　May　10；　1921。





CONTENTS

I。　BENJAMIN　FRANKLIN　AND　HIS　TIMES

II。　ELI　WHITNEY　AND　THE　COTTON　GIN

III。　STEAM　IN　CAPTIVITY

IV。　SPINDLE；　LOOM；　AND　NEEDLE　IN　NEW　ENGLAND

V。　THE　AGRICULTURAL　REVOLUTION

VI。　AGENTS　OF　COMMUNICATION

VII。　THE　STORY　OF　RUBBER

VIII。　PIONEERS　OF　THE　MACHINE　SHOP

IX。　THE　FATHERS　OF　ELECTRICITY

X。　THE　CONQUEST　OF　THE　AIR

BIBLIOGRAPHICAL　NOTE






THE　AGE　OF　INVENTION

CHAPTER　I。　BENJAMIN　FRANKLIN　AND　HIS　TIMES

On　Milk　Street；　in　Boston；　opposite　the　Old　South　Church；　lived　Josiah　Franklin；　a　maker　of　soap　and　candles。　He　had　come　to　Boston　with　his　wife　about　the　year　1682　from　the　parish　of　Ecton；　Northamptonshire；　England；　where　his　family　had　lived　on　a　small　freehold　for　about　three　hundred　years。　His　English　wife　had　died；　leaving　him　seven　children；　and　he　had　married　a　colonial　girl；　Abiah　Folger；　whose　father；　Peter　Folger；　was　a　man　of　some　note　in　early　Massachusetts。

Josiah　Franklin　was　fifty…one　and　his　wife　Abiah　thirty…nine；　when　the　first　illustrious　American　inventor　was　born　in　their　house　on　Milk　Street；　January　17；　1706。　He　was　their　eighth　child　and　Josiah's　tenth　son　and　was　baptized　Benjamin。　What　little　we　know　of　Benjamin's　childhood　is　contained　in　his　〃Autobiography〃；　which　the　world　has　accepted　as　one　of　its　best　books　and　which　was　the　first　American　book　to　be　so　accepted。　In　the　crowded　household；　where　thirteen　children　grew　to　manhood　and　womanhood；　there　were　no　luxuries。　Benjamin's　period　of　formal　schooling　was　less　than　two　years；　though　he　could　never　remember　the　time　when　he　could　not　read；　and　at　the　age　of　ten　he　was　put　to　work　in　his　father's　shop。

Benjamin　was　restless　and　unhappy　in　the　shop。　He　appeared　to　have　no　aptitude　at　all　for　the　business　of　soap　making。　His　parents　debated　whether　they　might　not　educate　him　for　the　ministry；　and　his　father　took　him　into　various　shops　in　Boston；　where　he　might　see　artisans　at　work；　in　the　hope　that　he　would　be　attracted　to　some　trade。　But　Benjamin　saw　nothing　there　that　he　wished　to　engage　in。　He　was　inclined　to　follow　the　sea；　as　one　of　his　older　brothers　had　done。

His　fondness　for　books　finally　determined　his　career。　His　older　brother　James　was　a　printer；　and　in　those　days　a　printer　was　a　literary　man　as　well　as　a　mechanic。　The　editor　of　a　newspaper　was　always　a　printer　and　often　composed　his　articles　as　he　set　them　in　type；　so　〃composing〃　came　to　mean　typesetting；　and　one　who　sets　type　is　a　compositor。　Now　James　needed　an　apprentice。　It　happened　then　that　young　Benjamin；　at　the　age　of　thirteen；　was　bound　over　by　law　to　serve　his　brother。

James　Franklin　printed　the　〃New　England　Courant〃；　the　fourth　newspaper　to　be　established　in　the　colonies。　Benjamin　soon　began　to　write　articles　for　this　newspaper。　Then　when　his　brother　was　put　in　jail；　because　he　had　printed　matter　considered　libelous；　and　forbidden　to　continue　as　the　publisher；　the　newspaper　appeared　in　Benjamin's　name。

The　young　apprentice　felt　that　his　brother　was　unduly　severe　and；　after　serving　for　about　two　years；　made　up　his　mind　to　run　away。　Secretly　he　took　passage　on　a　sloop　and　in　three　days　reached　New　York；　there　to　find　that　the　one　printer　in　the　town；　William　Bradford；　could　give　him　no　work。　Benjamin　then　set　out　for　Philadelphia。　By　boat　to　Perth　Amboy；　on　foot　to　Burlington；　and　then　by　boat　to　Philadelphia　was　the　course　of　his　journey；　which　consumed　five　days。　On　a　Sunday　morning　in　October；　1723；　the　tired；　hungry　boy　landed　upon　the　Market　Street　wharf；　and　at　once　set　out　to　find　food　and　explore　America's　metropolis。

Benjamin　found　employment　with　Samuel　Keimer；　an　eccentric　printer　just　beginning　business；　and　lodgings　at　the　house　of　Read；　whose　daughter　Deborah　was　later　to　become　his　wife。　The　intelligent　young　printer　soon　attracted　the　notice　of　Sir　William　Keith；　Governor　of　Pennsylvania；　who　promised　to　set　him　up　in　business。　First；　however；　he　must　go　to　London　to　buy　a　printing　outfit。　On　the　Governor's　promise　to　send　a　letter　of　credit　for　his　needs　in　London；　Franklin　set　sail；　but　the　Governor　broke　his　word；　and　Franklin　was　obliged　to　remain　in　London　nearly　two　years　working　at　his　trade。　It　was　in　London　that　he　printed　the　first　of　his　many　pamphlets；　an　attack　on　revealed　religion；　called　〃A　Dissertation　on　Liberty　and　Necessity；　Pleasure　and　Pain。〃　Though　he　met　some　interesting　persons；　from　each　of　whom　he　extracted；　according　to　his　custom；　every　particle　of　information　possible；　no　future　opened　for　him　in　London；　and　he　accepted　an　offer　to　return　to　Philadelphia　with　employment　as　a　clerk。　But　early　in　1727　his　employer　died；　and　Benjamin　went　back　to　his　trade；　as　printers　always　do。　He　found　work　again　in　Keimer's　printing　office。　Here　his　mechanical　ingenuity　and　general　ability　presently　began　to　appear；　he　invented　a　method　of　casting　type；　made　ink；　and　became；　in　fact；　the　real　manager　of　the　business。

The　ability　to　make　friends　was　one　of　Franklin's　traits；　and　the　number　of　his　acquaintances　grew　rapidly；　both　in　Pennsylvania　and　New　Jersey。　〃I　grew　convinced；〃　he　naively　says；　〃that　TRUTH；　SINCERITY；　and　INTEGRITY　in　dealings　between　man　and　man　were　of　the　utmost　importance　to　the　felicity　of　life。〃　Not　long　after　his　return　from　England　he　founded　in　Philadelphia　the　Junto；　a　society　which　at　its　regular　meetings　argued　various　questions　and　criticized　the　writings　of　the　members。　Through　this　society　he　enlarged　his　reputation　as　well　as　his　education。

The　father　of　an　apprentice　at　Keimer's　furnished　the　money　to　buy　a　printing　outfit　for　his　son　and　Franklin；　but　the　son　soon　sold　his　share；　and　Benjamin　Franklin；　Printer；　was　fairly　established　in　business　at　the　age　of　twenty…four。　The　writing　of　an　anonymous　pamphlet　on　〃The　Nature　and　Necessity　of　a　Paper　Currency〃　called　attention　to　the　need　of　a　further　issue　of　paper　money　in　Pennsylvania；　and　the　author　of　the　tract　was　rewarded　with　the　contract　to　print　the　money；　〃a　very　profitable　job；　and　a　great　help　to　me。〃　Small　favors　were　thankfully　received。　And；　〃I　took　care　not　only　to　be　in　REALITY　industrious　and　frugal；　but　to　avoid　all　appearances　to　the　contrary。　I　drest　plainly；　I　was　seen　at　no　places　of　idle　diversion。〃　And；　〃to　show　that　I　was　not　above　my　business；　I　sometimes　brought　home　the　paper　I　purchased　at　the　stores　thru　the　streets　on　a　wheelbarrow。〃

〃The　Universal　Instructor　in　All　Arts　and　Sciences　and　Pennsylvania　Gazette〃：　this　was　the　high…sounding　name　of　a　newspaper　which　Franklin's　old　employer；　Keimer；　had　started　in　Philadelphia。　But　bankruptcy　shortly　overtook　Keimer；　and　Franklin　took　the　newspaper　with　its　ninety　subscribers。　The　〃Universal　Instructor〃　feature　of　the　paper　consisted　of　a　page　or　two　weekly　of　〃Chambers's　Encyclopedia〃。　Franklin　eliminated　this　feature　and　dropped　the　first　part　of　the　long　name。　〃The　Pennsylvania　Gazette〃　in　Franklin's　hands　soon　became　profitable。　And　it　lives　today　in　the　fullness　of　abounding　life；　though　under　another　name。　〃Founded　A。D。　1728　by　Benj。　Franklin〃　is　the　proud　legend　of　〃The　Saturday　Evening　Post〃；　which　carries　on；　in　our　own　times；　the　Franklin　tradition。

The　〃Gazette〃　printed　bits　of　local　news；　extracts　from　the　London　〃Spectator〃；　jokes；　verses；　humorous　attacks　on　Bradford's　〃Mercury〃；　a　rival　paper；　moral　essays　by　the　editor；　elaborate　hoaxes；　and　pungent　political　or　social　criticism。　Often　the　editor　wrote　and　printed　letters　to　himself；　either　to　emphasize　some　truth　or　to　give　him　the　opportunity　to　ridicule　some　folly　in　a　reply　to　〃Alice　Addertongue；〃　〃Anthony　Afterwit；〃　or　other　mythical　but　none　the　less　typical　person。

If　the　countryman　did　not　read　a　newspaper；　or　buy　books；　he　was；　at　any　rate；　sure　to　own　an　almanac。　So　in　1732　Franklin　brought　out　〃Poor　Richard's　Almanac〃。　Three　editions　were　sold　within　a　few　months。　Year　after　year　the　sayings　of　Richard　Saunders；　the　alleged　publisher；　and　Bridget；　his　wife；　creations　of　Franklin's　fancy；　were　printed　in　the　almanac。　Years　later　the　most　striking　of　these　sayings　were　collected　and　published。　This　work　has　been　translated　into　as　many　as　twenty　lang