Havingfinishedhisfiveyears’apprenticeshipatPercyMain,bywhichtimehehadreachedhistwenty-firstyear,WilliamFairbairnshortlyafterdeterminedtogoforthintotheworldinsearchofexperience。AtNewcastlehefoundemploymentasamillwrightforafewweeks,duringwhichheworkedattheerectionofasawmillintheClose。FromthencehewenttoBedlingtonatanadvancedwage。Heremainedthereforsixmonths,duringwhichhewassofortunateastomaketheacquaintanceofMissMar,whofiveyearsafter,whenhiswanderingshadceased,becamehiswife。Onthecompletionofthejobonwhichhehadbeenemployed,ourengineerpreparedtomakeanotherchange。WorkwasdifficulttobehadintheNorth,and,joinedbyacomrade,heresolvedtotryhisfortuneinLondon。Adoptingthecheapestroute,hetookpassagebyaShieldscollier,inwhichhesailedfortheThamesonthe11thofDecember,1811。Itwasthenwar-time,andthevesselwasveryshort-handed,thecrewconsistingonlyofthreeoldmenandthreeboys,withtheskipperandmate;sothatthevesselwasnosoonerfairlyatseathanboththepassengeryouthshadtolendahandinworkingher,andthiscontinuedforthegreaterpartofthevoyage。Theweatherwasveryrough,andinconsequenceofthecaptain’sanxietytoavoidprivateershehuggedtheshoretooclose,andwhennavigatingtheinsidepassageoftheSwin,betweenYarmouthandtheNore,thevesselverynarrowlyescapedshipwreck。Afterbeatingaboutalongshore,thecaptainhalfdrunkthegreaterpartofthetime,thevesselatlastreachedtheThameswithlossofsparsandananchor,afteratediousvoyageoffourteendays。
OnarrivingoffBlackwallthecaptainwentashoreostensiblyinsearchoftheCoalExchange,takingouryoungengineerwithhim。Theformerwasstillundertheinfluenceofdrink;andthoughhefailedtoreachtheExchangethatnight,hesucceededinreachingapublichouseinWapping,beyondwhichhecouldnotbegot。Atteno’clockthetwostartedontheirreturntotheship;butthecaptaintooktheopportunityofthedarknesstoseparatefromhiscompanion,anddidnotreachtheshipuntilnextmorning。Itafterwardscameoutthathehadbeentakenupandlodgedinthewatch-house。Theyouth,leftaloneinthestreetsofthestrangecity,felthimselfinanawkwarddilemma。Heaskedthenextwatchmanhemettorecommendhimtoalodging,onwhichthemantookhimtoahouseinNewGravelLane,wherehesucceededinfindingaccommodation。Whatwashishorrornextmorningtolearnthatawholefamily——theWilliamsons——hadbeenmurderedintheverynexthouseduringthenight!Makingthebestofhiswaybacktotheship,hefoundthathiscomrade,whohadsuffereddreadfullyfromsea-sicknessduringthevoyage,hadnearlyrecovered,andwasabletoaccompanyhimintotheCityinsearchofwork。Theyhadbetweenthemasumofonlyabouteightpounds,sothatitwasnecessaryforthemtotakeimmediatestepstoobtainemployment。
TheythoughtthemselvesfortunateingettingthepromiseofajobfromMr。Rennie,thecelebratedengineer,whoseworksweresituatedatthesouthendofBlackfriarsBridge。Mr。Renniesentthetwoyoungmentohisforeman,withtherequestthatheshouldsetthemtowork。
TheforemanreferredthemtothesecretaryoftheMillwrights’
Society,theshopbeingfilledwithUnionmen,whosettheirshoulderstogethertoexcludethoseoftheirowngrade,howeverskilled,whocouldnotproduceevidencethattheyhadcompliedwiththerulesofthetrade。DescribinghisfirstexperienceofLondonUnionists,nearlyhalfacenturylater,beforeanassemblyofworkingmenatDerby,Mr。Fairbairnsaid,”WhenIfirstenteredLondon,ayoungmanfromthecountryhadnochancewhateverofsuccess,inconsequenceofthetradeguildsandunions。Ihadnodifficultyinfindingemployment,butbeforeIcouldbeginworkIhadtorunthegauntletofthetradesocieties;andafterdancingattendancefornearlysixweeks,withverylittlemoneyinmypocket,andhavingto’boxHarry’allthetime,Iwasultimatelydeclaredillegitimate,andsentadrifttoseekmyfortuneelsewhere。TherewerethenthreemillwrightsocietiesinLondon:onecalledtheOldSociety,anothertheNewSociety,andathirdtheIndependentSociety。Thesesocietieswerenotfoundedfortheprotectionofthetrade,butforthemaintenanceofhighwages,andfortheexclusionofallthosewhocouldnotasserttheirclaimstoworkinLondonandothercorporatetowns。Lawsofamostarbitrarycharacterwereenforced,andtheyweregovernedbycliquesofself-appointedofficers,whoneverfailedtotakecareoftheirowninterests。”*
[footnote……
UsefulInformationforEngineers,2ndseries,1860,p。211。
TheirfirstapplicationforleavetoworkinLondonhavingthusdisastrouslyended,thetwoyouthsdeterminedtotrytheirfortuneinthecountry,andwithachingheartstheystartednextmorningbeforedaylight。Theirhopeshadbeensuddenlycrushed,theirslenderfundswerenearlyexhausted,andtheyscarceknewwheretoturn。Buttheysettheirfacesbravelynorthward,andpushedalongthehighroad,throughslushandsnow,asfarasHertford,whichtheyreachedafternearlyeighthours’walking,onthemoderatefareduringtheirjourneyofapennyrollandapintofaleeach。Thoughwettotheskin,theyimmediatelysoughtoutamastermillwright,andappliedforwork。Hesaidhehadnojobvacantatpresent;but,seeingtheirsorryplight,hehadcompassionuponthem,andsaid,”ThoughIcannotgiveyouemployment,youseemtobetwonicelads;”andheconcludedbyofferingFairbairnahalf-crown。Buthisproudspiritrevoltedattakingmoneywhichhehadnotearned;andhedeclinedtheprofferedgiftwiththanks,sayinghewassorrytheycouldnothavework。Hethenturnedawayfromthedoor,onwhichhiscompanion,mortifiedbyhisrefusaltoacceptthehalf-crownatatimewhentheywerereducedalmosttotheirlastpenny,brokeoutinbitterremonstrancesandregrets。Weary,wet,anddisheartened,thetwoturnedintoHertfordchurchyard,andrestedforawhileuponatombstone,Fairbairn’scompanionrelievinghimselfbyagoodcry,andoccasionalangryoutburstsof”Whydidn’tyoutakethehalf-crown?””Come,come,man!”
saidFairbairn,”it’sofnousecrying;cheerup;let’stryanotherroad;somethingmustsooncastup。”Theyrose,andsetoutagain,butwhentheyreachedthebridge,thedispiritedyouthagainbrokedown;
and,leaninghisbackagainsttheparapet,said,”Iwinnagangabitfurther;let’sgetbacktoLondon。”AgainstthisFairbairnremonstrated,saying”It’sofnouselamenting;wemusttrywhatwecandohere;iftheworstcomestotheworst,wecan’list;youareastrongchap——they’llsoontakeyou;andasforme,I’lljointoo;I
thinkIcouldfightabit。”Afterthiscouncilofwar,thepairdeterminedtofindlodgingsinthetownforthenight,andbegintheirsearchforworkanewonthemorrow。
Nextday,whenpassingalongoneofthebackstreetsofHertford,theycametoawheelwright’sshop,wheretheymadetheusualenquiries。Thewheelwright,saidthathedidnotthinktherewasanyjobtobehadinthetown;butifthetwoyoungmenpushedontoCheshunt,hethoughttheymightfindworkatawindmillwhichwasundercontracttobefinishedinthreeweeks,andwherethemillwrightwantedhands。Herewasaglimpseofhopeatlast;andthestrengthandspiritsofbothrevivedinaninstant。Theysetoutimmediately;walkedthesevenmilestoCheshunt;succeededinobtainingtheexpectedemployment;workedatthejobafortnight;andenteredLondonagainwithnearlythreepoundsintheirpockets。
Ouryoungmillwrightatlengthsucceededinobtainingregularemploymentinthemetropolisatgoodwages。HeworkedfirstatGrundy’sPatentRoperyatShadwell,andafterwardsatMr。Penn’sofGreenwich,gainingmuchvaluableinsight,andsedulouslyimprovinghismindbystudyinhisleisurehours。AmongtheacquaintanceshethenmadewasanenthusiasticprojectorofthenameofHall,whohadtakenoutonepatentformakinghempfrombean-stalks,andcontemplatedtakingoutanotherforeffectingspadetillagebysteam。
Theyoungengineerwasinvitedtomaketherequisitemodel,whichhedid,anditcosthimbothtimeandmoney,whichtheout-at-elbowsprojectorwasunabletorepay;andallthatcameoftheprojectwastheexhibitionofthemodelattheSocietyofArtsandbeforetheBoardofAgriculture,inwhosecollectionitisprobablystilltobefound。AnothermoresuccessfulmachineconstructedByMr。Fairbairnaboutthesametimewasasausage-choppingmachine,whichhecontrivedandmadeforapork-butcherfor33l。Itwasthefirstorderhehadeverhadonhisownaccount;and,asthemachinewhenmadediditsworkadmirably,hewasnaturallyveryproudofit。Themachinewasprovidedwithafly-wheelanddoublecrank,withconnectingrodswhichworkedacrosshead。Itcontainedadozenknivescrossingeachotheratrightanglesinsuchawayastoenablethemtominceordividethemeatonarevolvingblock。Anotherpartoftheapparatusaccomplishedthefillingofthesausagesinaveryexpertmanner,totheentiresatisfactionofthepork-butcher。
AsworkwasscarceinLondonatthetime,andourengineerwasbentongatheringfurtherexperienceinhistrade,hedeterminedtomakeatourintheSouthofEnglandandSouthWales;andsetoutfromLondoninApril1813with7l。inhispocket。AftervisitingBathandFrome,hesettledtoworkforsixweeksatBathgate;afterwhichhetravelledbyBradfordandTrowbridge——alwaysonfoot——toBristol。
FromthencehetravelledthroughSouthWales,spendingafewdayseachatNewport,Llandaff,andCardiff,wherehetookshipforDublin。BythetimehereachedIrelandhismeanswereallbutexhausted,onlythree-halfpenceremaininginhispocket;but,beingyoung,hopeful,skilful,andindustrious,hewaslightofheart,andlookedcheerfullyforward。ThenextdayhesucceededinfindingemploymentatMr。Robinson’s,ofthePhoenixFoundry,wherehewasputtoworkatonceuponasetofpatternsforsomenail-machinery。
Mr。Robinsonwasamanofspiritandenterprise,and,seeingthequantitiesofEnglishmachine-madenailsimportedintoIreland,hewasdesirousofgivingIrishindustrythebenefitofthemanufacture。
Theconstructionofthenail-makingmachineryoccupiedMr。Fairbairntheentiresummer;andonitscompletionhesetsailinthemonthofOctoberforLiverpool。Itmaybeadded,that,notwithstandingtheexpenseincurredbyMr。Robinsoninsettingupthenewnail-machinery,hisworkmenthreatenedhimwithastrikeifheventuredtouseit。AshecouldnotbravetheoppositionoftheUnionists,thenall-powerfulinDublin,themachinerywasneversettowork;thenail-makingtradeleftIreland,nevertoreturn;andtheIrishmarketwasthenceforwardsuppliedentirelywithEnglish-madenails。TheDubliniron-manufacturewasruinedinthesameway;notthroughanylocaldisadvantages,butsolelybytheprohibitoryregulationsenforcedbytheworkmenoftheTradesUnions。
ArrivedatLiverpool,afteravoyageoftwodays——whichwasthenconsideredafairpassage——ourengineerproceededtoManchester,whichhadalreadybecometheprincipalcentreofmanufacturingoperationsintheNorthofEngland。AswehavealreadyseeninthememoirsofNasmyth,Roberts,andWhitworth,Manchesterofferedgreatattractionsforhighly-skilledmechanics;anditwasasfortunateforManchesterasforWilliamFairbairnhimselfthathesettleddownthereasaworkingmillwrightintheyear1814,bringingwithhimnocapital,butanabundanceofenergy,skill,andpracticalexperienceinhistrade。Afterwardsdescribingthecharacteristicsofthemillwrightofthattime,Mr,Fairbairnsaid——”Inthosedaysagoodmillwrightwasamanoflargeresources;hewasgenerallywelleducated,andcoulddrawouthisowndesignsandworkatthelathe;
hehadaknowledgeofmillmachinery,pumps,andcranes,andcouldturnhishandtothebenchortheforgewithequaladroitnessandfacility。Ifhardpressed,aswasfrequentlythecaseincountryplacesfarfromtowns,hecoulddeviseforhimselfexpedientswhichenabledhimtomeetspecialrequirements,andtocompletehisworkwithoutassistance。ThiswastheclassofmenwithwhomIassociatedinearlylife——proudoftheircalling,fertileinresources,andawareoftheirvalueinacountrywheretheindustrialartswererapidlydeveloping。”*
[footnote……
LectureatDerby——UsefulInformationforEngineers,2ndseries,p。
212。