Theswallow-tailorunionjetwasalsohisinvention，andithassincecomeintogeneraluse。
WhilemanagingtheGas-works，oneofMr。Neilson’slaboursoflovewastheestablishmentanddirectionbyhimofaWorkmen’sInstitutionformutualimprovement。Havingbeenaworkmanhimself，andexperiencedthedisadvantagesofanimperfecteducationinearlylife，aswellasthebenefitsarisingfromimprovedcultureinlateryears，hedesiredtoimpartsomeoftheseadvantagestotheworkmeninhisemployment，whoconsistedchieflyofpersonsfromremotepartsoftheHighlandsorfromIreland。Mostofthemcouldnotevenread，andhisprincipaldifficultyconsistedinpersuadingthemthatitwasofanyusetolearn。ForsometimetheyresistedhispersuasionstoformaWorkmen’sInstitution，withaviewtotheestablishmentofalibrary，classes，andlectures，urgingasasufficientpleafornotjoiningit，thattheycouldnotread，andthatbookswouldbeofnousetothem。AtlastMr。Neilsonsucceeded，thoughwithconsiderabledifficulty，ininducingfourteenoftheworkmentoadopthisplan。
Eachmemberwastocontributeasmallsummonthly，tobelaidoutinbooks，theGasCompanyprovidingthememberswithacomfortableroominwhichtheymightmeettoreadandconverseintheeveningsinsteadofgoingtothealehouse。Thememberswereafterwardsallowedtotakethebookshometoread，andtheroomwasusedforthepurposeofconversationonthesubjectsofthebooksreadbythem，andoccasionallyforlecturesdeliveredbythemembersthemselvesongeography，arithmetic，chemistry，andmechanics。Theirnumbersincreasedsothattheroominwhichtheymetbecameinsufficientfortheiraccommodation，whentheGasCompanyprovidedthemwithanewandlargerplaceofmeeting，togetherwithalaboratoryandworkshop。
Intheformertheystudiedpracticalchemistry，andinthelattertheystudiedpracticalmechanics，makingforthemselvesanairpumpandanelectrifyingmachine，aswellaspreparingthevariousmodelsusedinthecourseofthelectures。Theeffectsontheworkmenwereeminentlybeneficial，andtheinstitutioncametobecitedasamongthemostvaluableofitskindinthekingdom。*
[footnote……