the age of invention-第6部分

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neral　Greene's　death　had　taken　over　the　management　of　his　estates。　He　afterwards　married　Mrs。　Greene。　The　partners　decided　to　manufacture　the　machines　in　New　Haven；　Whitney　to　give　his　time　to　the　production；　Miller　to　furnish　the　capital　and　attend　to　the　firm's　interests　in　the　South。

At　the　outset　the　partners　blundered　seriously　in　their　plan　for　commercializing　the　invention。　They　planned　to　buy　seed　cotton　and　clean　it　themselves；　also　to　clean　cotton　for　the　planters　on　the　familiar　toll　system；　as　in　grinding　grain；　taking　a　toll　of　one　pound　of　cotton　out　of　every　three。　〃Whitney's　plan　in　Georgia；〃　says　a　recent　writer；　〃as　shown　by　his　letters　and　other　evidence；　was　to　own　all　the　gins　and　gin　all　the　cotton　made　in　the　country。　It　is　but　human　nature　that　this　sort　of　monopoly　should　be　odious　to　any　community。〃*　Miller　appears　to　have　calculated　that　the　planters　could　afford　to　pay　for　the　use　of　the　new　invention　about　one…half　of　all　the　profits　they　derived　from　its　use。　An　equal　division；　between　the　owners　of　the　invention　on　the　one　hand　and　the　cotton　growers　on　the　other；　of　all　the　super…added　wealth　arising　from　the　invention；　seemed　to　him　fair。　Apparently　the　full　meaning　of　such　an　arrangement　did　not　enter　his　mind。　Perhaps　Miller　and　Whitney　did　not　see　at　first　that　the　new　invention　would　cause　a　veritable　industrial　revolution；　or　that　the　system　they　planned；　if　it　could　be　made　effective；　would　make　them　absolute　masters　of　the　cotton　country；　with　the　most　stupendous　monopoly　in　the　world。　Nor　do　they　appear　to　have　realized　that；　considering　the　simple　construction　of　their　machine　and　the　loose　operation　of　the　patent　law　at　that　time；　the　planters　of　the　South　would　never　submit　to　so　great　a　tribute　as　they　proposed　to　exact。　Their　attempt　in　the　first　instance　to　set　up　an　unfair　monopoly　brought　them　presently　into　a　sea　of　troubles；　which　they　never　passed　out　of；　even　when　they　afterwards　changed　their　tack　and　offered　to　sell　the　machines　with　a　license；　or　a　license　alone；　at　a　reasonable　price。

*　Tompkins；　〃Cotton　and　Cotton　Oil〃；　p。　86。


Misfortune　pursued　the　partners　from　the　beginning。　Whitney　writes　to　his　father　from　New　Haven　in　May；　1794；　that　his　machines　in　Georgia　are　working　well；　but　that　he　apprehends　great　difficulty　in　manufacturing　them　as　fast　as　they　are　needed。　In　March　of　the　following　year　he　writes　again；　saying　that　his　factory　in　New　Haven　has　been　destroyed　by　fire：　〃When　I　returned　home　from　N。　York　I　found　my　property　all　in　ashes！　My　shop；　all　my　tools；　material　and　work　equal　to　twenty　finished　cotton　machines　all　gone。　The　manner　in　which　it　took　fire　is　altogether　unaccountable。〃　Besides；　the　partners　found　themselves　in　distress　for　lack　of　capital。　Then　word　came　from　England　that　the　Manchester　spinners　had　found　the　ginned　cotton　to　contain　knots；　and　this　was　sufficient　to　start　the　rumor　throughout　the　South　that　Whitney's　gin　injured　the　cotton　fiber　and　that　cotton　cleaned　by　them　was　worthless。　It　was　two　years　before　this　ghost　was　laid。　Meanwhile　Whitney's　patent　was　being　infringed　on　every　hand。　〃They　continue　to　clean　great　quantities　of　cotton　with　Lyon's　Gin　and　sell　it　advantageously　while　the　Patent　ginned　cotton　is　run　down　as　good　for　nothing；〃　writes　Miller　to　Whitney　in　September；　1797。　Miller　and　Whitney　brought　suits　against　the　infringers　but　they　could　obtain　no　redress　in　the　courts。

Whitney's　attitude　of　mind　during　these　troubles　is　shown　in　his　letters。　He　says　the　statement　that　his　machines　injure　the　cotton　is　false；　that　the　source　of　the　trouble　is　bad　cotton；　which　he　ventures　to　think　is　improved　fifty　per　cent　by　the　use　of　his　gin；　and　that　it　is　absurd　to　say　that　the　cotton　could　be　injured　in　any　way　in　the　process　of　cleaning。　〃I　think；〃　he　says；　writing　to　Miller；　〃you　will　be　able　to　convince　the　CANDID　that　this　is　quite　a　mistaken　notion　and　them　that　WILL　NOT　BELIEVE　may　be　damn'd。〃　Again；　writing　later　to　his　friend　Josiah　Stebbins　in　New　England：　〃I　have　a　set　of　the　most　Depraved　villains　to　combat　and　I　might　almost　as　well　go　to　HELL　in　search　of　HAPPINESS　as　apply　to　a　Georgia　Court　for　Justice。〃　And　again：　〃You　know　I　always　believed　in　the　'DEPRAVITY　OF　HUMAN　NATURE。'　I　thought　I　was　long　ago　sufficiently　'grounded　and　stablished'　in　this　Doctrine。　But　God　Almighty　is　continually　pouring　down　cataracts　of　testimony　upon　me　to　convince　me　of　this　fact。　'Lord　I　believe；　help　thou；'　not　'mine　unbelief；'　but　me　to　overcome　the　rascality　of　mankind。〃　His　partner　Miller；　on　the　other　hand；　is　inclined　to　be　more　philosophical　and　suggests　to　Whitney　that　〃we　take　the　affairs　of　this　world　patiently　and　that　the　little　dust　which　we　may　stir　up　about　cotton　may　after　all　not　make　much　difference　with　our　successors　one　hundred；　much　less　one　thousand　years　hence。〃　Miller；　however；　finally　concluded　that；　〃the　prospect　of　making　anything　by　ginning　in　this　State　＇Georgia＇　is　at　an　end。　Surreptitious　gins　are　being　erected　in　every　part　of　the　country；　and　the　jurymen　at　Augusta　have　come　to　an　understanding　among　themselves；　that　they　will　never　give　a　verdict　in　our　favor；　let　the　merits　of　the　case　be　as　they　may。〃*

*　Cited　in　Roe；　〃English　and　American　Tool　Builders〃；　p。　153。


Miller　and　Whitney　were　somewhat　more　fortunate　in　other　States　than　in　Georgia　though　they　nowhere　received　from　the　cotton　gin　enough　to　compensate　them　for　their　time　and　trouble　nor　more　than　a　pitiable　fraction　of　the　great　value　of　their　invention。　South　Carolina；　in　1801；　voted　them　fifty　thousand　dollars　for　their　patent　rights；　twenty　thousand　dollars　to　be　paid　down　and　the　remainder　in　three　annual　payments　of　ten　thousand　dollars　each。　〃We　get　but　a　song　for　it；〃　wrote　Whitney；　〃in　comparison　with　the　worth　of　the　thing；　but　it　is　securing　something。〃　Why　the　partners　were　willing　to　take　so　small　a　sum　was　later　explained　by　Miller。　They　valued　the　rights　for　South　Carolina　at　two　hundred　thousand　dollars；　but；　since　the　patent　law　was　being　infringed　with　impunity；　they　were　willing　to　take　half　that　amount；　〃and　had　flattered　themselves；〃　wrote　Miller；　〃that　a　sense　of　dignity　and　justice　on　the　part　of　that　honorable　body　＇the　Legislature＇　would　not　have　countenanced　an　offer　of　a　less　sum　than　one　hundred　thousand　dollars。　Finding　themselves；　however；　to　be　mistaken　in　this　opinion；　and　entertaining　a　belief　that　the　failure　of　such　negotiation；　after　it　commenced；　would　have　a　tendency　to　diminish　the　prospect；　already　doubtful；　of　enforcing　the　Patent　Law；　it　was　concluded　to　be　best　under　existing　circumstances　to　accept　the　very　inadequate　sum　of　fifty　thousand　dollars　offered　by　the　Legislature　and　thereby　relinquish　and　entirely　abandon　three…fourths　of　the　actual　value　of　the　property。〃

But　even　the　fifty　thousand　dollars　was　not　collected　without　difficulty。　South　Carolina　suspended　the　contract；　after　paying　twenty　thousand　dollars；　and　sued　Miller　and　Whitney　for　recovery　of　the　sum　paid；　on　the　ground　that　the　partners　had　not　complied　with　the　conditions。　Whitney　succeeded；　in　1805；　in　getting　the　Legislature　to　reinstate　the　contract　and　pay　him　the　remainder　of　the　money。　Miller；　discouraged　and　broken　by　the　long　struggle；　had　died　in　the　meantime。

The　following　passage　from　a　letter　written　by　Whitney　in　February；　1805；　to　Josiah　Stebbins；　gives　Whitney's　views　as　to　the　treatment　he　had　received　at　the　hands　of　the　authorities。　He　is　writing　from　the　residence　of　a　friend　near　Orangeburg；　South　Carolina。

〃The　principal　object　of　my　present　excursion　to　this　Country　was　to　get　this　business　set　right；　which　I　have　so　far　effected　as　to　induce　the　Legislature　of　this　State　to　recind　all　their　former　SUSPENDING　LAWS　and　RESOLUTIONS；　to　agree　once　more　to　pay　the　sum　of　30；000　Dollars　which　was　due　and　make　the　necessary　appropriations　for　that　purpose。　I　have　as　yet　however　obtained　but　a　small　part　of　this　payment。　The　residue　is　promised　me　in　July　next。　Thus　you　see　my　RECOMPENSE　OF　REWARD　is　as　the　land　of　Canaan　was　to　the　Jews；　resting　a　long　while　in　promise。　If　the　Nations　with　whom　I　have　to　contend　are　not　as　numerous　as　those　opposed　to　the　Israelites；　they　are　certainly　much　greater　HEATHENS；　having　their　hearts　hardened　and　their　understanding　blinded；　to　make；　propagate　and　believe　all　manner　of　lies。　Verily；　Stebbins；　I　have　had　much　vexation　of　spirit　in　this　business。　I　shall　spend　forty　thousand　dollars　to　obtain　thirty；　and　it　will　all　end　in　vanity　at　last。　A　contract　had　been　made　with　the　State　of　Tennessee　which　now　hangs　SUSPENDED。　Two　attempts　have　been　made　to　induce　the　State　of　No。　Carolina　to　RECIND　their　CONTRACT；　neither　of　which　have　succeeded。　Thus　you　see　Brother　Steb。　Sovreign　and　Independent　States　warped　by　INTEREST　will　be　ROGUES　and　misled　by　Demagogues　will　be　FOOLS。　They　have　spent　much　time；　MONEY　and　CREDIT；　to　avoid　giving　me　a　small　compensation；　for　that　which　to　them　is　worth　millions。〃


Meanwhile　North　Carolina　had　agreed　to　buy　the　rights　for　the　State　on　terms　that　yielded　Whitney　about　thirty　thousand　dollars；　and　it　is　estimated　that　he　received　about　ten　thousand　dollars　from　Tennessee；　making　his　receipts　in　all　about　ninety　thousand　dollars；　before　deducting　costs　of　litigation　and　other　losses。　The　cotton　gin　was　not　profitable　to　its　inventor。　And　yet　no　invention　in　history　ever　so　suddenly　transformed　an　industry　and　created　enormous　wealth。　Eight　years　before　Whitney's　invention；　eight　bales　of　cotton；　landed　at　Liverpool；　were　seized　on　the　ground　that　so　large　a　quantity　of　cotton　could　not　have　been　produced　in　the　United　States。　The　year　before　that　invention　the　United　States　exported　less　than　one　hundred　and　forty　thousand　pounds　of　cotton；　the　year　after　it；　nearly　half　a　million　pounds；　the　next　year　over　a　million　and　a　half；　a　year　later　still；　over　six　million；　by　1800；　nearly　eighteen　million　pounds　a　year。　And　by　1845　the　United　States　was　producing　producing　seven…eighths　of　the　world's　cotton。　Today　the　United　States　produces　six　to　eight　billion　pounds　of　cotton　annually；　and　ninety…nine　per　cent　of　this　is　the　upland　or　green…seed　cotton；　which　is　cleaned　on　the　Whitney　type　of　gin　and　was　first　made　co