677. Machinery.—That the Civil War really marks a dividing line in our industrial progress is shown by the history of the Patent Office; within a few years after the close of the war the number of patents granted increased greatly, and the new level thus established was steadily maintained. American machine manufacturers made in this period their great contributions to mechanical progress: the system of interchangeable parts, automatic and specialized machines, the utilization of by-products, etc. Brass screws at one time could be produced only at great expense; it is characteristic that some manufacturers would now make them absolutely free of charge, if the customer would furnish the brass rod and would allow them to keep the chips of brass which were cut off in the process.
It is impossible here to trace the history of manufactures in detail, but a single manufacture, that of carpets, may be taken for illustration. In the carpet industry about 1835 modern factory methods were unknown; weavers worked at home with old-fashioned hand looms, producing 7 or 8 yards of inferior carpet per day. Power looms were invented, and were introduced little by little, but even after the Civil War nearly half the carpets were still woven on hand looms. Since that time has come the great advance in the industry, by the introduction of improved power machinery, which has reduced the price of fine tapestries and Brussels to that formerly paid for the rudest ingrain, and which has stimulated an immense increase in consumption.
The rapid development of the national manufactures in this period may be shown by brief statistics, in thousand millions of dollars; the capital invested grew from 1.0 to 22.8 while the value of the product grew from 1.9 to 24.2.
678. Extension of manufactures in the West and South.—There had been, moreover, a noteworthy change in the distribution of manufactures throughout the country. The northeastern States had greatly extended their manufacturing plants, and relatively to population no European state rivalled New England in output: but American manufactures had extended also into the West and the South. The southern States, instead of sending their raw cotton to the North or to Europe, began to manufacture it in increasing quantities, and now competed with northern mills for the markets of the Mississippi Valley. The development of iron production in the South was phenomenally rapid. The rich coal and iron fields of the Southern Appalachian range were opened, and contributed now an important share of the total output, while large industrial centers were growing up in Chattanooga, Birmingham, and other Southern cities.
QUESTIONS AND TOPICS
1. Chart the figures as before; if the same scale is used the chart may be pasted to that previously made.
2. Industrial aspects of the Civil War. [Wright, 143-158.]
3. The population of the country was as follows, in round millions: 1860, 31; 1870, 39; 1880, 50; 1890, 63; 1900, 76; 1910, 92. Calculate the commerce per capita, and insert the line on the chart.
4. What has been the gain in population of your own State in this period, compared with earlier periods? [Abstract of the Census.]
5. Write a report on the history of one of the western railroads. [Cy Warman, Story of the railroad, N. Y., Appleton, 1898, $1.50.]