"Happening to be at Matlock, in the summer of 1784, I fell in company with some gentlemen of Manchester, when the conversation turned on Arkwright's spinning machinery. One of the company observed, that as soon as Arkwright's patent expired, so many mills would be erected, and so much cotton spun, that hands never could be found to weave it. To this observation I replied that Arkwright must then set his wits to work to invent a weaving mill. This brought on a conversation on the subject, in which the Manchester gentlemen unanimously agreed that the thing was impracticable; and in defence of their opinion, they adduced arguments which I certainly was incompetent to answer or even to comprehend, being totally ignorant of the subject, having never at that time seen a person weave. I controverted, however, the impracticability of the thing, by remarking that there had lately been exhibited in London, an automaton figure, which played at chess. Now you will not assert, gentlemen, said I, that it is more difficult to construct a machine that shall weave, than one which shall make all the variety of moves which are required in that complicated game..."
Quote Details
Added by wikiquote-import-bot
Unverified quote
0 likes
Original Language: English
Available Languages (1)
Sources
in: Supplement to the Encyclopædia Britannica 1801, 1803; cited in: Guest (1823;44-45)
https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Richard_Arkwright
Revision History
No revisions have been submitted for this quote.
Categories
Richard Arkwright
Richard Arkwright (23 December 1732 – 3 August 1792) was an inventor and a leading entrepreneur during the early Industrial Revolution.
16 quotes on TrueQuotesView all quotes by Richard Arkwright →
Related Quotes
"In the year 1780, there were twenty Water Frame factories, the property of Mr. Arkwright, or of persons who had paid …"
"About the year 1767, one Hargrave, of Blackburn, in , constructed an engine that would at once spin twenty or thirty …"
"Mr. Arkwright, after many years intense and painful application, invented, about the year 1768, his present method of…"
"No sooner were the merits of Mr. Arkwright’s inventions fully understood, from the great increase of materials produc…"
"The difficulties which Arkwright encountered in organizing his factory system, were much greater than is commonly ima…"
"A trial in Westminster Hall, in July last, at a large expence, was the consequence; when, solely by not describing so…"
"Mr. Richard Arkwright, after many years study, brought his spinning machinery to bear about 1768: he was a native of …"
"The manufacture of yarn being at length full established, the demand for it became too great for the patentees to sup…"
"To prevent his inventions getting abroad to foreigners, Mr. Arkwright purposely omitted to give so full and particula…"
"Arkwright's machines require so few hands, and those only children, with the assistance of an overlooker. A child can…"