withthesteamboat，thelocomotive，andtheelectrictelegraph。
AsJohnWilkinsonsaidofthefirstvesselofironwhichheintroduced，“itwillbeonlyaninedays’wonder，andafterwardsaColumbus’segg。“
Onthe25thofFebruary，1808，MurdockreadapaperbeforetheRoyalSociety“OntheApplicationofGasfromCoaltoeconomicalpurposes。“Hegaveahistoryoftheoriginandprogressofhisexperiments，downtothetimewhenhehadsatisfactorilylitupthepremisesofPhillipsandLeeatManchester。Thepaperwasmodestandunassuming，likeeverythinghedid。
Itconcluded:——“IbelieveImay，withoutpresumingtoomuch，claimboththefirstideaofapplying，andthefirstapplicationofthisgastoeconomicalpurposes。“[9]TheRoyalSocietyawardedMurdocktheirlargeRumfordGoldMedalforhiscommunication。
InthefollowingyearaGermannamedWintzer，orWinsor，appearedasthepromotorofaschemeforobtainingaroyalcharterwithextensiveprivileges，andappliedforpowerstoformajoint-stockcompanytolightpartofLondonandWestminsterwithgas。Winsorclaimedforhismethodofgasmanufacturethatitwasmoreefficaciousandprofitablethananythenknownorpractised。Theprofits，indeed，weretobeprodigious。Winsormadeanelaboratecalculationinhispamphletentitled’TheNewPatrioticImperialandNationalLightandHeatCompany，’fromwhichitappearedthatthenetannualprofits“agreeabletotheofficialexperiments“wouldamounttoovertwohundredandtwenty-ninemillionsofpounds！——andthat，givingovernine-tenthsofthatsumtowardstheredemptionoftheNationalDebt，therewouldstillremainatotalprofitof570L。tobepaidtothesubscribersforevery5L。ofdeposit！Winsortookoutapatentfortheinvention，andthecompany，ofwhichhewasamember，proceededtoParliamentforanAct。BoultonandWattpetitionedagainsttheBill，andJamesWatt，junior，gaveevidenceonthesubject。HenryBrougham，whowasthecounselforthepetitioners，madegreatfunofWinsor’sabsurdspeculations，[10]andtheBillwasthrownout。
InthefollowingyeartheLondonandWestminsterCharteredGasLightandCokeCompanysucceededinobtainingtheirAct。Theywerenotverysuccessfulatfirst。Manyprejudicesexistedagainsttheemploymentofthenewlight。Itwaspopularlysupposedthatthegaswascarriedalongthepipesonfire，andthatthepipesmustnecessarilybeintenselyhot。WhenitwasproposedtolighttheHouseofCommonswithgas，thearchitectinsistedonthepipesbeingplacedseveralinchesfromthewalls，forfearoffire；and，afterthepipeshadbeenfixed，themembersmightbeseenapplyingtheirglovedhandstothemtoascertaintheirtemperature，andafterwardsexpressingthegreatestsurpriseonfindingthattheywereascoolastheadjoiningwalls。
TheGasCompanywasonthepointofdissolutionwhenMr。SamuelCleggcametotheiraid。ClegghadbeenapupilofMurdock’s，atSoho。HeknewallthearrangementswhichMurdockhadinvented。
HehadassistedinfittingupthegasmachineryatthemillsofPhillips&Lee，Manchester，aswellasatLodge’sMill，SowerbyBridge，nearHalifax。HewasafterwardsemployedtofixtheapparatusattheCatholicCollegeofStoneyhurst，inLancashire，atthemanufactoryofMr。HarrisatCoventry，andatotherplaces。In1813theLondonandWestminsterGasCompanysecuredtheservicesofMr。Clegg，andfromthattimeforwardstheircareerwasoneofprosperity。In1814WestminsterBridgewasfirstlightedwithgas，andshortlyafterthestreetsofSt。
Margaret’s，Westminster。Crowdsofpeoplefollowedthelamplighteronhisroundstowatchthesuddeneffectofhisflameappliedtotheinvisiblestreamofgaswhichissuedfromtheburner。Thelamplightersbecamesodisgustedwiththenewlightthattheystruckwork，andClegghimselfhadforatimetoactaslamplighter。
Theadvantagesofthenewlight，however，soonbecamegenerallyrecognised，andgascompanieswereestablishedinmostofthelargetowns。Glasgowwaslitupbygasin1817，andLiverpoolandDublininthefollowingyear。HadMurdockinthefirstinstancetakenoutapatentforhisinvention，itcouldnotfailtohaveprovedexceedinglyremunerativetohim；buthederivednoadvantagefromtheextendeduseofthenewsystemoflightingexceptthehonourofhavinginventedit。[11]Heleftthebenefitsofhisinventiontothepublic，andreturnedtohislaboursatSoho，whichmorethanevercompletelyengrossedhim。
MurdocknowbecamecompletelyidentifiedwiththefirmofBoulton&Watt。Heassignedtothemhispatentfortheslide-valve，therotaryengine，andotherinventions“foragoodandvaluableconsideration。“IndeedhisablemanagementwasalmostindispensabletothecontinuedsuccessoftheSohofoundry。Mr。
Nasmyth，whenvisitingtheworksaboutthirtyyearsafterMurdockhadtakentheircompletemanagementinhand，recalledtomindthevaluableservicesofthattrulyadmirableyetmodestmechanic。
Heobservedtheadmirablesystem，whichhehadinvented，oftransmittingpowerfromonecentralenginetoothersmallvacuumenginesattachedtotheseveralmachineswhichtheywereemployedtowork。“Thisvacuummethod，“hesays，“oftransmittingpowerdatesfromthetimeofPapin；butitremainedadeadcontrivanceforaboutacenturyuntilitreceivedthemasterlytouchofMurdock。“
“ThesightwhichIobtained“Mr。Nasmythproceeds“ofthevastseriesofworkshopsofthatcelebratedestablishment，fittedwithevidencesofthepresenceandresultsofsuchmastermindsindesignandexecution，andthespecialmachinetoolswhichI
believewerechieflytobeascribedtotheadmirableinventivepowerandcommon-sensegeniusofWilliamMurdock，mademefeelthatIwasindeedonclassicgroundinregardtoeverythingconnectedwiththeconstructionofsteam-enginemachinery。Theinterestwasinnosmalldegreeenhancedbycomingeverynowandthenuponsomemachinethathadeveryhistoricalclaimtoberegardedastheprototypeofmanyofourmodernmachinetools。
AllthesehadWilliamMurdock’sgeniusstampeduponthem，byreasonoftheircommon-sensearrangements，whichshowedthathewasoneofthoseoriginalthinkerswhohadthecouragetobreakawayfromthetrammelsoftraditionalmethods，andtakeshortcutstoaccomplishhisobjectsbydirectandsimplemeans。“
WehaveanotherrecollectionofWilliamMurdock，fromonewhoknewhimwhenaboy。ThisisthevenerableCharlesManby，F。R。S。，stillhonorarysecretaryoftheInstituteofCivilEngineers。HesayswritingtousinSeptember1883，“IseefromthepublicprintsthatyouhavebeenpresidingatameetingintendedtodohonourtothememoryofWilliamMurdock——amostworthymanandanoldfriendofmine。Whenhefoundmeworkingthefirstslidevalveeverintroducedintoanengine-buildingestablishmentatHorsley，hepattedmeonthehead，andsaidtomyfather，’NeighbourManby，thisisnotthewaytobringupagoodworkman——merelyturningahandle，withoutanyshoulderwork。’Heevidentlydidnotanticipateanygreatresultsfrommyengineeringeducation。Butweallknowwhatmachinetoolsaredoingnow，——andwhereshouldwebewithoutthem？“
Wattwithdrewfromthefirmin1800，ontheexpiryofhispatentforthecondensingsteam-engine；butBoultoncontinueduntiltheyear1809，whenhediedfullofyearsandhonours。Wattlivedonuntil1819。Thelastpartofhislifewasthehappiest。Duringthetimethathewasinthethroesofhisinvention，hewasverymiserable，weigheddownwithdyspepsiaandsickheadaches。Butafterhispatenthadexpired，hewasabletoretirewithamoderatefortune，andbegantoenjoylife。Before，hehad“cursedhisinventions，“nowhecouldblessthem。Hewasabletosurveythem，andfindoutwhatwasrightandwhatwaswrong。Heusedhisheadandhishandsinhisprivateworkshop，andfoundmanymeansofemployingbothpleasantly。Murdockcontinuedtobehisfastfriend，andtheyspentmanyagreeablehourstogether。
Theymadeexperimentsanddevisedimprovementsinmachines。Wattwishedtomakethingsmoresimple。HesaidtoMurdock，“itisagreatthingtoknowwhattodowithout。Wemusthaveabookofblots——thingstobescratchedout。“OneofthemostinterestingschemesofWatttowardstheendofhislifewasthecontrivanceofasculpture-makingmachine；andheproceededsofarwithitastotoabletopresentcopiesofbuststohisfriendsas“theproductionsofayoungartistjustenteringhiseighty-thirdyear。“Themachine，however，remainedunfinishedathisdeath，andtheremarkablefactisthatitwasWatt’sonlyunfinishedwork。
Theprincipleofthemachinewastocarryaguide-pointatonesideoverthebustoralto-relievotobecopied，andattheothersidetocarryacorrespondingcutting-toolordrilloverthealabaster，ivory，jet，orplasterofParistobeexecuted。Themachineworked，asitwere，withtwohands，theonefeelingthepattern，theothercuttingthematerialintotherequiredform。
Manynewalterationswerenecessaryforcarryingoutthisingeniousapparatus，andMurdockwasalwaysathandtogivehisoldfriendandmasterhisbestassistance。WehaveseenmanyoriginallettersfromWatttoMurdock，askingforcounselandhelp。Inoneofthese，writtenin1808，Wattsays:“Ihaverevivedanideawhich，ifitanswers，willsupersedetheframeanduprightspindleofthereducingmachine，butmoreofthiswhenwemeet。Meanwhileitwillbepropertoadheretotheframe，etc。，atpresent，untilweseehowtheotheralterationsanswer。“Inanotherhesays:“IhavedoneaCicerowithoutanyplaits——thedifferentsegmentsmeetingexactly。Thefittingthedrillsintothespindlebyataperof1in6willdo。Theyareperfectlystiffandwillnotunscreweasily。Fourguide-pulliesanswer，buttheremustbeapairfortheotherend，andtoworkwithasinglehand，forthereturningpartisalwayscutuponsomepartorotheroftheframe。“
Theselettersarewrittensometimesinthemorning，sometimesatnoon，sometimesatnight。Therewasagreatdealofcorrespondenceabout“pullies，“whichdidnotseemtoansweratfirst。“Ihavemadethetablets，“saidWattononeoccasion，“slidemoreeasily，andcancounterbalanceanypartoftheirweightwhichmaybenecessary；butthefirstthingtotryisthesolidityofthemachine，whichcannotbedonetillthepulliesaremounted。“Thenagain:“Thebust-makingmustbegivenupuntilwegetamoresolidframe。Ihaveworkedtwodaysatoneandspoiledit，principallyfromthewantofsteadiness。“ForWatt，itmustberemembered，wasnowaveryoldman。
HethenproceededtosendMurdockthedrawingofa“parallelmotionforthemachine，“tobeexecutedbytheworkmenatSoho。
Thetrussbracesandthecrossesweretobeexecutedofsteel，accordingtothedetailsheenclosed。“Ihavewarmedup，“heconcludes，“anoldidea，andcanmakeamachineinwhichthepentagraphandtheleadingscrewwillallbecontainedinthebeam，andthepatternandpiecetobecutwillremainatrestfixeduponalathofcastironorstoutsteel。“Wattisveryparticularinallhisdetails:“Iamsorry，“hesaysinonenote，“totroubleyouwithsomanythings；butthealterationsonthisspindleandsocket[heannexesadrawing]maywaityourconvenience。“Inafurthernote，Wattsays。“Thedrawingfortheparallellatheisready；butIhavebeensadlypuzzledabouttheapplicationoftheleadingscrewstothecranesintheother。
Ithink，however，Ihavenowgotthebetterofthedifficulties，andmadeitmorecertain，aswellasmoresimple，thanitwas。I
havedoneanexcellentheadofJohnHunterinhardwhiteinshortertimethanusual。IwanttoshowityoubeforeIrepairit。“
AtlastWattseemstohavebecomesatisfied:“Thelathe，“hesays，“isverymuchimproved，andyouseemtohavegiventhefinishingblowtotheroofedframe，whichappearsperfectlystiff。Ihadsomehours’intensethinkinguponthemachinelastnight，andhavemadeupmymindonitatlast。Thegreatdifficultywasabouttheapplicationoftheband，butIhavesettledittobemuchasatpresent。“
Watt’sletterstoMurdockaremostparticularindetails，especiallyastoscrews，nuts，andtubes，withstrengthsanddimensions，alwaysillustratedwithpen-and-inkdrawings。Andyetallthiswasdonemerelyformechanicalamusement，andnotforanypersonalpecuniaryadvantage。WhileWattwasmakingexperimentsastothepropersubstancestobecarvedanddrilled，healsodesiredMurdocktomakesimilarexperiments。“Thenitre，“hesaidinonenote，“seemstodoharm；thefluorcompositionseemsthebestandhardest。Query，whatwouldsomecalcinedpipe-claydo？Ifyouwillcalcinesomefire-claybyaredheatandpoundit，——aboutapound，——andsendittome，I
shalltrytomakeyouamouldortwoinHenning’smannertocastthisandthesulphuracidironin。Ihavemadeascrewingtoolforwoodthatseemstoanswer；alsooneofaone-tenthdiameterformarble，whichdoesverywell。“Inanothernote，Wattsays: