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。