STORIES OF USEFUL INVENTIONS [Illustration: Guglielmo Marconi Benjamin Franklin Thomas Edison Sir Henry Bessemer Robert Fulton Alexander Graham Bell Hudson Maxim A GROUP OF INVENTORS] STORIES OF USEFUL INVENTIONS BY S. E. FORMAN AUTHOR OF "A HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES," "ADVANCED CIVICS," ETC. [Illustration] NEW YORK THE CENTURY CO. 1911 Copyright, 1911, by THE CENTURY CO. _Published September, 1911_ PREFACE In this little book I have given the history of those inventions which are most useful to man in his daily life. I have told the story of the Match, the Stove, the Lamp, the Forge, the Steam-Engine, the Plow, the Reaper, the Mill, the Loom, the House, the Carriage, the Boat, the Clock, the Book, and the Message. From the history of these inventions we learn how man became the master of the world of nature around him, how he brought fire and air and earth and water under his control and compelled them to do his will and his work. When we trace the growth of these inventions we at the same time trace the course of human progress. These stories, therefore, are stories of human progress; they are chapters in the history of civilization. And they are chapters which have not hitherto been brought together in one book. Monographs on most of the subjects included in this book have appeared, and excellent books about modern inventions have been written, but as far as I know, this is the first time the evolution of these useful inventions has been fully traced in a single volume. While preparing the stories I have received many courtesies from officers in the Library of Congress and from those of the National Museum. S. E. F. May, 1911. Washington, D. C. CONTENTS PAGE THE FOREWORD ix I THE MATCH 3 II THE STOVE 13 III THE LAMP 28 IV THE FORGE 38 V THE STEAM-ENGINE 54 VI THE PLOW 73 VII THE REAPER 85 VIII THE MILL 97 IX THE LOOM 109 X THE HOUSE 123 XI THE CARRIAGE 144 XII THE CARRIAGE (_Continued_) 156 XIII THE BOAT 166 XIV THE CLOCK 187 XV THE BOOK 203 XVI THE MESSAGE 222 A FOREWORD[1]