the american claimant-第14部分

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education；　that　he　had　got　his　education　in　a　printing　office；　and　had
graduated　from　there　into　the　patent　office；　where　he　had　been　a　clerk
now　for　a　great　many　years。　　Then　he　continued　to　this　effect：

The　essayist　contrasted　the　America　of　to…day　with　the　America　of　bygone
times；　and　certainly　the　result　is　the　exhibition　of　a　mighty　progress。
But　I　think　he　a　little　overrated　the　college…culture　share　in　the
production　of　that　result。　　It　can　no　doubt　be　easily　shown　that　the
colleges　have　contributed　the　intellectual　part　of　this　progress；
and　that　that　part　is　vast；　but　that　the　material　progress　has　been
immeasurably　vaster；　I　think　you　will　concede。　　Now　I　have　been　looking
over　a　list　of　inventorsthe　creators　of　this　amazing　material
developmentand　I　find　that　they　were　not　college…bred　men。　　Of　course
there　are　exceptionslike　Professor　Henry　of　Princeton；　the　inventor　of
Mr。　Morse's　system　of　telegraphybut　these　exceptions　are　few。　　It　is
not　overstatement　to　say　that　the　imaginationstunning　material
development　of　this　century；　the　only　century　worth　living　in　since　time
itself　was　invented；　is　the　creation　of　men　not　college…bred。　　We　think
we　see　what　these　inventors　have　done：　no；　we　see　only　the　visible　vast
frontage　of　their　work；　behind　it　is　their　far　vaster　work；　and　it　is
invisible　to　the　careless　glance。　　They　have　reconstructed　this　nation
made　it　over；　that　isand　metaphorically　speaking；　have　multiplied　its
numbers　almost　beyond　the　power　of　figures　to　express。　　I　will　explain
what　I　mean。　　What　constitutes　the　population　of　a　land？。　　Merely　the
numberable　packages　of　meat　and　bones　in　it　called　by　courtesy　men　and
women？　　Shall　a　million　ounces　of　brass　and　a　million　ounces　of　gold　be
held　to　be　of　the　same　value？　　Take　a　truer　standard：　the　measure　of　a
man's　contributing　capacity　to　his　time　and　his　peoplethe　work　he　can
doand　then　number　the　population　of　this　country　to…day；　as　multiplied
by　what　a　man　can　now　do；　more　than　his　grandfather　could　do。　　By　this
standard　of　measurement；　this　nation；　two　or　three　generations　ago；
consisted　of　mere　cripples；　paralytics；　dead　men；　as　compared　with　the
men　of　to…day。　　In　1840　our　population　was　17；000；000。　　By　way　of　rude
but　striking　illustration；　let　us　consider；　for　argument's　sake；　that
four　of　these　millions　consisted　of　aged　people；　little　children；　and
other　incapables；　and　that　the　remaining　13；000；000　were　divided　and
employed　as　follows：

2；000；000　as　ginners　of　cotton。
6；000；000　（women）　as　stocking…knitters。
2；000；000　（women）　as　thread…spinners。
500；000　as　screw　makers。
400；000　as　reapers；　binders；　etc。
1；000；000　as　corn　shellers。
40；000　as　weavers。
1；000　as　stitchers　of　shoe　soles。

Now　the　deductions　which　I　am　going　to　append　to　these　figures　may　sound
extravagant；　but　they　are　not。　　I　take　them　from　Miscellaneous　Documents
No。　50；　second　session　45th　Congress；　and　they　are　official　and
trustworthy。　　To…day；　the　work　of　those　2；000；000　cotton…ginners　is　done
by　2；000　men；　that　of　the　6；000；000　stocking…knitters　is　done　by　3；000
boys；　that　of　the　2；000；000　thread…spinners　is　done　by　1；000　girls；　that
of　the　500；000　screw　makers　is　done　by　500　girls；　that　of　the　400；000
reapers；　binders；　etc。；　is　done　by　4；000　boys；　that　of　the　1；000；000　corn
shelters　is　done　by　7；500　men；　that　of　the　40；000　weavers　is　done　by
1；200　men；　and　that　of　the　1；000　stitchers　of　shoe　soles　is　done　by
6　men。　　To　bunch　the　figures；　17；900　persons　to…day　do　the　above…work；
whereas　fifty　years　ago　it　would　have　taken　thirteen　millions　of　persons
to　do　it。　　Now　then；　how　many　of　that　ignorant　raceour　fathers　and
grandfatherswith　their　ignorant　methods；　would　it　take　to　do　our　work
to…day？　　It　would　take　forty　thousand　millionsa　hundred　times　the
swarming　population　of　China…twenty　times　the　present　population　of　the
globe。　　You　look　around　you　and　you　see　a　nation　of　sixty　millions
apparently；　but　secreted　in　their　hands　and　brains；　and　invisible　to　your
eyes；　is　the　true　population　of　this　Republic；　and　it　numbers　forty
billions！　　It　is　the　stupendous　creation　of　those　humble　unlettered；
un…college…bred　inventorsall　honor　to　their　name。

〃How　grand　that　is！〃　said　Tracy；　as　he　wended　homeward。　　〃What　a
civilization　it　is；　and　what　prodigious　results　these　are！　and　brought
about　almost　wholly　by　common　men；　not　by　Oxford…trained　aristocrats；
but　men　who　stand　shoulder　to　shoulder　in　the　humble　ranks　of　life　and
earn　the　bread　that　they　eat。　　Again；　I'm　glad　I　came。　　I　have　found　a
country　at　last　where　one　may　start　fair；　and　breast　to　breast　with　his
fellow　man；　rise　by　his　own　efforts；　and　be　something　in　the　world　and　be
proud　of　that　something；　not　be　something　created　by　an　ancestor　three
hundred　years　ago。〃




CHAPTER　XI。

During　the　first　few　days　he　kept　the　fact　diligently　before　his　mind
that　he　was　in　a　land　where　there　was　〃work　and　bread　for　all。〃　　In　fact；
for　convenience'　sake　he　fitted　it　to　a　little　tune　and　hummed　it　to
himself；　but　as　time　wore　on　the　fact　itself　began　to　take　on　a　doubtful
look；　and　next　the　tune　got　fatigued　and　presently　ran　down　and　stopped。
His　first　effort　was　to　get　an　upper　clerkship　in　one　of　the　departments；
where　his　Oxford　education　could　come　into　play　and　do　him　service。
But　he　stood　no　chance　whatever。　　There；　competency　was　no
recommendation；　political　backing；　without　competency；　was　worth　six　of
it。　　He　was　glaringly　English；　and　that　was　necessarily　against　him　in
the　political　centre　of　a　nation　where　both　parties　prayed　for　the　Irish
cause　on　the　house…top　and　blasphemed　it　in　the　cellar。　　By　his　dress　he
was　a　cowboy；　that　won　him　respectwhen　his　back　was　not　turnedbut　it
couldn't　get　a　clerkship　for　him。　　But　he　had　said；　in　a　rash　moment；
that　he　would　wear　those　clothes　till　the　owner　or　the　owner's　friends
caught　sight　of　them　and　asked　for　that　money；　and　his　conscience　would
not　let　him　retire　from　that　engagement　now。

At　the　end　of　a　week　things　were　beginning　to　wear　rather　a　startling
look。　　He　had　hunted　everywhere　for　work；　descending　gradually　the　scale
of　quality；　until　apparently　he　had　sued　for　all　the　various　kinds　df
work　a　man　without　a　special　calling　might　hope　to　be　able　to　do；　except
ditching　and　the　other　coarse　manual　sorts…and　had　got　neither　work　nor
the　promise　of　it。

He　was　mechanically　turning　over　the　leaves　of　his　diary；　meanwhile；　and
now　his　eye　fell　upon　the　first　record　made　after　he　was　burnt　out：

〃I　myself　did　not　doubt　my　stamina　before；　nobody　could　doubt　it　now；　if
they　could　see　how　I　am　housed；　and　realise　that　I　feel　absolutely　no
disgust　with　these　quarters；　but　am　as　serenely　content　with　them　as　any
dog　would　be　in　a　similar　kennel。　　Terms；　twenty…five　dollars　a　week。
I　said　I　would　start　at　the　bottom。　　I　have　kept　my　word。〃

A　shudder　went　quaking　through　him；　and　he　exclaimed：

〃What　have　I　been　thinking　of！　　This　the　bottom！　　Mooning　along　a　whole
week；　and　these　terrific　expenses　climbing　and　climbing　all　the　time！
I　must　end　this　folly　straightway。〃

He　settled　up　at　once　and　went　forth　to　find　less　sumptuous　lodgings。　　He
had　to　wander　far　and　seek　with　diligence；　but　he　succeeded。　　They　made
him　pay　in　advancefour　dollars　and　a　half；　this　secured　both　bed　and
food　for　a　week。　　The　good…natured；　hardworked　landlady　took　him　up　three
flights　of　narrow；　uncarpeted　stairs　and　delivered　him　into　his　room。
There　were　two　double…bedsteads　in　it；　and　one　single　one。　　He　would　be
allowed　to　sleep　alone　in　one　of　the　double　beds　until　some　new　boarder
should　come；　but　he　wouldn't　be　charged　extra。

So　he　would　presently　be　required　to　sleep　with　some　stranger！
The　thought　of　it　made　him　sick。　　Mrs。　　Marsh；　the　landlady；　was　very
friendly　and　hoped　he　would　like　her　house…they　all　liked　it；　she　said。

〃And　they're　a　very　nice　set　of　boys。　　They　carry　on　a　good　deal；　but
that's　their　fun。　　You　see；　this　room　opens　right　into　this　back　one；
and　sometimes　they're　all　in　one　and　sometimes　in　the　other；　and　hot
nights　they　all　sleep　on　the　roof　when　it　don't　rain。　　They　get　out　there
the　minute　it's　hot　enough。　　The　season's　so　early　that　they've　already
had　a　night　or　two　up　there。　　If　you'd　like　to　go　up　and　pick　out　a
place；　you　can。　　You'll　find　chalk　in　the　side　of　the　chimney　where
there's　a　brick　wanting。　　You　just　take　the　chalk　andbut　of　course
you've　done　it　before。〃

〃Oh；　no；　I　haven't。〃

〃Why；　of　course　you　haven't…what　am　I　thinking　of？　　Plenty　of　room　on　the
Plains　without　chalking；　I'll　be　bound。　　Well；　you　just　chalk　out　a　place
the　size　of　a　blanket　anywhere　on　the　tin　that　ain't　already　marked　off；
you　know；　and　that's　your　property。　　You　and　your　bed…mate　take　turn…
about　carrying　up　the　blanket　and　pillows　and　fetching　them　down　again；
or　one　carries　them　up　and　the　other　fetches　them　down；　you　fix　it　the
way　you　like；　you　know。　　You'll　like　the　boys；　they're　everlasting
sociableexcept　the　printer。　　He's　the　one　that　sleeps　in　that　single
bed…the　strangest　creature；　why；　I　don't　believe　you　could　get　that　man
to　sleep　with　another　man；　not　if　the　house　was　afire。　　Mind　you；　I'm　not
just　talking；　I　know。　　The　bo