the american claimant-第14节
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education； that he had got his education in a printing office； and had
graduated from there into the patent office； where he had been a clerk
now for a great many years。 Then he continued to this effect：
The essayist contrasted the America of to…day with the America of bygone
times； and certainly the result is the exhibition of a mighty progress。
But I think he a little overrated the college…culture share in the
production of that result。 It can no doubt be easily shown that the
colleges have contributed the intellectual part of this progress；
and that that part is vast； but that the material progress has been
immeasurably vaster； I think you will concede。 Now I have been looking
over a list of inventorsthe creators of this amazing material
developmentand I find that they were not college…bred men。 Of course
there are exceptionslike Professor Henry of Princeton； the inventor of
Mr。 Morse's system of telegraphybut these exceptions are few。 It is
not overstatement to say that the imaginationstunning material
development of this century； the only century worth living in since time
itself was invented； is the creation of men not college…bred。 We think
we see what these inventors have done： no； we see only the visible vast
frontage of their work； behind it is their far vaster work； and it is
invisible to the careless glance。 They have reconstructed this nation
made it over； that isand metaphorically speaking； have multiplied its
numbers almost beyond the power of figures to express。 I will explain
what I mean。 What constitutes the population of a land？。 Merely the
numberable packages of meat and bones in it called by courtesy men and
women？ Shall a million ounces of brass and a million ounces of gold be
held to be of the same value？ Take a truer standard： the measure of a
man's contributing capacity to his time and his peoplethe work he can
doand then number the population of this country to…day； as multiplied
by what a man can now do； more than his grandfather could do。 By this
standard of measurement； this nation； two or three generations ago；
consisted of mere cripples； paralytics； dead men； as compared with the
men of to…day。 In 1840 our population was 17；000；000。 By way of rude
but striking illustration； let us consider； for argument's sake； that
four of these millions consisted of aged people； little children； and
other incapables； and that the remaining 13；000；000 were divided and
employed as follows：
2；000；000 as ginners of cotton。
6；000；000 （women） as stocking…knitters。
2；000；000 （women） as thread…spinners。
500；000 as screw makers。
400；000 as reapers； binders； etc。
1；000；000 as corn shellers。
40；000 as weavers。
1；000 as stitchers of shoe soles。
Now the deductions which I am going to append to these figures may sound
extravagant； but they are not。 I take them from Miscellaneous Documents
No。 50； second session 45th Congress； and they are official and
trustworthy。 To…day； the work of those 2；000；000 cotton…ginners is done
by 2；000 men； that of the 6；000；000 stocking…knitters is done by 3；000
boys； that of the 2；000；000 thread…spinners is done by 1；000 girls； that
of the 500；000 screw makers is done by 500 girls； that of the 400；000
reapers； binders； etc。； is done by 4；000 boys； that of the 1；000；000 corn
shelters is done by 7；500 men； that of the 40；000 weavers is done by
1；200 men； and that of the 1；000 stitchers of shoe soles is done by
6 men。 To bunch the figures； 17；900 persons to…day do the above…work；
whereas fifty years ago it would have taken thirteen millions of persons
to do it。 Now then； how many of that ignorant raceour fathers and
grandfatherswith their ignorant methods； would it take to do our work
to…day？ It would take forty thousand millionsa hundred times the
swarming population of China…twenty times the present population of the
globe。 You look around you and you see a nation of sixty millions
apparently； but secreted in their hands and brains； and invisible to your
eyes； is the true population of this Republic； and it numbers forty
billions！ It is the stupendous creation of those humble unlettered；
un…college…bred inventorsall honor to their name。
〃How grand that is！〃 said Tracy； as he wended homeward。 〃What a
civilization it is； and what prodigious results these are！ and brought
about almost wholly by common men； not by Oxford…trained aristocrats；
but men who stand shoulder to shoulder in the humble ranks of life and
earn the bread that they eat。 Again； I'm glad I came。 I have found a
country at last where one may start fair； and breast to breast with his
fellow man； rise by his own efforts； and be something in the world and be
proud of that something； not be something created by an ancestor three
hundred years ago。〃
CHAPTER XI。
During the first few days he kept the fact diligently before his mind
that he was in a land where there was 〃work and bread for all。〃 In fact；
for convenience' sake he fitted it to a little tune and hummed it to
himself； but as time wore on the fact itself began to take on a doubtful
look； and next the tune got fatigued and presently ran down and stopped。
His first effort was to get an upper clerkship in one of the departments；
where his Oxford education could come into play and do him service。
But he stood no chance whatever。 There； competency was no
recommendation； political backing； without competency； was worth six of
it。 He was glaringly English； and that was necessarily against him in
the political centre of a nation where both parties prayed for the Irish
cause on the house…top and blasphemed it in the cellar。 By his dress he
was a cowboy； that won him respectwhen his back was not turnedbut it
couldn't get a clerkship for him。 But he had said； in a rash moment；
that he would wear those clothes till the owner or the owner's friends
caught sight of them and asked for that money； and his conscience would
not let him retire from that engagement now。
At the end of a week things were beginning to wear rather a startling
look。 He had hunted everywhere for work； descending gradually the scale
of quality； until apparently he had sued for all the various kinds df
work a man without a special calling might hope to be able to do； except
ditching and the other coarse manual sorts…and had got neither work nor
the promise of it。
He was mechanically turning over the leaves of his diary； meanwhile； and
now his eye fell upon the first record made after he was burnt out：
〃I myself did not doubt my stamina before； nobody could doubt it now； if
they could see how I am housed； and realise that I feel absolutely no
disgust with these quarters； but am as serenely content with them as any
dog would be in a similar kennel。 Terms； twenty…five dollars a week。
I said I would start at the bottom。 I have kept my word。〃
A shudder went quaking through him； and he exclaimed：
〃What have I been thinking of！ This the bottom！ Mooning along a whole
week； and these terrific expenses climbing and climbing all the time！
I must end this folly straightway。〃
He settled up at once and went forth to find less sumptuous lodgings。 He
had to wander far and seek with diligence； but he succeeded。 They made
him pay in advancefour dollars and a half； this secured both bed and
food for a week。 The good…natured； hardworked landlady took him up three
flights of narrow； uncarpeted stairs and delivered him into his room。
There were two double…bedsteads in it； and one single one。 He would be
allowed to sleep alone in one of the double beds until some new boarder
should come； but he wouldn't be charged extra。
So he would presently be required to sleep with some stranger！
The thought of it made him sick。 Mrs。 Marsh； the landlady； was very
friendly and hoped he would like her house…they all liked it； she said。
〃And they're a very nice set of boys。 They carry on a good deal； but
that's their fun。 You see； this room opens right into this back one；
and sometimes they're all in one and sometimes in the other； and hot
nights they all sleep on the roof when it don't rain。 They get out there
the minute it's hot enough。 The season's so early that they've already
had a night or two up there。 If you'd like to go up and pick out a
place； you can。 You'll find chalk in the side of the chimney where
there's a brick wanting。 You just take the chalk andbut of course
you've done it before。〃
〃Oh； no； I haven't。〃
〃Why； of course you haven't…what am I thinking of？ Plenty of room on the
Plains without chalking； I'll be bound。 Well； you just chalk out a place
the size of a blanket anywhere on the tin that ain't already marked off；
you know； and that's your property。 You and your bed…mate take turn…
about carrying up the blanket and pillows and fetching them down again；
or one carries them up and the other fetches them down； you fix it the
way you like； you know。 You'll like the boys； they're everlasting
sociableexcept the printer。 He's the one that sleeps in that single
bed…the strangest creature； why； I don't believe you could get that man
to sleep with another man； not if the house was afire。 Mind you； I'm not
just talking； I know。 The bo
