American inventions and inventors . used a jealous feeling among manufacturers. In theiranger they planned a wicked scheme to destroy the life ofthe American manufacturer. A box containing an infernalmachine was sent as freight on a packet ship bound forNew York. Fortunately, when the crew was dischargingthe cargo, the box slipped from the car hook and fell witha crash upon the wharf. This caused it to explode, but with-out injury to any one. In colonial times the condition of society was such as tomake it almost impossible for the people to engage to anygreat extent in manufactures. The count
American inventions and inventors . used a jealous feeling among manufacturers. In theiranger they planned a wicked scheme to destroy the life ofthe American manufacturer. A box containing an infernalmachine was sent as freight on a packet ship bound forNew York. Fortunately, when the crew was dischargingthe cargo, the box slipped from the car hook and fell witha crash upon the wharf. This caused it to explode, but with-out injury to any one. In colonial times the condition of society was such as tomake it almost impossible for the people to engage to anygreat extent in manufactures. The country was new andthe principal business must be agriculture. After comfort-able shelter for the families had been provided, every exer- CLOTHING—COLONIAL CONDITIONS. 145 tion must be put forth to secure food. Cloth could only beobtained from the mother country. Cotton and linen clothwere imported for shirts and sheets, woolen goods for clothing,a few silks for wedding dresses now and then, and leather forthe shoes of all the TAILOR AND COBBLER. the shoes needed for the In the early times thetailor, with his goose andhis shears, plied his tradefrom house to house, stay-ing with each family longenough to make up theclothes necessary for theseason. In like manner -the shoemaker traveledabout the country, with hiskit upon his back, stoppingwith each household to makefather, mother, and children. These were the pioneer days, but, before we became anation, the houses of the people had greatly improved instyle of architecture and in comfort. Considerable wealthhad been secured by many, and but little poverty was foundanywhere. The mechanic arts were beginning to improve,and manufacturing, after a long and tedious waiting, wasgradually making progress. At an early date sawmills hadbeen established upon the streams, using the water as motivepower. Gristmills had sprung up for grinding the grainraised by every farmer. The spinning wheel and the handloom had found their place slow
Size: 1756px × 1423px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1900, bookdecade1900, bookpubli, booksubjectinventions
