The
first rude plough that man thrust into the soil, the first rude
axe of stone with which he felled the pine, the first rude canoe
scooped by him from its trunk to cross the river and reach the
greener fields beyond, were each the outcome of a human faculty
which brought within his reach some physical comfort he had never
enjoyed before.
Material things became subject to the influence of labour. From
the clay of the ground, man manufactured the vessels which were
to contain his food. Out of the fleecy covering of sheep, he
made clothes for himself of many kinds; from the flax plant he
drew its fibres, and made linen and cambric; from the hemp plant
he made ropes and fishing nets; from the cotton pod he fabricated
fustians, dimities, and calicoes. From the rags of these, or
from weed and the shavings of wood, he made paper on which books
and newspapers were printed. Lead was formed by him into
printer's type, for the communication of knowledge without end.
But the most extraordinary changes of all were made in a heavy
stone containing metal, dug out of the ground. With this, when
smelted by wood or coal, and manipulated by experienced skill,
iron was produced. From this extraordinary metal, the soul of
every manufacture, and the mainspring perhaps of civilised
society--arms, hammers, and axes were made; then knives,
scissors, and needles; then machinery to hold and control the
prodigious force of steam; and eventually railroads and
locomotives, ironclads propelled by the screw, and iron and steel
bridges miles in length.
Pages:
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151