OneofthereasonswhichinducedKennedythusearlytobeginthebusinessofmule-spinninghasbeenrelatedasfollows。WhileemployedasapprenticeatChowbent，hehappenedtosleepoverthemaster’sapartment；andlateoneevening，onthelatterreturningfrommarket，hiswifeaskedhissuccess。”I’vesoldtheeightys，”saidhe，”ataguineaapound。””What，”exclaimedthemistress，inaloudvoice，”soldtheeightysforONLYaguineaapound！Ineverheardofsuchathing。”Theapprenticecouldnothelpoverhearingtheremark，anditsethima-thinking。Heknewthepriceofcottonandthepriceoflabour，andconcludedtheremustbeaverylargemarginofprofit。Sosoonashewasoutofhistime，therefore，hedeterminedthatheshouldbecomeacottonspinner。
inasmallwayinManchesterin1791，inconjunctionwithtwootherworkmen，SandfordandMacConnel。Theirbusinesswasmachine-makingandmule-spinning，Kennedytakingthedirectionofthemachinedepartment。Thefirmatfirstputuptheirmulesforspinninginanyconvenientgarretstheycouldhireatalowrental。Aftersometime，theytookpartofasmallfactoryinCanalStreet，andcarriedontheirbusinessonalargerscale。KennedyandMacConnelafterwardsoccupiedalittlefactoryinthesamestreet，——sinceremovedtogiveplacetoFairbairn’slargemachineworks。Theprogressofthefirmwassteadyandevenrapid，andtheywentonbuildingmillsandextendingtheirbusiness——Mr。Kennedy，asheadvancedinlife，gatheringhonour，wealth，andtroopsoffriends。Notwithstandingthedefectsofhisearlyeducation，hewasoneofthefewmenofhisclasswhobecamedistinguishedforhisliterarylaboursinconnexionprincipallywiththecottontrade。Towardsthecloseofhislife，hepreparedseveralpapersofgreatinterestfortheLiteraryandPhilosophicalSocietyofManchester，whicharetobefoundprintedintheirProceedings；oneofthese，ontheInventionoftheMulebySamuelCrompton，wasforalongtimetheonlyrecordwhichthepublicpossessedofthemeritsandclaimsofthatdistinguishedinventor。
Hisknowledgeofthehistoryofthecottonmanufactureinitsvariousstages，andofmechanicalinventionsgenerally，wasmostextensiveandaccurate。AmonghisfriendshenumberedJamesWatt，whoplacedhissoninhisestablishmentforthepurposeofacquiringknowledgeandexperienceofhisprofession。AtamuchlaterperiodhenumberedGeorgeStephensonamonghisfriends，havingbeenoneofthefirstdirectorsoftheLiverpoolandManchesterRailway，andoneofthethreejudgesselectedbecauseofhissoundjudgmentandprovedimpartiality，aswellashisknowledgeofmechanicalengineeringtoadjudicateonthecelebratedcompetitionofLocomotivesatRainhill。
BythesesuccessivestepsdidthispoorScotchboybecomeoneoftheleadingmenofManchester，closinghislongandusefullifein1855
atanadvancedage，hismentalfacultiesremainingclearanduncloudedtothelast。Hisdeparturefromlifewashappyandtranquil——soeasythatitwasforatimedoubtfulwhetherhewasdeadorasleep。
ToreturntoMr。Fairbairn’scareer，andhisprogressasamillwrightandengineerinManchester。WhenheandhispartnerundertooktheextensivealterationsinMr。Murray’sfactory，bothwereinagreatmeasureunacquaintedwiththeworkingofcotton-mills，havinguntilthenbeenoccupiedprincipallywithcorn-mills，andprintingandbleachingworks；sothatanentirelynewfieldwasnowopenedtotheirunitedexertions。Sedulouslyimprovingtheiropportunities，theyoungpartnersnotonlythoroughlymasteredthepracticaldetailsofcotton-millwork，buttheywereveryshortlyenabledtointroduceaseriesofimprovementsofthegreatestimportanceinthisbranchofournationalmanufactures。Bringingtheirvigorouspracticalmindstobearonthesubject，theyatoncesawthatthegearingofeventhebestmillswasofaveryclumsyandimperfectcharacter。Theyfoundthemachinerydrivenbylargesquarecast-ironshafts，onwhichhugewoodendrums，someofthemasmuchasfourfeetindiameter，revolvedattherateofaboutfortyrevolutionsaminute；andthecouplingsweresobadlyfittedthattheymightbeheardcreakingandgroaningalongwayoff。Thespeedsofthedriving-shaftsweremostlygotupbyaseriesofstrapsandcounterdrums，whichnotonlycrowdedtherooms，butseriouslyobstructedthelightwheremostrequiredforconductingthedelicateoperationsofthedifferentmachines。Anotherseriousdefectlayintheconstructionoftheshafts，andinthemodeoffixingthecouplings，whichwereconstantlygivingway，sothataweekseldompassedwithoutoneormorebreaks-down。TherepairswereusuallymadeonSundays，whichwerethemillwrights’hardestworkingdays，totheirownseriousmoraldetriment；butwhentradewasgood，everyconsiderationwasmadetogivewaytotheuninterruptedrunningofthemillsduringtherestoftheweek。
ItoccurredtoMr。Fairbairnthatthedefectivearrangementsthusbrieflydescribed，mightberemediedbytheintroductionoflightershaftsdrivenatdoubleortreblethevelocity，smallerdrumstodrivethemachinery，andtheuseofwrought-ironwhereverpracticable，becauseofitsgreaterlightnessandstrengthcomparedwithwood。Healsoprovidedforthesimplificationofthehangersandfixingsbywhichtheshaftingwassupported，andintroducedthe”half-lapcoupling”sowellknowntomillwrightsandengineers。Hispartnerenteredfullyintohisviews；andtheopportunityshortlypresenteditselfofcarryingthemintoeffectinthelargenewmillerectedin1818，forthefirmofMacConnelandKennedy。Themachineryofthatconcernprovedagreatimprovementonallthathadprecededit；and，toMessrs。FairbairnandLillie’snewsystemofgearingMr。
Kennedyaddedanoriginalinventionofhisowninasystemofdoublespeeds，withtheobjectofgivinganincreasedquantityoftwistinthefinerdescriptionsofmuleyarn。
ThesatisfactoryexecutionofthisimportantworkatonceplacedthefirmofFairbairnandLillieintheveryfrontrankofengineeringmillwrights。Mr。Kennedy’sgoodwordwasofitselfapassporttofameandbusiness，andashewasmorethansatisfiedwiththemannerinwhichhismillmachineryhadbeenplannedandexecuted，hesoundedtheirpraisesinallquarters。Orderspouredinuponthemsorapidly，thattheyhaddifficultyinkeepingpacewiththedemandsofthetrade。TheythenremovedfromtheiroriginalshedtolargerpremisesinMatherstreet，wheretheyerectedadditionallathesandothertool-machines，andeventuallyasteam-engine。Theyafterwardsaddedalargecellarunderanadjoiningfactorytotheirpremises；andfromtimetotimeprovidednewmeansofturningoutworkwithincreasedefficiencyanddespatch。Induecourseoftimethefirmerectedafactoryoftheirown，fittedwiththemostimprovedmachineryforturningoutmillwork；andtheywentonfromonecontracttoanother，untiltheirreputationasengineersbecamewidelycelebrated。In1826-7，theysuppliedthewater-wheelsfortheextensivecotton-millsbelongingtoKirkmanFinlayandCompany，atCatrineBankinAyrshire。
ThesewheelsareevenatthisdayregardedasamongthemostperfecthydraulicmachinesinEurope。Aboutthesametimetheysuppliedthemillgearingandwater-machineryforMessrs。EscherandCompany’slargeworksatZurich，amongthelargestcottonmanufactoriesonthecontinent。
InthemeanwhiletheindustryofManchesterandtheneighbourhood，throughwhichthefirmhadrisenandprospered，wasnotneglected，buthadthefullbenefitofthevariousimprovementswhichtheywereintroducinginmillmachinery。Inthecourseofafewyearsanentirerevolutionwaseffectedinthegearing。Ponderousmassesoftimberandcast-iron，withtheirenormousbearingsandcouplings，gaveplacetoslenderrodsofwrought-ironandlightframesorhooksbywhichtheyweresuspended。Inlikemanner，lighteryetstrongerwheelsandpulleyswereintroduced，thewholearrangementswereimproved，and，theworkmanshipbeinggreatlymoreaccurate，frictionwasavoided，whilethespeedwasincreasedfromabout40toupwardsof300
revolutionsaminute。Thefly-wheeloftheenginewasalsoconvertedintoafirstmotionbytheformationofteethonitsperiphery，bywhichaconsiderablesavingwaseffectedbothincostandpower。
Thesegreatimprovementsformedquiteanerainthehistoryofmillmachinery；andexercisedthemostimportantinfluenceonthedevelopmentofthecotton，flax，silk，andotherbranchesofmanufacture。Mr。Fairbairnsaysthesystemintroducedbyhisfirmwasatfirststronglycondemnedbyleadingengineers，anditwaswithdifficultythathecouldovercometheforceoftheiropposition；norwasituntilawheelofthirtytonsweightforapairofenginesof100-horsepowereachwaserectedandsettowork，thattheirprognosticationsoffailureentirelyceased。FromthattimetheprinciplesintroducedbyMr。Fairbairnhavebeenadoptedwhereversteamisemployedasamotivepowerinmills。
Mr。Fairbairnandhispartnerhadaharduphillbattletofightwhiletheseimprovementswerebeingintroduced；butenergyandperseverance，guidedbysoundjudgment，securedtheirusualreward，andthefirmbecameknownasoneofthemostthrivingandenterprisinginManchester。Longyearsafter，whenaddressinganassemblyofworkingmen，Mr。Fairbairn，whileurgingthenecessityoflabourandapplicationastheonlysuremeansofself-improvement，said，”Icantellyoufromexperience，thatthereisnolaboursosweet，nonesoconsolatory，asthatwhichisfoundeduponanhonest，straightforward，andhonourableambition。”Thehistoryofanyprosperousbusiness，however，socloselyresembleseveryother，anditsdetailsareusuallyofsomonotonousacharacter，thatitisunnecessaryforustopursuethispartofthesubject；andwewillcontentourselveswithbrieflyindicatingtheseveralfurtherimprovementsintroducedbyMr。Fairbairninthemechanicsofconstructioninthecourseofhislongandusefulcareer。
Hisimprovementsinwater-wheelswereofgreatvalue，especiallyasregardedthenewformofbucketwhichheintroducedwiththeobjectoffacilitatingtheescapeoftheairasthewaterenteredthebucketabove，anditsreadmissionasthewateremptieditselfoutbelow。
Thisarrangementenabledthewatertoactuponthewheelwiththemaximumofeffectinallstatesoftheriver；anditsogenerallyrecommendeditself，thatitverysoonbecameadoptedinmostwater-millsbothathomeandabroad。*
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ThesubjectwillbefoundfullytreatedinMr。Fairbairn’sownwork，ATreatiseonMillsandMill-Work，embodyingtheresultsofhislargeexperience。
Hislabourswerenot，however，confinedtohisownparticularcallingasamillengineer，butwereshortlydirectedtootherequallyimportantbranchesoftheconstructiveart。Thushewasamongthefirsttodirecthisattentiontoironshipbuildingasaspecialbranchofbusiness。In1829，Mr。Houston，ofJohnstown，nearPaisley，launchedalightboatontheArdrossanCanalforthepurposeofascertainingthespeedatwhichitcouldbetowedbyhorseswithtwoorthreepersonsonboard。TothesurpriseofMr。Houstonandtheothergentlemenpresent，itwasfoundthatthelabourthehorseshadtoperformintowingtheboatwasmachgreateratsixorseven，thanatninemilesanhour。Thisanomalywasverypuzzlingtotheexperimenters，andattherequestoftheCounciloftheForthandClydeCanal，Mr。Fairbairn，whohadalreadybecomeextensivelyknownasascientificmechanic，wasrequestedtovisitScotlandandinstituteaseriesofexperimentswithlightboatstodeterminethelawoftraction，andclearup，ifpossible，theapparentanomaliesinMr。Houston’sexperiments。Thishedidaccordingly，andtheresultsofhisexperimentswereafterwardspublished，Thetrialsextendedoveraseriesofyears，andwereconductedatacostofseveralthousandpounds。Thefirstexperimentsweremadewithvesselsofwood，buttheyeventuallyledtotheconstructionofironvesselsuponalargescaleandonanentirelynewprincipleofconstruction，withangleironribsandwrought-ironsheathingplates。Theresultsprovedmostvaluable，andhadtheeffectofspeciallydirectingtheattentionofnavalengineerstotheemploymentofironinshipbuilding。
Mr。Fairbairnhimselffullyrecognisedthevalueoftheexperiments，andproceededtoconstructanironvesselathisworksatManchester，in1831，whichwenttoseathesameyear。Itssuccesswassuchastoinducehimtobeginironshipbuildingonalargescale，atthesametimeastheMessrs。LairddidatBirkenhead；andin1835，Mr。