the age of invention-第29章

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model。　On　his　return　he　went　into　his　father's　works　and　gained　a　superficial　knowledge　of　chemistry　from　the　manager　of　the　bleaching　and　dyeing　department。　Then　he　took　to　the　road　for　three　years　and　traveled　from　Quebec　to　New　Orleans　lecturing　on　chemistry　under　the　name　of　〃Dr。　Coult。〃　The　main　feature　of　his　lecture　was　the　administration　of　nitrous　oxide　gas　to　volunteers　from　the　audience；　whose　antics　and　the　amusing　showman's　patter　made　the　entertainment　very　popular。

Colt's　ambition；　however；　soared　beyond　the　occupation　of　itinerant　showman；　and　he　never　forgot　his　revolver。　As　soon　as　he　had　money　enough；　he　made　models　of　the　new　arm　and　took　out　his　patents；　and；　having　enlisted　the　interest　of　capital；　he　set　up　the　Patent　Arms　Company　at　Paterson；　New　Jersey；　to　manufacture　the　revolver。　He　did　not　succeed　in　having　the　revolver　adopted　by　the　Government；　for　the　army　officers　for　a　long　time　objected　to　the　percussion　cap　（an　invention；　by　the　way；　then　some　twenty　years　old；　which　was　just　coming　into　use　and　without　which　Colt's　revolver　would　not　have　been　practicable）　and　thought　that　the　new　weapon　might　fail　in　an　emergency。　Colt　found　a　market　in　Texas　and　among　the　frontiersmen　who　were　fighting　the　Seminole　War　in　Florida；　but　the　sales　were　insufficient；　and　in　1842　the　company　was　obliged　to　confess　insolvency　and　close　down　the　plant。　Colt　bought　from　the　company　the　patent　of　the　revolver；　which　was　supposed　to　be　worthless。

Nothing　more　happened　until　after　the　outbreak　of　the　Mexican　War　in　1846。　Then　came　a　loud　call　from　General　Zachary　Taylor　for　a　supply　of　Colt's　revolvers。　Colt　had　none。　He　had　sold　the　last　one　to　a　Texas　ranger。　He　had　not　even　a　model。　Yet　he　took　an　order　from　the　Government　for　a　thousand　and　proceeded　to　construct　a　model。　For　the　manufacture　of　the　revolvers　he　arranged　with　the　Whitney　plant　at　Whitneyville。　There　he　saw　and　scrutinized　every　detail　of　the　factory　system　that　Eli　Whitney　had　established　forty　years　earlier。　He　resolved　to　have　a　plant　of　his　own　on　the　same　system　and　one　that　would　far　surpass　Whitney's。　Next　year　（1848）　he　rented　premises　in　Hartford。　His　business　prospered　and　increased。　At　last　the　Government　demanded　his　revolvers。　Within　five　years　he　had　procured　a　site　of　two　hundred　and　fifty　acres　fronting　the　Connecticut　River　at　Hartford；　and　had　there　begun　the　erection　of　the　greatest　arms　factory　in　the　world。

Colt　was　a　captain　of　captains。　The　ablest　mechanic　and　industrial　organizer　in　New　England　at　that　time　was　Elisha　K。　Root。　Colt　went　after　him；　outbidding　every　other　bidder　for　his　services；　and　brought　him　to　Hartford　to　supervise　the　erection　of　the　new　factory　and　set　up　its　machinery。　Root　was　a　great　superintendent；　and　the　phenomenal　success　of　the　Colt　factory　was　due　in　a　marked　degree　to　him。　He　became　president　of　the　company　after　Colt's　death　in　1862；　and　under　him　were　trained　a　large　number　of　mechanics　and　inventors　of　new　machine　tools；　who　afterwards　became　celebrated　leaders　and　officers　in　the　industrial　armies　of　the　country。

The　spectacular　rise　of　the　Colt　factory　at　Hartford　drew　the　attention　of　the　British　Government；　and　in　1854　Colt　was　invited　to　appear　in　London　before　a　Parliamentary　Committee　on　Small　Arms。　He　lectured　the　members　of　the　committee　as　if　they　had　been　school　boys；　telling　them　that　the　regular　British　gun　was　so　bad　that　he　would　be　ashamed　to　have　it　come　from　his　shop。　Speaking　of　a　plant　which　he　had　opened　in　London　the　year　before　he　criticized　the　supposedly　skilled　British　mechanic；　saying：　〃I　began　here　by　employing　the　highest…priced　men　that　I　could　find　to　do　difficult　things；　but　I　had　to　remove　the　whole　of　these　high…priced　men。　Then　I　tried　the　cheapest　I　could　find；　and　the　more　ignorant　a　man　was；　the　more　brains　he　had　for　my　purpose；　and　the　result　was　this：　I　had　men　now　in　my　employ　that　I　started　with　at　two　shillings　a　day；　and　in　one　short　year　I　can　not　spare　them　at　eight　shillings　a　day。〃*　Colt's　audacity；　however；　did　not　offend　the　members　of　the　committee　and　they　decided　to　visit　his　American　factory　at　Hartford。　They　did；　and　were　so　impressed　that　the　British　Government　purchased　in　America　a　full　set　of　machines　for　the　manufacture　of　arms　in　the　Royal　Small　Arms　factory　at　Enfield；　England；　and　took　across　the　sea　American　workmen　and　foremen　to　set　up　and　run　these　。　machines。　A　demand　sprang　up　in　Europe　for　Blanchard　copying　lathes　and　a　hundred　other　American　tools；　and　from　this　time　on　the　manufacture　of　tools　and　appliances　for　other　manufacturers；　both　at　home　and　abroad；　became　an　increasingly　important　industry　of　New　England。

*　Henry　Barnard；　〃Armsmear〃；　p。　371。


The　system　which　the　gunmakers　worked　out　and　developed　to　meet　their　own　requirements　was　capable　of　indefinite　expansion。　It　was　easily　adapted　to　other　kinds　of　manufacture。　So　it　was　that　as　new　inventions　came　in　the　manufacturers　of　these　found　many　of　the　needed　tools　ready　for　them；　and　any　special　modifications　could　be　quickly　made。　A　manufacturer；　of　machine　tools　will　produce　on　demand　a　device　to　perform　any　operation；　however　difficult　or　intricate。　Some　of　the　machines　are　so　versatile　that　specially　designed　sets　of　cutting　edges　will　adapt　them　to　almost　any　work。

Standardization；　due　to　the　machine　tool；　is　one　of　the　chief　glories　of　American　manufacturing。　Accurate　watches　and　clocks；　bicycles　and　motor　cars；　innumerable　devices　to　save　labor　in　the　home；　the　office；　the　shop；　or　on　the　farm；　are　within　the　reach　of　all；　because　the　machine　tool；　tended　by　labor　comparatively　unskilled；　does　the　greater　part　of　the　work　of　production。　In　the　crisis　of　the　World　War；　American　manufacturers；　turning　from　the　arts　of　peace；　promptly　adapted　their　plants　to　the　manufacture　of　the　most　complicated　engines　of　destruction；　which　were　produced　in　Europe　only　by　skilled　machinists　of　the　highest　class。



CHAPTER　IX。　THE　FATHERS　OF　ELECTRICITY

It　may　startle　some　reader　to　be　told　that　the　foundations　of　modern　electrical　science　were　definitely　established　in　the　Elizabethan　Age。　The　England　of　Elizabeth；　of　Shakespeare；　of　Drake　and　the　sea…dogs；　is　seldom　thought　of　as　the　cradle　of　the　science　of　electricity。　Nevertheless；　it　was；　just　as　surely　as　it　was　the　birthplace　of　the　Shakespearian　drama；　of　the　Authorized　Version　of　the　Bible；　or　of　that　maritime　adventure　and　colonial　enterprise　which　finally　grew　and　blossomed　into　the　United　States　of　America。

The　accredited　father　of　the　science　of　electricity　and　magnetism　is　William　Gilbert；　who　was　a　physician　and　man　of　learning　at　the　court　of　Elizabeth。　Prior　to　him；　all　that　was　known　of　these　phenomena　was　what　the　ancients　knew；　that　the　lodestone　possessed　magnetic　properties　and　that　amber　and　jet；　when　rubbed；　would　attract　bits　of　paper　or　other　substances　of　small　specific　gravity。　Gilbert's　great　treatise　〃On　the　Magnet〃；　printed　in　Latin　in　1600；　containing　the　fruits　of　his　researches　and　experiments　for　many　years；　indeed　provided　the　basis　for　a　new　science。

On　foundations　well　and　truly　laid　by　Gilbert　several　Europeans；　like　Otto　von　Guericke　of　Germany；　Du　Fay　of　France；　and　Stephen　Gray　of　England；　worked　before　Benjamin　Franklin　and　added　to　the　structure　of　electrical　knowledge。　The　Leyden　jar；　in　which　the　mysterious　force　could　be　stored；　was　invented　in　Holland　in　1745　and　in　Germany　almost　simultaneously。

Franklin's　important　discoveries　are　outlined　in　the　first　chapter　of　this　book。　He　found　out；　as　we　have　seen；　that　electricity　and　lightning　are　one　and　the　same；　and　in　the　lightning　rod　he　made　the　first　practical　application　of　electricity。　Afterwards　Cavendish　of　England；　Coulomb　of　France；　Galvani　of　Italy；　all　brought　new　bricks　to　the　pile。　Following　them　came　a　group　of　master　builders；　among　whom　may　be　mentioned：　Volta　of　Italy；　Oersted　of　Denmark；　Ampere　of　France；　Ohm　of　Germany；　Faraday　of　England；　and　Joseph　Henry　of　America。

Among　these　men；　who　were；　it　should　be　noted；　theoretical　investigators；　rather　than　practical　inventors　like　Morse；　or　Bell；　or　Edison；　the　American　Joseph　Henry　ranks　high。　Henry　was　born　at　Albany　in　1799　a