Notwithstandingthelossesandsufferingoccasionedbystrikes,Mr。
Nasmythholdstheopinionthattheyhaveonthewholeproducedmuchmoregoodthanevil。Theyhaveservedtostimulateinventioninanextraordinarydegree。Someofthemostimportantlabour-savingprocessesnowincommonusearedirectlytraceabletothem。Inthecaseofmanyofourmostpotentself-actingtoolsandmachines,manufacturerscouldnotbeinducedtoadoptthemuntilcompelledtodosobystrikes。Thiswastheeasewiththeself-actingmule,thewool-combingmachine,theplaningmachine,theslottingmachine,Nasmyth’ssteamarm,andmanyothers。Thus,eveninthemechanicalworld,theremaybe”asoulofgoodnessinthingsevil。”
Mr。NasmythretiredfrombusinessinDecember,1856。Hehadthemoralcouragetocomeoutofthegroovewhichhehadsolaboriouslymadeforhimself,andtoleavealargeandprosperousbusiness,saying,”I
havenowenoughofthisworld’sgoods;letyoungermenhavetheirchance。”HesettleddownathisruralretreatinKent,butnottoleadalifeofidleease。Industryhadbecomehishabit,andactiveoccupationwasnecessarytohishappiness。Hefellbackuponthecultivationofthoseartistictasteswhicharetheheritageofhisfamily。WhenaboyattheHighSchoolofEdinburgh,hewassoskilfulinmakingpenandinkillustrationsonthemarginsoftheclassics,thathethusoftenpurchasedfromhismonitorsexemptionfromthelessonsoftheday。NorhadheceasedtocultivatetheartduringhisresidenceatPatricroft,butwasaccustomedtofallbackuponitforrelaxationandenjoymentamidthepursuitsoftrade。Thathepossessesremarkablefertilityofimagination,andgreatskillinarchitecturalandlandscapedrawing,aswellasinthemuchmoredifficultartofdelineatingthehumanfigure,willbeobvioustoanyonewhohasseenhisworks,——moreparticularlyhis”CityofSt。
Ann’s,””TheFairies,”and”Everybodyforever!”whichlastwasexhibitedinPallMail,amongtherecentcollectionofworksofArtbyamateursandothers,forreliefoftheLancashiredistress。Hehasalsobroughthiscommonsensetobearonsuchunlikelysubject’sastheoriginofthecuneiformcharacter。ThepossessionofabrickfromBabylonsethimathinking。Howhaditbeenmanufactured?ItsundersidewasclearlymarkedbythesedgesoftheEuphratesuponwhichithadbeenlaidtodryandbakeinthesun。Buthowaboutthosecuriouscuneiformcharacters?Howhadwritingassumedsoremarkableaform?
Hissurmisewasthis:thatthebrickmakers,intellingtheirtaleofbricks,usedthetriangularcornerofanotherbrick,andbypressingitdownuponthesoftclay,leftbehinditthetriangularmarkwhichthecuneiformcharacterexhibits。Suchmarksrepeated,andplacedindifferentrelationstoeachother,wouldreadilyrepresentanynumber。Fromtheuseofthecornerofabrickinwriting,thetransitionwaseasytoapointedstickwithatriangularend,bytheuseofwhichallthecuneiformcharacterscanreadilybeproduceduponthesoftclay。ThiscuriousquestionformedthesubjectofaninterestingpaperreadbyMr。NasmythbeforetheBritishAssociationatCheltenham。
ButthemostengrossingofMr。Nasmyth’slaterpursuitshasbeenthescienceofastronomy,inwhich,bybringingafresh,originalmindtotheobservationofcelestialphenomena,hehassucceededinmakingsomeofthemostremarkablediscoveriesofourtime。AstronomywasoneofhisfavouritepursuitsatPatricroft,andonhisretirementbecamehisseriousstudy。Byrepeatedobservationswithapowerfulreflectingtelescopeofhisownconstruction,hesucceededinmakingaverycarefulandminutepaintingofthecraters,cracks,mountains,andvalleysinthemoon’ssurface,forwhichaCouncilMedalwasawardedhimattheGreatExhibitionof1851。Butthemoststrikingdiscoverywhichhehasmadebymeansofbigtelescope——theresultofpatient,continuous,andenergeticobservation——hasbeenthatofthenatureofthesun’ssurface,andthecharacteroftheextraordinarylight-givingbodies,apparentlypossessedofvoluntarymotion,movingacrossit,sometimesformingspotsorhollowsofmorethanahundredthousandmilesindiameter。
Theresultsoftheseobservationswereofsonovelacharacterthatastronomersforsometimehesitatedtoreceivethemasfacts。*
[footnote……
SeeMemoirsoftheLiteraryandPhilosophicalSocietyofManchester,3rdseries,vol。1。407。
YetsoeminentanastronomerasSirJohnHerscheldoesnothesitatenowtodescribethemas”amostwonderfuldiscovery。””AccordingtoMr。Nasmyth’sobservations,”sayshe,”madewithaveryfinetelescopeofhisownmaking,thebrightsurfaceofthesunconsistsofseparate,insulated,individualobjectsorthings,allnearlyorexactlyofonecertaindefinitesizeandshape,whichismorelikethatofawillowleaf,ashedescribesthem,thananythingelse。
Theseleavesorscalesarenotarrangedinanyorderasthoseonabutterfly’swingare,butliecrossingoneanotherinalldirections,likewhatarecalledspillsinthegameofspillikins;
exceptatthebordersofaspot,wheretheypointforthemostpartinwardstowardsthemiddleofthespot,*
[footnote……
SirJohnHerscheladds,”Spotsofnotveryirregular,andwhatmaybecalledcompactform,coveringanareaofbetweensevenandeighthundredmillionsofsquaremiles,arebynomeansuncommon。OnespotwhichImeasuredintheyear1837occupiednolessthanthreethousandsevenhundredandeightymillions,takinginalltheirregularitiesofitsform;andtheblackspaceornucleusinthemiddleofoneverynearlyroundonewouldhaveallowedtheearthtodropthroughit,leavingathousandclearmilesoneitherside;andmanyinstancesofmuchlargerspotsthantheseareonrecord。”
presentingmuchthesortofappearancethatthesmallleavesofsomewater-plantsorsea-weedsdoattheedgeofadeepholeofclearwater。Theexceedinglydefiniteshapeoftheseobjects,theirexactsimilarityonetoanother,andthewayinwhichtheylieacrossandathwarteachotherexceptwheretheyformasortofbridgeacrossaspot,inwhichcasetheyseemtoaffectacommondirection,that,namely,ofthebridgeitself,——allthesecharactersseemquiterepugnanttothenotionoftheirbeingofavaporous,acloudy,orafluidnature。Nothingremainsbuttoconsiderthemasseparateandindependentsheets,flakes,orscales,havingsomesortofsolidity。
Andtheseflakes,betheywhattheymay,andwhatevermaybesaidaboutthedashingofmeteoricstonesintothesun’satmosphere,&c。,areevidentlyTHEIMMEDIATESOURCESOFTHESOLARLIGHTANDHEAT,bywhatevermechanismorwhateverprocessestheymaybeenabledtodevelopeand,asitwere,elaboratetheseelementsfromthebosomofthenon-luminousfluidinwhichtheyappeartofloat。Lookedatinthispointofview,wecannotrefusetoregardthemasorganismsofsomepeculiarandamazingkind;andthoughitwouldbetoodaringtospeakofsuchorganizationaspartakingofthenatureoflife,yetwedoknowthatvitalactioniscompetenttodevelopheatandlight,aswellaselectricity。ThesewonderfulobjectshavebeenseenbyothersaswellasMr。Nasmyth,sothatthemisnoroomtodoubtoftheirreality。”*
[footnote……
SIRJOHNHERSCHELinGoodWordsforApril,1863。
Suchisthemarvellousdiscoverymadebytheinventorofthesteam-hammer,asdescribedbythemostdistinguishedastronomeroftheage。AwriterintheEdinburghReview,referringtothesubjectinarecentnumber,saysitshowshim”topossessanintellectasprofoundasitisexpert。”Doubtlesshistrainingasamechanic,hishabitsofcloseobservationandhisreadyinventiveness,whichconferredsomuchpoweronhimasanengineer,provedofequaladvantagetohimwhenlabouringinthedomainofphysicalscience。
Bringingafreshmind,ofkeenperception,tohisnewstudies,anduninfluencedbypreconceivedopinions,hesawtheminnewandoriginallights;andhencetheextraordinarydiscoveryabovedescribedbySirJohnHerschel。
Sometwohundredyearssince,amemberoftheNasmythfamily,JeanNasmythofHamilton,wasburntforawitch——oneofthelastmartyrstoignoranceandsuperstitioninScotland——becauseshereadherBiblewithtwopairsofspectacles。HadMr。Nasmythhimselflivedthen,hemight,withhistwotelescopesofhisownmaking,whichbringthesunandmoonintohischamberforhimtoexamineandpaint,havebeentakenforasorcerer。Butfortunatelyforhim,andstillmoresoforus,Mr。Nasmythstandsbeforethepublicofthisageasnotonlyoneofitsablestmechanics,butasoneofthemostaccomplishedandoriginalofscientificobservers。
CHAPTERXVI。
WILLIAMFAIRBAIRN。”Insciencethereisworkforallhands,moreorlessskilled;andheisusuallythemostfittooccupythehigherpostswhohasrisenfromtheranks,andhasexperimentallyacquaintedhimselfwiththenatureoftheworktobedoneineachandevery,eventhehumblestdepartment。”J。D。Forbes。
ThedevelopmentofthemechanicalindustryofEnglandhasbeensorapid,especiallyasregardsthewondersachievedbythemachine-toolsabovereferredto,thatitmayalmostbesaidtohavebeenaccomplishedwithinthelifeofthepresentgeneration。”WhenI
firstenteredthiscity,saidMr。Fairbairn,inhisinauguraladdressasPresidentoftheBritishAssociationatManchesterin1861,”thewholeofthemachinerywasexecutedbyhand。Therewereneitherplaning,slotting,norshapingmachines;and,withtheexceptionofveryimperfectlathesandafewdrills,thepreparatoryoperationsofconstructionwereeffectedentirelybythehandsoftheworkmen。Now,everythingisdonebymachine-toolswithadegreeofaccuracywhichtheunaidedhandcouldneveraccomplish。Theautomatonorself-actingmachine-toolhaswithinitselfanalmostcreativepower;infact,sogreatareitspowersofadaptation,thatthereisnooperationofthehumanhandthatitdoesnotimitate。”Inalettertotheauthor,Mr。
Fairbairnsays,”Thegreatpioneersofmachine-tool-makingwereMaudslay,MurrayofLeeds,ClementandFoxofDerby,whowereablyfollowedbyNasmyth,Roberts,andWhitworth,ofManchester,andSirPeterFairbairnofLeeds;andMr。Fairbairnmightwellhaveadded,byhimself,——forhehasbeenoneofthemostinfluentialandsuccessfulofmechanicalengineers。
WilliamFairbairnwasbornatKelsoonthe19thofFebruary,1787。
Hisparentsoccupiedahumblebutrespectablepositioninlife。Hisfather,AndrewFairbairn,wasthesonofagardenerintheemploymentofMr。BaillieofMellerston,andlivedatSmailholm,avillagelyingafewmileswestofKelso。TracingtheFairbairnsstillfurtherback,wefindseveralofthemoccupyingthestationof”portioners,”orsmalllairds,atEarlstonontheTweed,wherethefamilyhadbeensettledsincethedaysoftheSolemnLeagueandCovenant。Byhismother’sside,thesubjectofourmemoirissupposedtobedescendedfromtheancientBorderfamilyofDouglas。
WhileAndrewFairbairnWilliam’sfatherlivedatSmailholm,WalterScottwaslivingwithhisgrandmotherinSmailholmorSandyknoweTower,whitherhehadbeensentfromEdinburghinthehopethatchangeofairwouldhelpthecureofhisdiseasedhip-joint;andAndrew,beingnineyearshissenior,andastrongyouthforhisage,wasaccustomedtocarrythelittlepatientaboutinhisarms,untilhewasabletowalkbyhimself。Atalaterperiod,whenMissScott,Walter’saunt,removedfromSmailholmtoKelso,theintercoursebetweenthefamilieswasrenewed。ScottwasthenanEdinburghadvocate,engagedincollectingmaterialsforhisMinstrelsyoftheScottishBorder,or,ashisauntdescribedhispursuit,”runningaftertheauldwivesofthecountrygatherin’havers。”Heusedfrequentlytoreadoverbythefiresideintheeveningtheresultsofhiscuriousindustry,which,however,werenotverygreatlyappreciatedbyhisnearestrelatives;andtheydidnotscrupletodeclarethatforthe”Advocate”togoaboutcollecting”ballants”wasmerewasteoftimeaswellasmoney。
WilliamFairbairn’sfirstschoolmasterwasadecrepitoldmanwhowentbythenameof”BowedJohnnieKer,”——aCameronian,withanasaltwang,whichhispupilslearntmuchmorereadilythantheydidhislessonsinreadingandarithmetic,notwithstandingaliberaluseof”thetawse。”YetJohnniehadatasteformusic,andtaughthispupilstoSINGtheirreadinglessons,whichwasreckonedquiteanoveltyineducation。Afterashorttimeourscholarwastransferredtotheparish-schoolofthetown,keptbyaMr。White,wherehewasplacedunderthechargeofaratherseverehelper,who,insteadofthetawse,administereddisciplinebymeansofhisknuckles,hardashorn,whichheappliedwithapeculiarjerktothecraniaofhispupils。AtthisschoolWillieFairbairnlostthegreaterpartofthesingingaccomplishmentswhichhehadacquiredunder”BowedJohnnie,”