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at Soho; apparently taken by some such process。*

 'footnote。。。

The plate is now to be seen at the Museum of Patents at South

Kensington。  In the account which has been published of the above

discovery it is stated that 〃an old man of ninety (recently dead or

still alive) recollected; or recollects; that Watt and others used to

take portraits of people in a dark (?) room; and there is a letter

extant of Sir William Beechey; begging the Lunar Society to desist

from these experiments; as; were the process to succeed; it would

ruin portrait…painting。〃

 。。。'



In like manner the invention of the electric telegraph; supposed to

be exclusively modern; was clearly indicated by Schwenter in his

Delasements Physico…Mathematiques; published in 1636; and he there

pointed out how two individuals could communicate with each other by

means of the magnetic needle。  A century later; in 1746; Le Monnier

exhibited a series of experiments in the Royal Gardens at Paris;

showing how electricity could be transmitted through iron wire 950

fathoms in length; and in 1753 we find one Charles Marshall

publishing a remarkable description of the electric telegraph in the

Scots Magazine; under the title of 'An expeditions Method of

conveying Intelligence。' Again; in 1760; we find George Louis Lesage;

professor of mathematics at Geneva; promulgating his invention of an

electric telegraph; which he eventually completed and set to work in

1774。  This instrument was composed of twenty…four metallic wires;

separate from each other and enclosed in a non…conducting substance。

Each wire ended in a stalk mounted with a little ball of elder…wood

suspended by a silk thread。  When a stream of electricity; no matter

how slight。; was sent through the wire; the elder…ball at the

opposite end was repelled; such movement designating some letter of

the alphabet。  A few years later we find Arthur Young; in his Travels

in France; describing a similar machine invented by a M。 Lomond of

Paris; the action of which he also describes。*

 'footnote。。。

〃l6th Oct。l787。  In the evening to M。 Lomond; a very ingenious and

inventive mechanic; who has made an improvement of the jenny for

spinning cotton。  Common machines are said to make too hard a thread

for certain fabrics; but this forms it loose and spongy。  In

electricity he has made a remarkable discovery:  you write two or

three words on a paper; he takes it with him into a room; and turns a

machine inclosed in a cylindrical case; at the top of which is an

electrometer; a small fine pith ball; a wire connects with a similar

cylinder and electrometer in a distant apartment; and his wife; by

remarking the corresponding motions of the ball; writes down the

words they indicate; from which it appears that he has formed an

alphabet of motions。  As the length of the wire makes no difference in

the effect; a correspondence might be carried on at any distance:  

within and without a besieged town; for instance; or for a purpose

much more worthy; and a thousand times more harmless; between two

lovers prohibited or prevented from any better connexion。  Whatever

the use may be; the invention is beautiful。〃Arthur Young's Travels

in France in 1787…8…9。  London; 1792; 4to。 ed。 p。 65。

 。。。'

In these and similar cases; though the idea was born and the model of

the invention was actually made; it still waited the advent of the

scientific mechanical inventor who should bring it to perfection; and

embody it in a practical working form。



Some of the most valuable inventions have descended to us without the

names of their authors having been preserved。  We are the inheritors

of an immense legacy of the results of labour and ingenuity; but we

know not the names of our benefactors。  Who invented the watch as a

measurer of time? Who invented the fast and loose pulley? Who

invented the eccentric? Who; asks a mechanical inquirer;*

 'footnote。。。

Mechanic's Magazine; 4th Feb。 1859。

 。。。'

〃invented the method of cutting screws with stocks and dies? Whoever

he might be; he was certainly a great benefactor of his species。  Yet

(adds the writer) his name is not known; though the invention has

been so recent。〃  This is not; however; the case with most modern

inventions; the greater number of which are more or less disputed。

Who was entitled to the merit of inventing printing has never yet been

determined。  Weber and Senefelder both laid claim to the invention of

lithography; though it was merely an old German art revived。  Even the

invention of the penny…postage system by Sir Rowland Hill is

disputed; Dr。 Gray of the British Museum claiming to be its inventor;

and a French writer alleging it to be an old French invention。*

 'footnote。。。

A writer in the Monde says:  〃The invention of postage…stamps。  is far

from being so modern as is generally supposed。  A postal regulation in

France of the year 1653; which has recently come to light; gives

notice of the creation of pre…paid tickets to be used for Paris

instead of money payments。  These tickets were to be dated and

attached to the letter or wrapped round it; in such a manner that the

postman could remove and retain them on delivering the missive。  These

franks were to be sold by the porters of the convents; prisons;

colleges; and other public institutions; at the price of one sou。〃

 。。。'

 The invention of the steamboat has been claimed on behalf of Blasco

de Garay; a Spaniard; Papin; a Frenchman; Jonathan Hulls; an

Englishman; and Patrick Miller of Dalswinton; a Scotchman。  The

invention of the spinning machine has been variously attributed to

Paul; Wyatt; Hargreaves; Higley; and Arkwright。  The invention of the

balance…spring was claimed by Huyghens; a Dutchman; Hautefeuille; a

Frenchman; and Hooke; an Englishman。  There is scarcely a point of

detail in the locomotive but is the subject of dispute。  Thus the

invention of the blast…pipe is claimed for Trevithick; George

Stephenson; Goldsworthy Gurney; and Timothy Hackworth; that of the

tubular boiler by Seguin; Stevens; Booth; and W。  H。  James; that of

the link…motion by John Gray; Hugh Williams; and Robert Stephenson。



Indeed many inventions appear to be coincident。  A number of minds are

working at the same time in the same track; with the object of

supplying some want generally felt; and; guided by the same

experience; they not unfrequently arrive at like results。  It has

sometimes happened that the inventors have been separated by great

distances; so that piracy on the part of either was impossible。  Thus

Hadley and Godfrey almost simultaneously invented the quadrant; the

one in London; the other in Philadelphia; and the process of

electrotyping was invented at the same time by Mr。 Spencer; a working

chemist at Liverpool; and by Professor Jacobi at St。  Petersburg。  The

safety…lamp was a coincident invention; made about the same time by

Sir Humphry Davy and George Stephenson; and perhaps a still more

remarkable instance of a coincident discovery was that of the planet

Neptune by Leverrier at Paris; and by Adams at Cambridge。



It is always difficult to apportion the due share of merit which

belongs to mechanical inventors; who are accustomed to work upon each

other's hints and suggestions; as well as by their own experience。

Some idea of this difficulty may be formed from the fact that; in the

course of our investigations as to the origin of the planing

machineone of the most useful of modern toolswe have found that

it has been claimed on behalf of six inventorsFox of Derby; Roberts

of Manchester; Matthew Murray of Leeds; Spring of Aberdeen; Clement

and George Rennie of London; and there may be other claimants of whom

we have not yet heard。  But most mechanical inventions are of a very

composite character; and are led up to by the labour and the study of

a long succession of workers。  Thus Savary and Newcomen led up to

Watt; Cugnot; Murdock; and Trevithick to the Stephensons; and

Maudslay to Clement; Roberts; Nasmyth; Whitworth; and many more

mechanical inventors。  There is scarcely a process in the arts but has

in like manner engaged mind after mind in bringing it to perfection。

〃There is nothing;〃 says Mr。 Hawkshaw; 〃really worth having that man

has obtained; that has not been the result of a combined and gradual

process of investigation。  A gifted individual comes across some old

footmark; stumbles on a chain of previous research and inquiry。  He

meets; for instance; with a machine; the result of much previous

labour; he modifies it; pulls it to pieces; constructs and

reconstructs it; and by further trial and experiment he arrives at

the long sought…for result。〃*

 'footnote。。。

Inaugural Address delivered before the Institution of Civil

Engineers; l4th Jan。 1862。

 。。。'



But the making of the invention is not the sole difficulty。  It is one

thing to invent; said Sir Marc Brunel; and another thing to make the

invention work。  Thus when 

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