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1、I,PencilMyFamilyTreeastoldtoLeonardE.ReadIamaleadpenciltheordinarywoodenpencilfamiliartoallboysandgirlsandadultswhocanreadandwrite.*Writingisbothmyvocationandmyavocation;thatsallIdo.YoumaywonderwhyIshouldwriteagenealogy.Well,tobeginwith,mystoryisinteresting.And,next,Iamamysterymoresothanatreeorasuns
2、etorevenaflashoflightning.But,sadly,Iamtakenforgrantedbythosewhouseme,asifIwereamereincidentandwithoutbackground.Thissuperciliousattituderelegatesmetothelevelofthecommonplace.Thisisaspeciesofthegrievouserrorinwhichmankindcannottoolongpersistwithoutperil.For,thewiseG.K.Chestertonobserved,“Weareperish
3、ingforwantofwonder,notforwantofwonders.”I,Pencil,simplethoughIappeartobe,merityourwonderandawe,aclaimIshallattempttoprove.Infact,ifyoucanunderstandmeno,thatstoomuchtoaskofanyoneifyoucanbecomeawareofthemiraculousnesswhichIsymbolize,youcanhelpsavethefreedommankindissounhappilylosing.Ihaveaprofoundless
4、ontoteach.AndIcanteachthislessonbetterthancananautomobileoranairplaneoramechanicaldishwasherbecausewell,becauseIamseeminglysosimple.Simple?Yet,notasinglepersononthefaceofthisearthknowshowtomakeme.Thissoundsfantastic,doesntit?Especiallywhenitisrealizedthatthereareaboutoneandone-halfbillionofmykindpro
5、ducedintheU.S.A.eachyear.Pickmeupandlookmeover.Whatdoyousee?Notmuchmeetstheeyetheressomewood,lacquer,theprintedlabeling,graphitelead,abitofmetal,andaneraser.InnumerableAntecedentsJustasyoucannottraceyourfamilytreebackveryfar,soisitimpossibleformetonameandexplainallmyantecedents.ButIwouldliketosugges
6、tenoughofthemtoimpressuponyoutherichnessandcomplexityofmybackground.Myfamilytreebeginswithwhatinfactisatree,acedarofstraightgrainthatgrowsinNorthernCaliforniaandOregon.Nowcontemplateallthesawsandtrucksandropeandthecountlessothergearusedinharvestingandcartingthecedarlogstotherailroadsiding.Thinkofall
7、thepersonsandthenumberlessskillsthatwentintotheirfabrication:theminingofore,themakingofsteelanditsrefinementintosaws,axes,motors;thegrowingofhempandbringingitthroughallthestagestoheavyandstrongrope;theloggingcampswiththeirbedsandmesshalls,thecookeryandtheraisingofallthefoods.Why,untoldthousandsofper
8、sonshadahandineverycupofcoffeetheloggersdrink!ThelogsareshippedtoamillinSanLeandro,California.Canyouimaginetheindividualswhomakeflatcarsandrailsandrailroadenginesandwhoconstructandinstallthecommunicationsystemsincidentalthereto?Theselegionsareamongmyantecedents.ConsiderthemillworkinSanLeandro.Theced
9、arlogsarecutintosmall,pencil-lengthslatslessthanone-fourthofaninchinthickness.Thesearekilndriedandthentintedforthesamereasonwomenputrougeontheirfaces.PeoplepreferthatIlookpretty,notapallidwhite.Theslatsarewaxedandkilndriedagain.Howmanyskillswentintothemakingofthetintandthekilns,intosupplyingtheheat,
10、thelightandpower,thebelts,motors,andalltheotherthingsamillrequires?Sweepersinthemillamongmyancestors?Yes,andincludedarethemenwhopouredtheconcreteforthedamofaPacificGas&ElectricCompanyhydroplantwhichsuppliesthemillspower!Dontoverlooktheancestorspresentanddistantwhohaveahandintransportingsixtycarloads
11、ofslatsacrossthenation.Onceinthepencilfactory$4,000,000inmachineryandbuilding,allcapitalaccumulatedbythriftyandsavingparentsofmineeachslatisgiveneightgroovesbyacomplexmachine,afterwhichanothermachinelaysleadsineveryotherslat,appliesglue,andplacesanotherslatatopaleadsandwich,sotospeak.Sevenbrothersan
12、dIaremechanicallycarvedfromthis“wood-clinched”sandwich.My“lead”itselfitcontainsnoleadatalliscomplex.ThegraphiteisminedinCeylon.Considertheseminersandthosewhomaketheirmanytoolsandthemakersofthepapersacksinwhichthegraphiteisshippedandthosewhomakethestringthattiesthesacksandthosewhoputthemaboardshipsan
13、dthosewhomaketheships.Eventhelighthousekeepersalongthewayassistedinmybirthandtheharborpilots.ThegraphiteismixedwithclayfromMississippiinwhichammoniumhydroxideisusedintherefiningprocess.Thenwettingagentsareaddedsuchassulfonatedtallowanimalfatschemicallyreactedwithsulfuricacid.Afterpassingthroughnumer
14、ousmachines,themixturefinallyappearsasendlessextrusionsasfromasausagegrinder-cuttosize,dried,andbakedforseveralhoursat1,850degreesFahrenheit.ToincreasetheirstrengthandsmoothnesstheleadsarethentreatedwithahotmixturewhichincludescandelillawaxfromMexico,paraffinwax,andhydrogenatednaturalfats.Mycedarrec
15、eivessixcoatsoflacquer.Doyouknowalltheingredientsoflacquer?Whowouldthinkthatthegrowersofcastorbeansandtherefinersofcastoroilareapartofit?Theyare.Why,eventheprocessesbywhichthelacquerismadeabeautifulyellowinvolvetheskillsofmorepersonsthanonecanenumerate!Observethelabeling.Thatsafilmformedbyapplyinghe
16、attocarbonblackmixedwithresins.Howdoyoumakeresinsandwhat,pray,iscarbonblack?Mybitofmetaltheferruleisbrass.Thinkofallthepersonswhominezincandcopperandthosewhohavetheskillstomakeshinysheetbrassfromtheseproductsofnature.Thoseblackringsonmyferruleareblacknickel.Whatisblacknickelandhowisitapplied?Thecompletestoryofwhythecenterofmyferrulehasnoblacknickelonitwouldtakepagestoexplain.Thentheresmycrowningglory,inelegantlyreferredtointhetrad
