390 CONCLUSION. 



comes our weaknesses or renders them less harmful. 

 At the same time I can say on my own behalf that 

 it was not desire of gain, which impelled me to devote 

 my working power and my mind in so great a degree 

 to technical undertakings. In the first place it was 

 usually the interest for technical science which led me 

 to my task. A business friend quizzed me once with 

 the assertion, I let myself always be guided in my 

 undertakings by the public benefit they would bring, 

 but that ultimately I always found my account thereby. 

 I admit this remark to be correct within certain limits, 

 for such undertakings as further the general weal com- 

 mand a wide interest, and thereby present greater 

 prospects of being successfully carried through. How- 

 ever I will not undervalue the powerful influence, which 

 success and the consciousness arising from it of doing 

 something useful, and at the same time of giving their 

 bread to thousands of industrious workers, exerts on 

 man. This gratifying consciousness has a stimulating 

 effect on our mental qualities and is doubtless the 

 foundation of the otherwise somewhat paradoxical 

 German proverb: "To whom God gives an office, He 

 also gives understanding". 



A main reason of the rapid growth of our fac- 

 tories is, in my opinion, that the products of our 

 manufacture were in large part results of our own 

 inventions. Though these were in most cases not 



o 



protected by patents, they yet always gave us the 

 start of our competitors, which usually lasted until we 

 gained a fresh start by new improvements. This could 



