In 1867, American Joseph Glidden was patented for his invention of barbed wire. Speaking of which, the invention is the result of a "lazy" time, related to Joseph's experience as a shepherd boy on a ranch in California. At that time, Joseph often read while herding sheep; When he was immersed in his studies, the animals often knocked down grazing fences made of wooden stakes and wire, and ran in groups to nearby fields to steal crops. The rancher was so angry that he threatened to quit.
barbed wire
barbed wire
Joseph observed that sheep rarely crossed the spike-covered rose wall. So, a lazy idea came to mind: why not make a barbed net of thin wire? He cut the thin wire into 5 centimeters long segments, then wrapped it around the wire fence, and cut the end of the thin wire into spikes. Now the sheep who wanted to steal the crops had to "look at the net and sigh", and Joseph no longer had to worry about being fired by the rancher. Because his invention was quickly favored by business-minded ranchers and opened a factory specializing in the production of this new grazing fence for the needs of other ranches; After the product was launched, orders poured in, and the business was very prosperous.
According to a prominent economist, barbed wire is "one of seven patents that changed the face of the world." It played a role in clarifying property rights in the process of opening up the western frontier of the United States. It is the use of this barbed wire that allows ranchers to distinguish their own farms from those of others. Because barbed wire is easy to produce, simple to install, and inexpensive, it can effectively isolate livestock and reduce the probability of personal property theft. Today, on the grasslands of Australia, you can still see a square barbed wire fence left by colonists when they came here more than a hundred years ago.