the age of invention-第6节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


elf；　in　a　letter　to　his　father；　written　at　New　Haven；　after　his　return　from　the　South　some　months　later；　though　the　spelling　master　will　probably　send　Whitney　to　the　foot　of　the　class：

〃New　Haven；　Sept。　11th；　1793。

〃。　。　。　I　went　from　N。　York　with　the　family　of　the　late　Major　General　Greene　to　Georgia。　I　went　immediately　with　the　family　to　their　Plantation　about　twelve　miles　from　Savannah　with　an　expectation　of　spending　four　or　five　days　and　then　proceed　into　Carolina　to　take　the　school　as　I　have　mentioned　in　former　letters。　During　this　time　I　heard　much　said　of　the　extreme　difficulty　of　ginning　Cotton；　that　is；　seperating　it　from　its　seeds。　There　were　a　number　of　very　respectable　Gentlemen　at　Mrs。　Greene's　who　all　agreed　that　if　a　machine　could　be　invented　which　would　clean　the　cotton　with　expedition；　it　would　be　a　great　thing　both　to　the　Country　and　to　the　inventor。　I　involuntarily　happened　to　be　thinking　on　the　subject　and　struck　out　a　plan　of　a　Machine　in　my　mind；　which　I　communicated　to　Miller　（who　is　agent　to　the　Executors　of　Genl。　Greene　and　resides　in　the　family；　a　man　of　respectibility　and　property）；　he　was　pleased　with　the　Plan　and　said　if　I　would　pursue　it　and　try　an　experiment　to　see　if　it　would　answer；　he　would　be　at　the　whole　expense；　I　should　loose　nothing　but　my　time；　and　if　I　succeeded　we　would　share　the　profits。　Previous　to　this　I　found　I　was　like　to　be　disappointed　in　my　school；　that　is；　instead　of　a　hundred；　I　found　I　could　get　only　fifty　Guineas　a　year。　I　however　held　the　refusal　of　the　school　untill　I　tried　some　experiments。　In　about　ten　Days　I　made　a　little　model；　for　which　I　was　offered；　if　I　would　give　up　all　right　and　title　to　it；　a　Hundred　Guineas。　I　concluded　to　relinquish　my　school　and　turn　my　attention　to　perfecting　the　Machine。　I　made　one　before　I　came　away　which　required　the　labor　of　one　man　to　turn　it　and　with　which　one　man　will　clean　ten　times　as　much　cotton　as　he　can　in　any　other　way　before　known　and　also　cleanse　it　much　better　than　in　the　usual　mode。　This　machine　may　be　turned　by　water　or　with　a　horse；　with　the　greatest　ease；　and　one　man　and　a　horse　will　do　more　than　fifty　men　with　the　old　machines。　It　makes　the　labor　fifty　times　less；　without　throwing　any　class　of　People　out　of　business。

〃I　returned　to　the　Northward　for　the　purpose　of　having　a　machine　made　on　a　large　scale　and　obtaining　a　Patent　for　the　invintion。　I　went　to　Philadelphia*　soon　after　I　arrived；　made　myself　acquainted　with　the　steps　necessary　to　obtain　a　Patent；　took　several　of　the　steps　and　the　Secretary　of　State　Mr。　Jefferson　agreed　to　send　the　Pattent　to　me　as　soon　it　could　be　made　outso　that　I　apprehended　no　difficulty　in　obtaining　the　PatentSince　I　have　been　here　I　have　employed　several　workmen　in　making　machines　and　as　soon　as　my　business　is　such　that　I　can　leave　it　a　few　days；　I　shall　come　to　Westboro'**。　I　think　it　is　probable　I　shall　go　to　Philadelphia　again　before　I　come　to　Westboro'；　and　when　I　do　come　I　shall　be　able　to　stay　but　few　days。　I　am　certain　I　can　obtain　a　patent　in　England。　As　soon　as　I　have　got　a　Patent　in　America　I　shall　go　with　the　machine　which　I　am　now　making；　to　Georgia；　where　I　shall　stay　a　few　weeks　to　see　it　at　work。　From　thence　I　expect　to　go　to　England；　where　I　shall　probably　continue　two　or　three　years。　How　advantageous　this　business　will　eventually　prove　to　me；　I　cannot　say。　It　is　generally　said　by　those　who　know　anything　about　it；　that　I　shall　make　a　Fortune　by　it。　I　have　no　expectation　that　I　shall　make　an　independent　fortune　by　it；　but　think　I　had　better　pursue　it　than　any　other　business　into　which　I　can　enter。　Something　which　cannot　be　foreseen　may　frustrate　my　expectations　and　defeat　my　Plan；　but　I　am　now　so　sure　of　success　that　ten　thousand　dollars；　if　I　saw　the　money　counted　out　to　me；　would　not　tempt　me　to　give　up　my　right　and　relinquish　the　object。　I　wish　you；　sir；　not　to　show　this　letter　nor　communicate　anything　of　its　contents　to　any　body　except　My　Brothers　and　Sister；　ENJOINING　it　on　them　to　keep　the　whole　A　PROFOUND　SECRET。〃

*　Then　the　national　capital。

**　Hammond；　〃Correspondence　of　Eli　Whitney；〃　American　Historical　Review；　vol。　III；　p。　99。　The　other　citations　in　this　chapter　are　from　the　same　source；　unless　otherwise　stated。


The　invention；　however；　could　not　be　kept　〃a　profound　secret；〃　for　knowledge　of　it　was　already　out　in　the　cotton　country。　Whitney's　hostess；　Mrs。　Greene；　had　shown　the　wonderful　machine　to　some　friends；　who　soon　spread　the　glad　tidings；　and　planters；　near　and　far；　had　come　to　Mulberry　Grove　to　see　it。　The　machine　was　of　very　simple　construction；　any　blacksmith　or　wheelwright；　knowing　the　principle　of　the　design；　could　make　one。　Even　before　Whitney　could　obtain　his　patent；　cotton　gins　based　on　his　were　being　manufactured　and　used。

Whitney　received　his　patent　in　March；　1794；　and　entered　on　his　new　work　with　enthusiasm。　His　partner；　Phineas　Miller；　was　a　cultivated　New　England　gentleman；　a　graduate　of　Yale　College；　who；　like　Whitney；　had　sought　his　fortune　as　a　teacher　in　the　South。　He　had　been　a　tutor　in　the　Greene　household　and　on　General　Greene's　death　had　taken　over　the　management　of　his　estates。　He　afterwards　married　Mrs。　Greene。　The　partners　decided　to　manufacture　the　machines　in　New　Haven；　Whitney　to　give　his　time　to　the　production；　Miller　to　furnish　the　capital　and　attend　to　the　firm's　interests　in　the　South。

At　the　outset　the　partners　blundered　seriously　in　their　plan　for　commercializing　the　invention。　They　planned　to　buy　seed　cotton　and　clean　it　themselves；　also　to　clean　cotton　for　the　planters　on　the　familiar　toll　system；　as　in　grinding　grain；　taking　a　toll　of　one　pound　of　cotton　out　of　every　three。　〃Whitney's　plan　in　Georgia；〃　says　a　recent　writer；　〃as　shown　by　his　letters　and　other　evidence；　was　to　own　all　the　gins　and　gin　all　the　cotton　made　in　the　country。　It　is　but　human　nature　that　this　sort　of　monopoly　should　be　odious　to　any　community。〃*　Miller　appears　to　have　calculated　that　the　planters　could　afford　to　pay　for　the　use　of　the　new　invention　about　one…half　of　all　the　profits　they　derived　from　its　use。　An　equal　division；　between　the　owners　of　the　invention　on　the　one　hand　and　the　cotton　growers　on　the　other；　of　all　the　super…added　wealth　arising　from　the　invention；　seemed　to　him　fair。　Apparently　the　full　meaning　of　such　an　arrangement　did　not　enter　his　mind。　Perhaps　Miller　and　Whitney　did　not　see　at　first　that　the　new　invention　would　cause　a　veritable　industrial　revolution；　or　that　the　system　they　planned；　if　it　could　be　made　effective；　would　make　them　absolute　masters　of　the　cotton　country；　with　the　most　stupendous　monopoly　in　the　world。　Nor　do　they　appear　to　have　realized　that；　considering　the　simple　construction　of　their　machine　and　the　loose　operation　of　the　patent　law　at　that　time；　the　planters　of　the　South　would　never　submit　to　so　great　a　tribute　as　they　proposed　to　exact。　Their　attempt　in　the　first　instance　to　set　up　an　unfair　monopoly　brought　them　presently　into　a　sea　of　troubles；　which　they　never　passed　out　of；　even　when　they　afterwards　changed　their　tack　and　offered　to　sell　the　machines　with　a　license；　or　a　license　alone；　at　a　reasonable　price。

*　Tompkins；　〃Cotton　and　Cotton　Oil〃；　p。　86。


Misfortune　pursued　the　partners　from　the　beginning。　Whitney　writes　to　his　father　from　New　Haven　in　May；　1794；　that　his　machines　in　Georgia　are　working　well；　but　that　he　apprehends　great　difficulty　in　manufacturing　them　as　fast　as　they　are　needed。　In　March　of　the　following　year　he　writes　again；　saying　that　his　factory　in　New　Haven　has　been　destroyed　by　fire：　〃When　I　returned　home　from　N。　York　I　found　my　property　all　in　ashes！　My　shop；　all　my　tools；　material　and　work　equal　to　twenty　finished　cotton　machines　all　gone。　The　manner　in　which　it　took　fire　is　altogether　unaccountable。〃　Besides；　the　partners　found　themselves　in　distress　for　lack　of　capital。　Then　word　came　from　England　that　the　Manchester　spinners　had　found　the　ginned　cotton　to　contain　knots；　and　this　was　sufficient　to　start　the　rumor　throughout　the　South　that　Whitney's　gin　injured　the　cotton　fiber　and　that　cotton　cleaned　by　them　was　worthless。　It　was　two　years　before　this　ghost　was　laid。　Meanwhile　Whitney's　patent　was　being　infringed　on　every　hand。　〃They　continue　to　clean　great　quantities　of　cotton　with　Lyon's　Gin　and　sell　it　advantageously　while　the　Patent　ginned　cotton　is　run　down　as　good　for　nothing；〃　writes　Miller　to　Whitney　in　September；　1797。　Miller　and　Whitney　brought　suits　against　the　infringers　but　they　could　obtain　no　redress　in　the　courts。

Whitney's　attitude　of　mind　during　these　troubles　is　shown　in　his　letters。　He　says　the　statement　that　his　machines　injure　the　cotton　is　false；　that　the　source　of　the　trouble　is　bad　cotton；　which　he　ventures　to　think　is　improved　fifty　per　cent　by　the　use　of　his　gin；　and　that　it　is　absurd　to　say　that　the　cotton　could　be　injured　in　any　way　in　the　process　of　cleaning。　〃I　think；〃　he　says；　writing　to　Miller；　〃you　will　be　able　to　convince　the　CANDID　that　this　is　quite　a　mistaken　notion　and　them　that　WILL　NOT　BELIEVE　may　be　damn'd。〃　Again；　writing　later　to　his　friend　Josiah　Stebbins　in　New　England：　〃I　have　a　set　of　the　most　Depraved　villains　to　combat　and　I　might　almost　as　well　go　to　HELL　in　search　of　HAPPINESS　as　apply　to　a　Georgi