Chapter 266: The Call to Arms from the Textile Industry
Joseph's face lit up with surprise and delight as he approached the machine, an ancient-looking yet futuristic device for its time. He stroked its surface and turned to Louis XVI, exclaiming, “You are undoubtedly the greatest mechanical master in all of France—no, all of Europe!
“You’ve created this marvelous machine perfectly in less than half a year!”
“It’s just a replication,” Louis XVI replied with a dismissive wave. “And frankly, it’s merely a boring contraption for weaving cloth...”
But even as he spoke, a spark of excitement flashed in his eyes. “By the way, son, about the rifled gun you mentioned last time—when shall we begin developing it?”
“Whenever you wish,” Joseph replied with a smile, patting the automatic loom beside him. “But I must say, this is far from a ‘boring contraption.’ This is the hope of French industry!
“Do you recall Britain’s most crucial financial pillar? It’s their textile exports.
“Now, the British have already begun using machines like this in their factories. These devices reduce the cost of textiles by more than 20% and multiply production rates several times over.
“Without your tireless efforts, the textile factories in Lyon would soon have been pushed to the brink by the British, leading to widespread closures. But now, we have the means to compete with them!”
A smile began to spread across Louis XVI’s face. “So, in essence, I’ve saved Lyon?”
“Not just Lyon,” Joseph continued, “but also Paris’s fashion industry, as well as countless silkworm farmers, cotton farmers, and hemp growers. You’ve given them all hope.”
Joseph added with a gleam in his eye, “And according to the information I’ve gathered, because these machines are expensive and require water power, their use in British factories is not yet widespread. If we use steam engines to power them and promote their adoption on a large scale, we could even narrow the gap with Britain’s textile industry.
“This would increase France’s textile exports and bring in substantial financial revenue.
“In other words, you’ve also saved our treasury. Archbishop Brienne will undoubtedly be deeply grateful to you.”
In fact, Joseph’s plans went far beyond merely narrowing the gap. By combining the automatic loom with the French-invented Jacquard loom and the American-invented cotton gin, and concentrating these technologies in Lyon to form an industrial chain, they could even surpass Britain in textile efficiency!
Such advanced ideas could only come from someone like Joseph, who had seen industrial integration and innovation firsthand.
“Haha,” Louis XVI chuckled, clearly invigorated by the idea. “This is just a small gift from me as a king to France.”
He gestured to the weavers standing outside the door. “Étol, Dominique, come and show the Crown Prince how this machine works.”
Seven or eight weavers immediately entered, bowing respectfully to Louis XVI and Joseph. They then began demonstrating the machine, carefully loading combed cotton onto the automatic loom, adjusting the settings, tying threads to the shuttle, and finally connecting the loom to the large waterwheel at Versailles.
The automatic loom sprang to life. The cranks turned slowly, and the shuttles darted back and forth under the skilled hands of the weavers. Although this era’s looms were far from fully automatic, their efficiency far surpassed that of manual looms.
In no time, a two-meter-wide piece of cotton fabric emerged from the machine, steadily extending at a speed visible to the naked eye.
Louis XVI leaned toward his son, speaking with a touch of pride. “See the connecting rollers in the middle? The British machines often jam there. I added a spring to adjust the spacing, and now it hardly ever malfunctions.”
“You are truly France’s Hephaestus!” Joseph showered his father with praise, marveling at the improvement. He had expected merely a replica of the British loom, but France’s premier craftsman had managed to enhance it! It was akin to achieving the technical prowess of a five-axis CNC machine in a later era—a truly cutting-edge accomplishment.
Louis XVI, delighted, showed his son a thick stack of manufacturing process diagrams before summoning the ten or so assistants who had worked with him on the loom. “With these diagrams, Monsieur Fraut and his team can begin producing automatic looms.”
Joseph nodded thoughtfully. Deciding where to establish the loom production factory was the next challenge—Saint-Étienne or Nancy? Starting from scratch would take several months to get into production...
Suddenly, an idea struck him. He looked at Fraut and the craftsmen, smiling. “The first batch of looms will be manufactured at the Royal Arsenal. Please complete at least ten units as soon as possible and send them to Lyon.”
The Royal Arsenal was equipped with every kind of machinery and staffed with carpenters and blacksmiths, ensuring high production efficiency.
The craftsmen, though surprised, bowed and began gathering the blueprints and tools, assisted by the Royal Workshop’s servants.
Louis XVI then turned to his son with eager anticipation. “Now, let’s start developing that new gun.”
Joseph silently praised his father. Despite having just completed such a major project, the king demanded neither rewards nor rest. He was truly a model of diligence for all of France.
Taking a deep breath, Joseph requested pen and paper from a servant and sketched a rough diagram of the firearm on the cotton bin platform beside the automatic loom. “First, we need to combine the fire cap ignition system with the existing rifled gun.”
“That’s not difficult,” Louis XVI nodded. “We can draw on our prior experience modifying flintlock guns for fire caps.”
Joseph agreed. “Next, we must refine the rifling process and adjust the size of the firing chamber. I know we need to slightly enlarge the chamber, but the precise dimensions will require your experimentation to determine.
“Finally, we will develop a new type of ammunition, turning the rifled gun into a truly revolutionary weapon!”
...
On the wooden rails leading east from Paris to Reims, a finely crafted carriage sped along.
Inside the spacious carriage, Joseph turned to Agriculture Minister Vénio and said, “After the spring planting, you must ensure that ‘stone fertilizer’ is immediately distributed to every parish.”
“Stone fertilizer,” the colloquial French term for phosphate rock imported from Nauru, had become commonplace in Joseph’s vocabulary.
“Your Highness,” Vénio replied, “the usage statistics for each parish were finalized last month. Additionally, a large shipment of phosphate from Tunis has already arrived at port.”
He hesitated before continuing, “However, given our current transportation capacity, it may be difficult to deliver it on time. You know how heavy stone fertilizer is...”
Joseph nodded. “Then we must expand our wooden rail network significantly.
“For areas where transportation remains too difficult, large-scale composting should serve as a temporary solution.”