Clementwasonvariousotheroccasionsinvitedtoundertakeworkrequiringextraskill，whichothermechanicswereunwillingorunabletoexecute。Hewasthusalwaysfullofemployment，neverbeingunderthenecessityofcanvassingforcustomers。Hewasalmostconstantlyinhisworkshop，inwhichhetookgreatpride。Hisdwellingwasovertheofficeintheyard，anditwaswithdifficultyhecouldbeinducedtoleavethepremises。OnoneoccasionMr。BruneloftheGreatWesternRailwaycalleduponhimtoaskifhecouldsupplyhimwithasuperiorsteam-whistleforhislocomotives，thewhistleswhichtheywereusinggivingforthverylittlesound。ClementexaminedthespecimenbroughtbyBrunel，andpronouncedittobe”meretallow-chandler’swork。”Heundertooktosupplyaproperarticle，andafterhisusualfashionheproceededtocontriveamachineortoolfortheexpresspurposeofmakingsteam-whistles。Theyweremadeandsupplied，andwhenmountedonthelocomotivetheeffectwasindeed”screaming。”Theywereheardmilesoff，andBrunel，delighted，orderedahundred。Butwhenthebillcamein，itwasfoundthatthechargemadeforthemwasveryhigh——asmuchas40L。theset。Thecompanydemurredattheprice，——Bruneldeclaringittobesixtimesmorethanthepricetheyhadbeforebeenpaying。”Thatmaybe；”
rejoinedClement，”butminearemorethansixtimesbetter。Youorderedafirst-ratearticle，andyoumustbecontenttopayforit。”
Thematterwasreferredtoanarbitrator，whoawardedthefullsumclaimed。Mr。WeldmentionsasimilarcaseofanorderwhichClementreceivedfromAmericatomakealargescrewofgivendimensions”inthebestpossiblemanner，”andheaccordinglyproceededtomakeonewiththegreatestmathematicalaccuracy。Buthisbillamountedtosomehundredsofpounds，whichcompletelystaggeredtheAmerican，whodidnotcalculateonhavingtopaymorethan20L。attheutmostforthescrew。Thematterwas，however，referredtoarbitrators，whogavetheirdecision，asintheformercase，infavourofthemechanic。*
[footnote……
HistoryoftheRoyalSociety，ii。374。
OneofthelastworkswhichClementexecutedasamatterofpleasure，wasthebuildingofanorganforhisownuse。ItwillberememberedthatwhenworkingasaslateratGreatAshby，hehadmadeflutesandclarinets，andnowinhisoldagehedeterminedtotryhisskillatmakinganorgan——inhisopinionthekingofmusicalinstruments。Thebuildingofitbecamehishobby，andhisgreatestdelightwasinsuperintendingitsprogress。Itcosthimabouttwothousandpoundsinlabouralone，buthelivedtofinishit，andwehavebeeninformedthatitwaspronouncedaveryexcellentinstrument。
Clementwasaheavy-browedman，withoutanypolishofmannerorspeech；fortothelasthecontinuedtousehisstrongWestmorelanddialect。Hewasnoteducatedinaliterarysense；forhereadbutlittle，andcouldwritewithdifficulty。Hewaseminentlyamechanic，andhadachievedhisexquisiteskillbyobservation，experience，andreflection。Hisheadwasacompleterepertoryofinventions，onwhichhewasconstantlydrawingfortheimprovementofmechanicalpractice。
Thoughhehadnevermorethanthirtyworkmeninhisfactory，theywereallofthefirstclass；andtheexamplewhichClementsetbeforethemofextremecarefulnessandaccuracyinexecutionrenderedhisshoponeofthebestschoolsofitstimeforthetrainingofthoroughlyaccomplishedmechanics。Mr。Clementdiedin1844，inhissixty-fifthyear；afterwhichhisworkswerecarriedonbyMr。
Wilkinson，oneofhisnephews；andhisplaningmachinestillcontinuesinusefulwork。
CHAPTERXIV。
FOXOFDERBY-MURRAYOFLEEDS-ROBERTSANDWHITWORTHOFMANCHESTER。”Foundersandsenatorsofstatesandcities，lawgivers，extirpersoftyrants，fathersofthepeople，andothereminentpersonsincivilgovernment，werehonouredbutwithtitlesofWorthiesordemi-gods；
whereas，suchaswereinventorsandauthorsofnewarts，endowments，andcommoditiestowardsman’slife，wereeverconsecratedamongstthegodsthemselves。”——BACON，AdvancementofLearning。
Whilesuchweretheadvancesmadeintheartsoftool-makingandengine-constructionthroughthelaboursofBramah，Maudslay，andClement，therewereothermechanicsofalmostequaleminencewhoflourishedaboutthesametimeandsubsequentlyinseveralofthenorthernmanufacturingtowns。AmongthesemaybementionedJamesFoxofDerby；MatthewMurrayandPeterFairbairnofLeeds；RichardRoberts，JosephWhitworth，JamesNasmyth，andWilliamFairbairnofManchester；toallofwhomthemanufacturingindustryofGreatBritainstandsinthehighestdegreeindebted。
JamesFox，thefounderoftheDerbyfirmofmechanicalengineers，wasoriginallyabutlerintheserviceoftheRev。ThomasGisborne，ofFoxhallLodge，Staffordshire。Thoughasituationofthiskindmightnotseembyanymeansfavourableforthedisplayofmechanicalability，yetthebutler’sinstinctforhandicraftwassostrongthatitcouldnotberepressed；andhismasternotonlyencouragedhiminthehandlingoftoolsinhisleisurehours，buthadsogenuineanadmirationofhisskillaswellashisexcellentqualitiesofcharacter，thatheeventuallyfurnishedhimwiththemeansofbeginningbusinessonhisownaccount。
Thegrowthandextensionofthecotton，silk，andlacetrades，intheneighbourhoodofDerby，furnishedFoxwithsufficientopportunitiesfortheexerciseofhismechanicalskill；andhesoonfoundamplescopeforitsemployment。Hislacemachinerybecamecelebrated，andhesupplieditlargelytotheneighbouringtownofNottingham；healsoobtainedconsiderableemploymentfromthegreatfirmsofArkwrightandStrutt——thefoundersofthemodemcottonmanufacture。
Mr。Foxalsobecamecelebratedforhislathes，whichwereofexcellentquality，stillmaintainingtheirhighreputation；andbesidesmakinglargelyforthesupplyofthehomedemand，heexportedmuchmachineryabroad，toFrance，Russia，andtheMauritius。
ThepresentMessrs。FoxofDerby，whocontinuetocarryonthebusinessofthefirm，claimfortheirgrandfather，itsfounder，thathemadethefirstplaningmachinein1814，*
[footnote……
Engineer，Oct。10th，1862。
andtheyaddthattheoriginalarticlecontinuedinuseuntilquiterecently。WehavebeenfurnishedbySamuelHall，formerlyaworkmanattheMessrs。Fox’s，withthefollowingdescriptionofthemachine：——”Itwasessentiallythesameinprincipleastheplaningmachinenowingeneraluse，althoughdifferingindetail。Ithadaself-actingratchetmotionformovingtheslidesofacompoundsliderest，andaself-actingreversingtackle，consistingofthreebevelwheels，oneastud，onelooseonthedrivingshaft，andanotheronasocket，withapinionontheoppositeendofthedrivingshaftrunningonthesocket。Theotherendwastheplaceforthedrivingpulley。Aclutchboxwasplacedbetweenthetwooppositewheels，whichwasmadetoslideonafeather，sothatbymeansofanothershaftcontainingleversandatumblingball，theboxonreversingwascarriedfromonebevelwheeltotheoppositeone。”ThesameJamesFoxisalsosaidataveryearlyperiodtohaveinventedascrew-cuttingmachine，anengineforaccuratelydividingandcuttingtheteethofwheels，andaself-actinglathe。Buttheevidenceastothedatesatwhichtheseseveralinventionsaresaidtohavebeenmadeissoconflictingthatitisimpossibletodecidewithwhomthemeritofmakingthemreallyrests。Thesameideaisfoundfloatingatthesametimeinmanyminds，thelikenecessitypressinguponall，andtheprocessofinventiontakesplaceinlikemanner：hencethecontemporaneousnessofsomanyinventions，andthedisputesthatariserespectingthem，asdescribedinapreviouschapter。
Therearestillotherclaimantsforthemeritofhavinginventedtheplaningmachine；amongwhommaybementionedmoreparticularlyMatthewMurrayofLeeds，andRichardRobertsofManchester。WeareinformedbyMr。March，thepresentmayorofLeeds，headofthecelebratedtool-manufacturingfirmofthattown，thatwhenhefirstwenttoworkatMatthewMurray’s，in1814，aplaningmachineofhisinventionwasusedtoplanethecircularpartorbackoftheDvalve，whichhehadbythattimeintroducedinthesteam-engine。Mr。Marchsays，”Irecollectitverydistinctly，andeventhesortofframingonwhichitstood。Themachinewasnotpatented，andlikemanyinventionsinthosedays，itwaskeptasmuchasecretaspossible，beinglockedupinasmallroombyitself，towhichtheordinaryworkmencouldnotobtainaccess。TheyearinwhichIrememberitbeinginusewas，sofarasIamaware，longbeforeanyplaning-machineofasimilarkindhadbeeninvented。”
MatthewMurraywasbornatStockton-on-Teesintheyear1763。Hisparentswereoftheworkingclass，andMatthew，liketheothermembersofthefamily，wasbroughtupwiththeordinarycareeroflabourbeforehim。Whenofdueagehisfatherapprenticedhimtothetradeofablacksmith，inwhichheverysoonacquiredconsiderableexpertness。Hemarriedbeforehistermhadexpired；afterwhich，tradebeingslackatStockton，hefounditnecessarytolookforworkelsewhere。Leavinghiswifebehindhim，hesetoutforLeedswithhisbundleonhisback，andafteralongjourneyonfoot，hereachedthattownwithnotenoughmoneyleftinhispockettopayforabedattheBayHorseinn，whereheputup。ButtellingthelandlordthatheexpectedworkatMarshall’s，andseemingtobearespectableyoungman，thelandlordtrustedhim；andhewassofortunateastoobtainthejobwhichhesoughtatMr。Marshall’s，whowasthenbeginningthemanufactureofflax，forwhichthefirmhassincebecomesofamous。
Mr。Marshallwasatthattimeengagedinimprovingthemethodofmanufacture，*
[footnote……
WeareinformedinMr。Longstaffe’sAnnalsandCharacteristicsofDarlington，thatthespinningofflaxbymachinerywasfirstbegunbyoneJohnKendrew，aningeniousself-taughtmechanicofthattown，whoinventedamachineforthepurpose，forwhichhetookoutapatentin1787。Mr。MarshallwentoverfromLeedstoseehismachine，andagreedtogivehimsomuchperspindlefortherighttouseit。Butceasingtopaythepatentright，Kendrewcommencedanactionagainsthimforasumofninehundredpoundsallegedtobedueundertheagreement。Theclaimwasdisputed，andKendrewlosthisaction；anditisaddedinLongstaffe’sAnnals，thatevenhadhesucceeded，itwouldhavebeenofnouse；forMr。Marshalldeclaredthathehadnotthenthemoneywherewithtopayhim。ItispossiblethatMatthewMurraymayhaveobtainedsomeexperienceofflax-machineryinworkingforKendrew，whichafterwardsprovedofusetohiminMr。Marshall’sestablishment。
andtheyoungblacksmithwassofortunateorrathersodexterousastobeabletosuggestseveralimprovementsinthemachinerywhichsecuredtheapprovalofhisemployer，whomadehimapresentof20L。，andveryshortlypromotedhimtobethefirstmechanicintheworkshop。OnthisstrokeofgoodfortuneMurraytookahouseattheneighbouringvillageofBeeston，senttoStocktonforhiswife，whospeedilyjoinedhim，andhenowfelthimselffairlystartedintheworld。HeremainedwithMr。Marshallforabouttwelveyears，duringwhichheintroducednumerousimprovementsinthemachineryforspinningflax，andobtainedthereputationofbeingafirst-ratemechanic。ThisinducedMr。JamesFentonandMr。DavidWoodtooffertojoinhimintheestablishmentofanengineeringandmachine-makingfactoryatLeeds；whichheagreedto，andoperationswerecommencedatHolbeckintheyear1795。
AsMr。Murrayhadobtainedconsiderablepracticalknowledgeofthesteam-enginewhileworkingatMr。Marshall’s，hetookprincipalchargeoftheengine-buildingdepartment，whilehispartnerWooddirectedthemachine-making。Inthebranchofengine-buildingMr。
Murrayveryshortlyestablishedahighreputation，treadingcloseupontheheelsofBoultonandWatt——soclose，indeed，thatthatfirmbecameveryjealousofhim，andpurchasedalargepieceofgroundclosetohisworkswiththeobjectofpreventingtheirextension。*
[footnote……
Thepurchaseofthislargepieceofground，knownasCampField，hadtheeffectof”pluggingup”MatthewMurrayforatime；anditremaineddisused，exceptforthedepositofdeaddogsandotherrubbish，formorethanhalfacentury。Ithasonlybeenenclosedduringthepresentyear，andnowformspartoftheworksofMessrs。
Smith，Beacock，andTannet，theeminenttool-makers。