348 Percy Wells Bidwell 



was this habit that not only did travelers comment upon it/ but 

 the conservative D wight was moved to remark: "The reading of 

 newspapers in this country is undoubtedly excessive, as is also the 

 number of such papers annually published."^ The same author 

 however, recognized clearly the advantages of education in general 

 on the productive capacity of the community, setting them forth 

 as follows: "A New Englander imbibes, from this education, an 

 universal habit of combining the objects of thought, and com- 

 paring them in such a manner as to generalize his views with no 

 small degree of that readiness and skill, which in many countries 

 are considered as peculiar to a scientifical education. Hence he 

 often discerns means of business and profit, which elsewhere are 

 chiefly concealed from men of the same class. Hence, when pre- 

 vented from pursuing one kind of business, or unfortunate in it, he 

 easily, and in very many instances successfully, commences another. 

 Hence he avails himself of occurrences, which are unregarded by 



most other men Universally our people are, by this 



degree of education, fitted to make the best of their circumstances, 

 both at home and abroad; to find subsistence where others would 

 fail of it; to advance in their property, and their influence where 

 others would stand still; and to extricate themselves from difficulties 

 where others would despond."^ 



As an instance of the effects of this universal education in quick- 

 ening intelligence, Dwight cites one of those "many original machines 

 for abridging human labour, and improving its results," the stock- 

 ing-loom. He might have cited the machine for cutting and head- 

 ing nails and tacks,"* the system of interchangeable parts in the manu- 



' Foreigners traveling in this country remarked upon the wide circulation of 

 newspapers. Lambert while on a journey from Boston to Walpole, in New Hamp- 

 shire, noticed that the stage-coach driver distributed these papers along the route, 

 remarking: "There is scarcely a poor owner of a miserable log hut, who lives on 

 the border of a stage road, but has a newspaper left at his door." Travels, II. 

 498-499. Rochefoucauld had written somewhat earlier of Massachusetts: "Not 

 a house is to be found in the most remote comers of the country, where a news- 

 paper is not read; and there are few townships that do not possess little libraries 

 formed and supported by subscription." Travels, II. 215. 



2 Travels, IV. 344, note. 



'Ibid., IV. 348-349. For a detailed description and discussion of educa- 

 tional facilities provided in New England see Ibid., pp. 282-298. 



■* A patent for such a machine was issued to one Jesse Reed of Boston, 1807. 

 See Bishop, History of American Manufactures, II. 125-126. A similar ma- 

 chine was invented by Jacob Perkins of Newburyport, Mass., about 1790. See 

 Swank, J. M. The Manufacture of Iron in New England. In the New England 

 States, I. 374. 



