Chapter 266: The Textile Industry Strikes Back
Joseph immediately showed a look of delight as he approached the ancient-looking machine—although in this era, it might be considered quite futuristic. He ran his hands over it and then turned to Louis XVI, exclaiming, "You are undoubtedly the greatest mechanical master in all of France—no, in all of Europe! You've perfectly created this machine in less than six months!"
"It's just a copy," Louis XVI muttered, his expression dismissive. "And it's nothing more than a boring contraption for weaving cloth…"
But then a spark lit up in his eyes. "By the way, son, when are we going to start working on that rifled gun you mentioned last time?"
"Whenever you're ready, we can start," Joseph replied with a smile. He then patted the automatic loom beside him. "But I must say, this is far from being just a 'boring contraption'—this is the hope for French industry! Do you remember what the most important source of income for the British is? It's their textile exports.
"Now, the British have already started using this type of machine in their factories. It can lower the cost of textiles by more than 20% while increasing production several times over. Without your hard work, the textile factories in Lyon would soon be driven to the brink by the British, eventually leading to widespread closures. But now, we have the means to compete with them!"
A smile started to form on Louis XVI's face. "So, you're saying I've at least saved Lyon?"
"Not just Lyon, but also Paris's fashion industry, along with many silk farmers, cotton growers, and flax farmers. You've given them hope," Joseph continued. "And from what I've heard, because this machine is expensive and needs a waterwheel to operate, not many British factories are using it. If we drive it with steam engines and promote it on a large scale, we might even close the gap with Britain in the textile industry.
"This will increase France's textile exports and generate significant revenue for the treasury. In other words, you've also saved our finances. Archbishop Brienne will be very grateful to you."
In truth, Joseph's plan was far more ambitious than just closing the gap. By using this automatic loom in combination with the French-invented Jacquard loom and the American-invented cotton gin, and concentrating production in Lyon to form an industrial chain, France could even surpass Britain in textile efficiency!
These advanced concepts could only be proposed by someone like Joseph, who had seen industrial integration and development firsthand.
"Ah-ha," Louis XVI's spirits lifted, "this is just a small gift from me as King to France."
He waved to a group of weavers standing by the door. "Hector, Dominique, come show the Prince how this machine works."
Seven or eight weavers immediately entered, bowing to Louis XVI and Joseph before carefully setting up the loom. They loaded the frame with combed cotton, adjusted the machine, tied the threads, and connected the drive shaft to the large waterwheel at Versailles.
The loom began to move, with the rollers slowly turning and the shuttles flying back and forth under the weavers' control. While this era's looms were far from fully automated, they were still vastly more efficient than handlooms.
Before long, a piece of cotton fabric over two meters wide started to emerge from the machine's end, growing visibly longer by the second.
Louis XVI leaned in with a hint of pride and whispered to his son, "See the connection rollers in the middle? The British machines often get stuck there, but I added a spring to adjust the distance, and it almost never jams now."
"You are truly the Hephaestus of France!" Joseph immediately showered his father with praise. He had expected it would be an achievement just to replicate the British loom, but he hadn't anticipated that France's "chief craftsman" would actually improve it! This machine was almost as complex as a modern five-axis CNC machine—a cutting-edge product.
Louis XVI beamed as he led Joseph through the thick stack of manufacturing process documents, and then called over the dozen or so assistants who had helped build the loom. "With these process drawings, Mr. Flauhaut and the others can start producing automatic looms."
Joseph nodded, considering whether to set up the loom factory in Saint-Étienne or Nancy. However, building from scratch would take several months before production could begin...
Suddenly, an idea struck him. Turning to Flauhaut and the craftsmen, he said with a smile, "The first batch of looms should be manufactured at the Royal Armory. Please complete at least ten, and then send them to Lyon."
The armory had all the necessary machines, as well as a large number of carpenters and blacksmiths to assist, ensuring high production efficiency.
The craftsmen were surprised but quickly bowed and accepted the order, starting to pack up the blueprints and tools.
Louis XVI looked at his son with eager anticipation. "So, shall we start working on that new rifle now?"
Joseph silently gave his father a mental high-five. After completing such a large project, his father didn't ask for a reward or a break; he truly was the model for all hardworking French citizens!
Joseph took a deep breath and asked a servant for paper and a pen. He then sketched a rifle design on the side table of the automatic loom. "First, we need to combine the percussion cap firing mechanism with the existing rifled guns."
"That's not difficult," Louis XVI nodded. "We have experience from converting flintlock guns to use percussion caps."
Joseph continued, "Next, we need to refine the rifling process and adjust the chamber size. I only know it needs to be slightly larger, but the exact dimensions will require your experiments to determine.
"Finally, we'll use a new type of cartridge that will make rifled guns far more practical!"
In the eastern part of Paris, on the wooden railway leading to Reims, a finely crafted carriage was speeding along.
Inside the spacious carriage, Joseph turned to Agricultural Minister Vennieux and said, "After the spring sowing, you need to ensure that the 'stone fertilizer' is immediately distributed to every parish."
"Stone fertilizer" was the colloquial name for the phosphate rock imported from Nauru. Joseph had heard it so often that he had started calling it that too.
"Your Highness, the amount needed by each parish was calculated last month. The stone fertilizer from Tunisia has also arrived in large quantities," Vennieux replied. He hesitated for a moment before adding, "However, with our current transportation capacity, it may be difficult to deliver it on time. You know, stone fertilizer is very heavy…"
Joseph nodded. "Then we'll need to lay down more wooden tracks.
"For areas where transportation is too difficult, we'll have to rely on large-scale composting as an interim solution."
(End of Chapter)
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