The Union and eastern journal. [volume] (Biddeford [Me.]) 1854-1858, 1856-11-07
The Machine Shop.

I'll. a curious chapter in modern history,
Aha growth Of the mschine-shop. Six hun
drsd wears ago, Roger Bacon explained the
procession Of the equinOzes, the consequent
necessity Of the reform Of the calendar,
measured the length Of the year, invented
gunpowder, and announced as IL looking
from his lofty cell, over five centuries, into
ours,) ''tha, machines can be constructed to
drive ships more rapidly than whole gal
lev Of rowers could do: nor would they
need any thing bu, a pilO, to steer them
Carriages, also, nigh, be constructed TO
move with an incredible speed, without the
aid Of any animal. Finally, it would no, be
impossible TO make machines which, BY
means Of a suit Of wings, should fly in the
mir in tho manner Of BIRDS" But the secret
slept with Bacon. The six hundred years
have no, ye. fulfilled his words. Two Gen.
turtles ago, the saving Of timber was done
BY hand the carriage wheels ran on wooden
a,les; the land WAS titled by wooden
ploash.. And il was to little purpose that
they had pit coal, or that looms were i'm
proved, unless Watt and Stephenson had
taught them to work force-pumps and Power-
looms by steam. The great strides were all
taken within the last hundred years. The
Life Of Sir Robert Peel-the model English.
man, who died the other day-very proper
ly has for fron,ispiece 4 drawing OF the
spinning Jenny, which wove the web OF his
fortunes. Hargreaves invented the spin
ning-jsnny. and died in work-house. Ark
wright improved the Invention, and the ma
chine dispensed with the work Of ninety
nine men that is, one spinner could do as
much work rs one hundred had donc believe.
The loom was improved further. Rat the
mel would sometimes strike for wages and
combine agains, the masters, AMI about
ls29-'3o, much fear was FELT, lest the trade
would be drawn away by these Interrupt
tons, and the emigration OF the spiuneTs TO
Belgium and The United States. Iron and
steel are very obedleRt. Whether il were
no. possible TO make a spinner that would
no, rebel, nor muter, nor scowl, nor strike
FOE wages nor emigrate' AT the solicitation
OF the masters, after mob and riot at Staley
Bridge, NJ. Roberts, OF Manchester, under
took 10 create this peaceful fellow, instead
Of the quarrelsome fellow God had made
Ailcr few trials he succeeded, and, in 1890,
procured a pa,en, for his seli-ac,ing mule
a creation, the delight Of millowners, and
destined, they said, "to restore order among
the Industrious classes" machine requir-
ing only child's hand to piece the broken
yarns. As Arkwright had destroyed do
nestle spinning, 90 Roberts destroyed the
factory spinner. The power Of machinery
In GIsa, Britain, in mills, has been compu-
ted 10 be equal to six hundred millions OF
men, one man being able, by The aid Of
steam, to do the work which required two
hundred and fifty men 10 accomplish fifty
years ago. The production has been COM
msnsura,e. England already had this la
borious race, rich soil, water, wood, coal,
iron aud favorable climate, Eight hundred
years ago commerce had made il rich, and
j, was recorded, England Is the richest OF
all the Northern nalions.' The Norman
historians reciie, that "in 1867, William
carried with him into Normandy, from
England, more gold and silver than had
ever before been seen in Gaul." But when
TO this labor and trade, and these native re-
sources, was added this goblin OF steam,
with its myriad arms, never tired, working
nigh, aud day everlas,ingly, the amassing
oil property has run on, Of all figures. II
makes the mootor Of the last nine years
The s,eam-pipe has added to her population
and wealth the equivalen, Of four or hive
Englands. Forty thousand ships are enter.
ell in Lloyd's lists. The yield Of wheat has
gone on from 1000 900 quarters in the time
Of the S,uaris, TO $1,000 900 in 1854. A
thousand millions Of pounds sterling are
said to compose the floating money OF CON-
merce. In lSls, Lord John Russell stated
that the people Of this county had laid out
$500, 900 900 Of capital in railways, in the
last four years. But a better measure than
these sounding figures is the estimate that
there is wealth enough in England tc sup
port the entire population in idleness fO'
one year.