The Pickens sentinel. [volume] (Pickens, S.C.) 1871-1903, 1881-01-27
Manual Labor vs.. Machinery.

manual LaDOr VSs MaCnIneryS
A fear seems to have taken possession
of many minds lest by the inventive
genius of man machiney might be pro-
duced capable of accomplishing SO much
as to remove the necessity for manual
labor, and, as o consequence, lest they
themselves should be unable to gain
livelihood. So widely have these views
been imbibed, even by men of apparent
intelligence Of O comparatively high
order that they have advocated in strong
terms, upon the rostrum and elsewhere,
the desirability of not only banishing
new machinery, but inventors also This
opposition has made the path of those
who possessed sufficient enterprise to lead
them to devise new methods, and new
apparatus TO effect the same, not only
unpleasant, but generally Improbable;
whereas if mankind had been more fully
endowed with wisdom and brotherly
love very different state of affairs would
have existed
The cry that ''the rich are growing
richer and the poor are growing poorer"
as the result Of the introduction of new
machinery is not trne In fact, the use
of machinery is constantly improving the
condition of oil classes; and the advance
that has been made by the masses to-
ward higher civilization the last half
century is simply wonderful, and is due
to the development of the inventive
genius of man. That there is not an
equitable distribution Of the products of
the farm, the mine, and the manufactory
cannot be denied But where does tho
fault lie? Not with the machinery either
of old or new design.
Let the reader look back with the aid
of proper books of reference to the con-
dition of things fifty years ago. At that
time it was beginning to dawn upon the
minds of the most progressive that steam
railways were a possibility; but every
thing for the next ten years was in the
crudest possible condition, no more like
the comfortable railways of to-day than
two-wheel springless oX-cart is like q
modern pleasure carriage. Then travel
was slow and tedious for all classes, rich
or poor. Now the rich and the poor as
we'll, may travel five hundred miles COM
fortably in twenty-four hours. Then the
mails were weeks In going and coming
where days will now suffice. Then tele-
graphs were unknown, but now any one
may send q message to friend hundreds
OF miles away for n few cents, and get an
answer almost at once, whereas it for
merly required several days if not weeks
for message to go and come. These
and hundreds of other improvements
that have been inaugurated are open to
the uso and benefit of all, and have
greatly lessened the most arduous work
of the laboring man, while the necessity
for his services is in no wise less now than
formerly In fact it may be truly said
that the day laborer can now enjoy many
things that the wealthiest men half a
century ago could not obtain. n.-Ne,U
York Mercantile, Jou1naL
THE Spider.
The worst thing about this poor insect
is, that it is so thoroughly ugly. In it
Nature has sacrificed every thing in the
formation of the industrial machine
necessary for satisfying it's wants. Of a
circular form, furnished with eight legs
and eight vigilant eyes, it astonishes
(and disgusts) lis by the pre-eminence of
an enormous abdomen. Ignoble trait
in which the inattentive and superficial
observer will see nothing but type OF
gluttony. Alas! it is. quite the con-
trary. This abdomen is its workshop,
its magazine, the pocket in which the
rope-maker keeps his stock; but as he
fills this pocket with nothing but his
own substance, he can only increase it
at his own expense by means of rigid
sobrlety. True type of the artisan. eff
l fast to-day" he says, Il shall, per-
haps, get something to eat tomorrow;
but ifmy manufacture be stopped, every
thing is lost, and my stomach will have
to fast forever"
In character the spider is watchful
and cunning; in disposition timid. un-
easy and nervous-being endowed with q
more sensitive nature than is possessed
by any other insect These character
lstlcs are the natural results Of its miser-
able condition, which is a state Of con.
slant, passive, weary waiting. To be
forever watching the ceaseless, ioyless,
careless dances Of the fly, which pays no
attention to the greedy desires Of his
enemy, or the gentle whispers Of: "Como
here, little one, come this way"-is to
be In state of constant torment, to be
continually undergoing a succession of
hopes and modification. The fatal
Question, "shall I get any dinner2'' is
continually presenting itself to the
dweller in the web, followed by the still
more sinister reflection, eff T have nc
dinner to-day, then no more thread, and
still less hope Of dining tomorrow.
The male spider often makes O meal OF
his progeny; while the female loves them
80 tenderly that if she cannot save them
in circumstances of peril she prefers tc
perish with them. The love which she
bears to her little ones she does not ex.
tend towards her mate. Sometimes,
after having in vain attempted to pre-:
vent him from devouring their offspring,
the idea appears suddenly to present It,
self to her mind that the cannibal is
himself good for food, on which she
instantly falls upon him and eats him
up.
Sheep.Raising in Montana.