The weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn. Territory) 1852-1858, 1857-11-14
Growth of Machinery.


dred years ago, Roger Bacon explained the
procession of the equinoxes, the consequent
necessity of the reform of the calendar, meas
ured the length OF the year, invented guupow-
der and announced las if looking from his
lofty cell over five centuries into orrs, "that
machines can be constructed to drive more
rapidly than whole galley of rowers could
do ; nor would they need anything but pi-
lot to steer them. Car. iageS also might be
constructed to move with an incredible speed
without the use of any animal. Finally, it
would not be impossible to make any ma
chimes, which, by means of suit of wings,
should fly in the air in the manner of BIRDS"
But the secret slept with Bacon. The six
hundred years have not yet fulfilled his words
Two centuries ago, the saving of timber was
done by hand ; the carriage wheels ran On
wooden axles the land was titled by wood
ell plows. And it was to little purpose that
they had pit coal, or that looms were improv-
ed, 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" who died the other day,
the model Englishman, very properly has for
a frontispiece drawing of the spinning .en-
nv, which wOve the web of his fortunes
Hardgreaves invented the spinning jenny, and
died in the wUrkhouse. Arkwright improv-
ed the invention, and the machine dispensed
with the work of ninety nine men; that is, one
spinner could do as much work as one hun
dred had done before. The loom improved
further. But the men would sometimes strike
for wages, and combine against the masters,
and, about l82O-30, much fear was felt least
the trade would be drawn away by these in
terruptions, and the emigration of the spin.
ners to Belgium and the United States.
Iron and steel are very obedient. Wheth-
err it were not possible to make spinner that
would not rebel, nor mutter, nor scowl, nor
strike for wages, nor emigrate? At the So
licitatiOns of the masters, after a mob and
riot at Stalybridge, Mr.. Roberts, of Marches
ter, undertook to create this peaceful FELLOW,
instead Of the quarrelsome fellow God had
made After few trials he succeeded, and,
in $780, procured a patent for his selfacting
mule; creation the delight of mill owners,
and "destined,' they said, ''to restore order
among the industrious classes ;" a machine
requiring only a child's hand to piece the bro
ken var S. AS Arkwright had DESTROYED
domestic spinning, so Roberts destroyed the
factory spinner The power of machinery in
Great Br tain in mills has been computed to
be equal to 600 100000 men, one man beng
able, by the aid of steam, to do the work
which required $50 men to accomplish fifty
years ago. The production has been COM
mensurate. England already had this labori-
Gus race, rich soil, wood, coal, iron and favor
able climate. Eight hundred years ago, COM
merce had made it rich and it was recorded,
''England is the richest of all the northern
nations" The Norman historians recite, that
Sin 1867, William carried with him into Nor
mandy from England more gold and silver
than had ever before been in Gaul" But
VIXEN to this labor, and trade, and these ma
tive resources, was added this goblin of
steam, with its myriad arms, never tired,
working night and day everlastingly, the
urcs. 1t makes the motor of the last ninety
years. The steam pipe has added to her
population and the equivalent of four or five
Englands. Forty thousand ships are entered
in Lloyd's list. The yield of wheat has gone
on from 100000 900 quarters in the time
Of the Stuarts, to 13,OO0OOOOOO in 1854
a thousand million of pounds sterling are
said to compose the floating money of COM
merce. In 1S4S, Lord John Russell stated
that the people of this country had laid out
oOO,OOO,OCO VI utdi III III CuC idot
four years. But better measure than these
sounding figures is the estimate, that there is
wealth enough in England to support the en-
tire population in idlcness for one year. The
wise, versatile, all giving machinery make
chisels, roads, locomotives, telegraphs.-
Whitworth divides bar to millionth of an
inch. Steam twines huge cannon into
wreaths, as easily as it brai1s straw, AMI
vies with the volcanic forces which twisted
the strata. 1t can clothe single mountains
with ship oaks, make sword blades that will
cut barrels in two. In Egypt, it can plant
forests and bring rain after three thousand
years. Already it is .uddering the balloon,
and the next war will be fought In the air.
But another machine more potent in England
than steam, is the Bank. 1t votes an issue
of bills, population is stimulated, and cities
rise it refuses loans, and emigration empires
the country; trade sinks; revolutions break
out kings are dethroned. By these new
agents our social system is moulded. By
dint of steam and of money, war and COM
merce are changed. Nations have lost their
oil omnirotence; the patriotic tie does not
hold. Nations are getting obsolete; we 90
and live where we will. Steam has enabled
man to choose what law they will live under
Money makes place for them.