Arrived at the metropolis, he presses electricity into his service, either on an electric tram or on a subterranean train. In the latter case he uses an electric lift, which lowers him into the bowels of the earth, to pass him on to the current-propelled cars, driven by power generated in far-away stations.
His office is stamped all over with the seal of mechanism. In the lobby are girls hammering on marvellous typewriters; on his desk rests a telephone, connected through wires and most elaborately equipped exchanges with all parts of the country. To get at his private and valuable papers Mr. Smith must have recourse to his bunch of keys, which, with their corresponding locks, represent ingenuity of a high degree. All day long he is in the grasp of mechanism; not even at lunch time can he escape it, for the food set before him at the restaurant has been cooked by the aid of special kitchen machinery.
And when the evening draws on Mr. Smith touches a switch to turn his darkness into light, wrung through many wonderful processes from the stored illumination of coal.
Were we to trace the daily round of the clerk, artisan, scientist, engineer, or manufacturer, we should be brought into contact with a thousand other mechanical appliances. Space forbids such a tour of inspection; but in the following pages we may rove here and there through the workshops of the world, gleaning what seems to be of special interest to the general public, and weaving round it, with a machine-made pen, some of the romance which is apt to be lost sight of by the most marvellous of all creations—Man.
[AUTHOR'S NOTE]
The author desires to express his indebtedness to the following gentlemen for the kind help they have afforded him in connection with the gathering of materials for the letterpress and illustration of this book:—
The proprietors of Cassier's Magazine, The Magazine of Commence, The World's Work, The Motor Boat; The Rexer Automatic Machine Gun Co.; The Diesel Oil Engine Co.; The Cambridge Scientific Instrument Co.; The Marconi Wireless Telegraphy Co.; The Temperley Transporter Co.; Messrs. de Dion, Bouton and Co.; Messrs. Merryweather and Sons; Mr. A. Crosby Lockwood; Mr. Dan Albone; Mr. J. B. Diplock; Mr. W. H. Oatway; The National Cash Register Co.; The Wenzel Sculpturing Machine Co.; Mr. E. W. Gaz; Sir W. G. Armstrong, Whitworth and Co.; The International Harvester Co. and Messrs. Gwynne and Co.