The Bessemer process allowed steel to be produced without fuel, using the impurities of the iron to create the necessary heat. This drastically reduced the costs of steel production, but raw materials with the required characteristics could be difficult to find.
The question can be answered providing the cartoon. In that case, it will be answerable.
Someone who is "addicted" to work, or someone who doesn't want to do anything except work. Or it could mean someone who doesn't do anything except work.