The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-12-04
The Great Industries.

how they are affected by scientific
discovery. The lecture began by show
ing the marked progress Of the age in
which we live, especially as shown in
mans control of force, and his know
ledge of it's action upon matter. The
labor of a year has been concentrated
into the labor of day, the travel of a
day into the compass of an hour. Man
seeks to do his work by machinery, by
instruments that do not tire, grow hun
cry, nor require expensive luxuries.
iaborers formerly required seven eighths
of their time to produce the necessities
of life; the laboring population now do
more in three-fourths their time, thereby
giving them time for study, time to
think. Modern invention in doing the
r labor of mems hands brings them to-
gether in large bodies, in cities, in man.
ufacturing towns, in factories. This
contact produces conflict and social agi-
+ation and begets higher order of in
tellectual and social life Labor is be-
coming educated. The boy of to-day
must be educated to engage in life
where there arc engines, telegraphs,
telephones, looms, lathes, etc, hence he
must know more than the boy need to
know who lived century ago.
Railroads have revolutionized in
dustry and society by facilitating
travel, enlarging the field of labor, of
enterprise, of capital. By connecting
provinces States are formed, by uniting
States nation exists Railroads have
given rise to vast industries which 9TH
erwise could not exist. They have III
cited the massing of capital whereby
these immense industries are made pos
sible. The Importance of Indiana and
Indianapolis was shown by their import
ant railroad connections, the growth of
the city in manufacturing enterprise,
and of the State in great natural wealth
of raw material The progress of civ
ilization depends on the diffusion OF use
full knowledge, such as tends to promote
skilled labor. such as enable men to enjoy
better health, to engage in profitable in
dustry and to possess capital. The dis
semination of such knowledge depends
upon our educational institutions, upon
scientific societies, governmental pro-
visions, and upon individual labor. The
great industries of our nation are ag-
riculture, manufacture and commerce
The farm has given up the sickle for
the scythe; the scythe for the reaper and
binder; the fail for the perfect cleaner
The Department of Agriculture, estab-
iished in 1860, disseminates useful in
formation free, gathered from skilled
workmen, chemists, naturalists and cul-
tivators, concerning plants, animals, soil,
climate and systems, that the agriculture
ist may be benefited The United
States signal service, established nine
years since, protects and benefits agri-
culture and commerce Ninety one per
cent. of its indications are true. The
farmer learns of storms, of wet and dry
seasons; the shipper learns when to ship
merchandise. On the sea-coast caution
AIRY signals give warning Of storms
The use and knowledge of iron is a test
of civilization. Five dollars worth Of
pig iron when made into steel buttons is
worth $4,000; when made into hair
springs it is worth $4,000, or more
than its weight in gold Indiana needs
che skilled labor in her borders that can
turn her rich raw materials into the fine
work of artisans. Rather than ship her
materials away, she needs to bring the
workman here. 1t is the work OF the
artisan which gives value to the object
made. The value OF modern chemistry
was shown in the manufacture of
the desirable fertilizer "Superphos-
plate Of lime" from beds of fos-
sis A single discovery of this kind
gave rise to vast industry in England
by which millions of bushels of this rich
manure are annually made from the bed
If "red erag" underlying the soil. The
value of both mechanical aad chemical
skill are shown in the successful opera
tion of ice machines in Florida and Geor
Sia last summer, making ice at seventy
cents ton. The value of the electric
light was shown by tho recent successful
lighting of parts of London The in
teressing places of the city we're men
toned, as follows: Water-works, pro-
ducing the city supply of excellent water
for domestic use and protection from
fire; the gas-works, rolling-mill, chemi-
c=.i-works, packing houses, mills, machine
shops, Eagle works, Atlas engine works,
brewery, telegraph center, telephone ex-
chance SHINING denots prinfino offcoc