Worksheet # 70 Home Questions Puzzle Links Next

INDUSTRY, INVENTION, ELI WHITNEY

In the restless young years of this strapping strong nation,

Agriculture still was the most practiced vocation.

And the folks down on farms, tilling day-long the soil,

Were mighty glad when new tools did lessen their toil.

The steel plows by John Deere, and McCormick's new reaper,

Made the seasonal harvest much faster and cheaper.

Whilst the young Eli Whitney, who shan't be forgotten,

Cooked up a machine to clean and draw cotton.

And his cotton-gin changed which crops were planted,

-- Since quantities of cloth are always much wanted.

But, alas, to pick all those tufts, 'twas a laborious thing,

Which took ever more slaves to make cotton the "King".

But Eli, 'tis certain, was one truly smart bloke,

His interchangeable parts: a grand masterstroke!

Since tools made by hand, and goods by and large,

Are all a bit different and take forever to forge.

But when parts become standard, which means all the same,

Their easy to work with and to replace when they're lame.

As Whitney showed with firearms, which our government buys,

-- Since with all of their pieces, they're a bear to devise!

But Eli plopped his parts down, with each kind its own pile,

And to render a musket, he proposed a quick trial.

Oh, the officials did laugh, they snickered and chortled,

Until what they saw left them flummoxed and startled!

As any part from each stack could fit right in place,

'Twas a quick, easy build, a true godsend and grace!

Indeed, such inventions keep spinning our world,

With progress and fortunes all part of the swirl.

And if you’re a go-getter, a real darer and do-er,

Start a business yourself, a true entrepeneur.

And to have people in droves beat a path to your door:

Just build a better-mouse trap and watch the money in-pour...