Whitwell, with no narrow jealousy,
no withholding his knowledge! We had in some departments learned new
things and were able to be of service to his firm in return. At all
events, after that everything we had was open to the Whitwells.
[To-day, as I write, I rejoice that one of the two still is with us
and that our friendship is still warm. He was my predecessor in the
presidency of the British Iron and Steel Institute.]
CHAPTER XIII
THE AGE OF STEEL
Looking back to-day it seems incredible that only forty years ago
(1870) chemistry in the United States was an almost unknown agent in
connection with the manufacture of pig iron. It was the agency, above
all others, most needful in the manufacture of iron and steel. The
blast-furnace manager of that day was usually a rude bully, generally
a foreigner, who in addition to his other acquirements was able to
knock down a man now and then as a lesson to the other unruly spirits
under him. He was supposed to diagnose the condition of the furnace by
instinct, to possess some almost supernatural power of divination,
like his congener in the country districts who was reputed to be able
to locate an oil well or water supply by means of a hazel rod. He was
a veritable quack doctor who applied whatever remedies occurred to him
for the troubles of his patient.
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