the age of invention-第6章

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　America；　white　or　black；　was　never　and　could　never　be　as　cheap　as　in　India。　American　slaves　could　be　much　more　profitably　employed　in　the　cultivation　of　rice　and　indigo。

Three　varieties　of　the　cotton　plant　were　grown　in　the　South。　Two　kinds　of　the　black…seed　or　long…staple　variety　thrived　in　the　sea…islands　and　along　the　coast　from　Delaware　to　Georgia；　but　only　the　hardier　and　more　prolific　green…seed　or　short…staple　cotton　could。　be　raised　inland。　The　labor　of　cultivating　and　harvesting　cotton　of　any　kind　was　very　great。　The　fiber；　growing　in　bolls　resembling　a　walnut　in　size　and　shape；　had　to　be　taken　by　hand　from　every　boll；　as　it　has　to　be　today；　for　no　satisfactory　cotton　harvester　has　yet　been　invented。　But　in　the　case　of　the　green…seed　or　upland　cotton；　the　only　kind　which　could　ever　be　cultivated　extensively　in　the　South；　there　was　another　and　more　serious　obstacle　in　the　way；　namely；　the　difficulty　of　separating　the　fiber　from　the　seeds。　No　machine　yet　devised　could　perform　this　tedious　and　unprofitable　task。　For　the　black…seed　or　sea…island　cotton；　the　churka；　or　roller　gin；　used　in　India　from　time　immemorial；　drawing　the　fiber　slowly　between　a　pair　of　rollers　to　push　out　the　seeds；　did　the　work　imperfectly；　but　this　churka　was　entirely　useless　for　the　green…seed　variety；　the　fiber　of　which　clung　closely　to　the　seed　and　would　yield　only　to　human　hands。　The　quickest　and　most　skillful　pair　of　hands　could　separate　only　a　pound　or　two　of　lint　from　its　three　pounds　of　seeds　in　an　ordinary　working　day。　Usually　the　task　was　taken　up　at　the　end　of　the　day；　when　the　other　work　was　done。　The　slaves　sat　round　an　overseer　who　shook　the　dozing　and　nudged　the　slow。　It　was　also　the　regular　task　for　a　rainy　day。　It　is　not　surprising；　then；　that　cotton　was　scarce；　that　flax　and　wool　in　that　day　were　the　usual　textiles；　that　in　1783　wool　furnished　about　seventy…seven　per　cent；　flax　about　eighteen　per　cent；　and　cotton　only　about　five　per　cent　of　the　clothing　of　the　people　of　Europe　and　the　United　States。

That　series　of　inventions　designed　for　the　manufacture　of　cloth；　and　destined　to　transform　Great　Britain；　the　whole　world；　in　fact；　was　already　completed　in　Franklin's　time。　Beginning　with　the　flying　shuttle　of　John　Kay　in　1738；　followed　by　the　spinning　jenny　of　James　Hargreaves　in　1764；　the　water…frame　of　Richard　Arkwright　in　1769；　and　the　mule　of　Samuel　Crompton　ten　years　later；　machines　were　provided　which　could　spin　any　quantity　of　fiber　likely　to　be　offered。　And　when；　in　1787；　Edmund　Cartwright；　clergyman　and　poet；　invented　the　self…acting　loom　to　which　power　might　be　applied；　the　series　was　complete。　These　inventions；　supplementing　the　steam　engine　of　James　Watt；　made　the　Industrial　Revolution。　They　destroyed　the　system　of　cottage　manufactures　in　England　and　gave　birth　to　the　great　textile　establishments　of　today。

The　mechanism　for　the　production　of　cloth　on　a　great　scale　was　provided；　if　only　the　raw　material　could　be　found。

The　romance　of　cotton　begins　on　a　New　England　farm。　It　was　on　a　farm　in　the　town　（township）　of　Westboro；　in　Worcester　County；　Massachusetts；　in　the　year　1765；　that　Eli　Whitney；　inventor　of　the　cotton　gin；　was　born。　Eli's　father　was　a　man　of　substance　and　standing　in　the　community；　a　mechanic　as　well　as　a　farmer；　who　occupied　his　leisure　in　making　articles　for　his　neighbors。　We　are　told　that　young　Eli　displayed　a　passion　for　tools　almost　as　soon　as　he　could　walk；　that　he　made　a　violin　at　the　age　of　twelve　and　about　the　same　time　took　his　father's　watch　to　pieces　surreptitiously　and　succeeded　in　putting　it　together　again　so　successfully　as　to　escape　detection。　He　was　able　to　make　a　table　knife　to　match　the　others　of　a　broken　set。　As　a　boy　of　fifteen　or　sixteen；　during　the　War　of　Independence；　he　was　supplying　the　neighborhood　with　hand…made　nails　and　various　other　articles。　Though　he　had　not　been　a　particularly　apt　pupil　in　the　schools；　he　conceived　the　ambition　of　attending　college；　and　so；　after　teaching　several　winters　in　rural　schools；　he　went　to　Yale。　He　appears　to　have　paid　his　own　way　through　college　by　the　exercise　of　his　mechanical　talents。　He　is　said　to　have　mended　for　the　college　some　imported　apparatus　which　otherwise　would　have　had　to　go　to　the　old　country　for　repairs。　〃There　was　a　good　mechanic　spoiled　when　you　came　to　college；〃　he　was　told　by　a　carpenter　in　the　town。　There　was　no　〃Sheff〃　at　Yale　in　those　days　to　give　young　men　like　Whitney　scientific　instruction；　so；　defying　the　bent　of　his　abilities；　Eli　went　on　with　his　academic　studies；　graduated　in　1792；　at　the　age　of　twenty…seven；　and　decided　to　be　a　teacher　or　perhaps　a　lawyer。

Like　so　many　young　New　Englanders　of　the　time；　Whitney　sought　employment　in　the　South。　Having　received　the　promise　of　a　position　in　South　Carolina；　he　embarked　at　New　York；　soon　after　his　graduation；　on　a　sailing　vessel　bound　for　Savannah。　On　board　he　met　the　widow　of　General　Nathanael　Greene　of　Revolutionary　fame；　and　this　lady　invited　him　to　visit　her　plantation　at　Mulberry　Grove；　near　Savannah。　What　happened　then　is　best　told　by　Eli　Whitney　himself；　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