industrial biography-第59节

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Street；　for　improvements　in　the　steam…engine；　reducing　its　parts　and

rendering　it　more　compact　and　portable　（3050）；　another；　taken　out　in

conjunction　with　Robert　Dickinson　in　1812；　for　sweetening　water　and

other　liquids　（3538）；　and；　lastly；　a　patent　taken　out　in　conjunction

〃with　Joshua　Field　in　1824　for　preventing　concentration　of　brine　in

boilers　（5021）。

　。。。＇

He　was　much　beset　by　inventors；　sometimes　sadly　out　at　elbows；　but

always　with　a　boundless　fortune　looming　before　them。　　To　such　as

applied　to　him　for　advice　in　a　frank　and　candid　spirit；　he　did　not

hesitate　to　speak　freely；　and　communicate　the　results　of　his　great

experience　in　the　most　liberal　manner；　and　to　poor　and　deserving　men

of　this　class　he　was　often　found　as　ready　to　help　them　with　his　purse

as　with　his　still　more　valuable　advice。　　He　had　a　singular　way　of

estimating　the　abilities　of　those　who　thus　called　upon　him　about

their　projects。　　The　highest　order　of　man　was　marked　in　his　own　mind

at　l00　degrees；　and　by　this　ideal　standard　he　measured　others；

setting　them　down　at　90　degrees；　80　degrees；　and　so　on。　　A　very

first…rate　man　he　would　set　down　at　95　degrees；　but　men　of　this　rank

were　exceedingly　rare。　　After　an　interview　with　one　of　the　applicants

to　him　for　advice；　he　would　say　to　his　pupil　Nasmyth；　〃Jem；　I　think

that　man　may　be　set　down　at　45　degrees；　but　he　might　be　WORKED　UP　TO

60　degreesa　common　enough　way　of　speaking　of　the　working　of　a

steam…engine；　but　a　somewhat　novel　though　by　no　means　an　inexpressive

method　of　estimating　the　powers　of　an　individual。



But　while　he　had　much　toleration　for　modest　and　meritorious

inventors；　he　had　a　great　dislike　for　secret…mongers；schemers　of

the　close；　cunning　sort；and　usually　made　short　work　of　them。　　He　had

an　almost　equal　aversion　for　what　he　called　the　〃fiddle…faddle

inventors；〃　with　their　omnibus　patents；　into　which　they　packed　every

possible　thing　that　their　noddles　could　imagine。　　〃Only　once　or　twice

in　a　century；〃　said　he；　〃does　a　great　inventor　appear；　and　yet　here

we　have　a　set　of　fellows　each　taking　out　as　many　patents　as　would

fill　a　cart；some　of　them　embodying　not　a　single　original　idea；　but

including　in　their　specifications　all　manner　of　modifications　of

well…known　processes；　as　well　as　anticipating　the　arrangements　which

may　become　practicable　in　the　progress　of　mechanical　improvement。〃

Many　of　these　〃patents〃　he　regarded　as　mere　pit…falls　to　catch　the

unwary；　and　he　spoke　of　such　〃inventors〃　as　the　pests　of　the

profession。



The　personal　appearance　of　Henry　Maudslay　was　in　correspondence　with

his　character。　　He　was　of　a　commanding　presence；　for　he　stood　full　six

feet　two　inches　in　height；　a　massive　and　portly　man。　　His　face　was

round；　full；　and　lit　up　with　good　humour。　　A　fine；　large；　and　square

forehead；　of　the　grand　constructive　order；　dominated　over　all；　and

his　bright　keen　eye　gave　energy　and　life　to　his　countenance。　　He　was

thoroughly　〃jolly〃　and　good…natured；　yet　full　of　force　and　character。

It　was　a　positive　delight　to　hear　his　cheerful；　ringing　laugh。　　He　was

cordial　in　manner；　and　his　frankness　set　everybody　at　their　ease　who

had　occasion　to　meet　him；　even　for　the　first　time。　　No　one　could　be

more　faithful　and　consistent　in　his　friendships；　nor　more　firm　in　the

hour　of　adversity。　　In　fine；　Henry　Maudslay　was；　as　described　by　his

friend　Mr。　Nasmyth；　the　very　beau　ideal　of　an　honest；　upright；

straight…forward；　hard…working；　intelligent　Englishman。



A　severe　cold　which　he　caught　on　his　way　home　from　one　of　his　visits　to

France；　was　the　cause　of　his　death；　which　occurred　on　the　l4th　of

February；　1831。　　The　void　which　his　decease　caused　was　long　and　deeply

felt；　not　only　by　his　family　and　his　large　circle　of　friends；　but　by

his　workmen；　who　admired　him　for　his　industrial　skill；　and　loved　him

because　of　his　invariably　manly；　generous；　and　upright　conduct　towards

them。　　He　directed　that　he　should　be　buried　in　Woolwich

parish…churchyard；　where　a　cast…iron　tomb；　made　to　his　own　design；　was

erected　over　his　remains。　　He　had　ever　a　warm　heart　for　Woolwich；　where

he　had　been　born　and　brought　up。　　He　often　returned　to　it；　sometimes　to

carry　his　mother　a　share　of　his　week's　wages　while　she　lived；　and

afterwards　to　refresh　himself　with　a　sight　of　the　neighbourhood　with

which　he　had　been　so　familiar　when　a　boy。　　He　liked　its　green　common；

with　the　soldiers　about　it；　Shooter's　Hill；　with　its　out…look　over　Kent

and　down　the　valley　of　the　Thames；　the　river　busy　with　shipping；　and

the　royal　craft　loading　and　unloading　their　armaments　at　the　dockyard

wharves。　　He　liked　the　clangour　of　the　Arsenal　smithy　where　he　had　first

learned　his　art；　and　all　the　busy　industry　of　the　place。　　It　was

natural；　therefore；　that；　being　proud　of　his　early　connection　with

Woolwich；　he　should　wish　to　lie　there；　and　Woolwich；　on　its　part；　let

us　add；　has　equal　reason　to　he　proud　of　Henry　Maudslay。





CHAPTER　XIII。



JOSEPH　CLEMENT。



〃It　is　almost　impossible　to　over…estimate　the　importance　of　these

inventions。　　The　Greeks　would　have　elevated　their　authors　among　the

gods；　nor　will　the　enlightened　judgment　of　modern　times　deny　them　the

place　among　their　fellow…men　which　is　so　undeniably　their　due。〃

Edinburgh　Review。





That　Skill　in　mechanical　contrivance　is　a　matter　of　education　and

training　as　well　as　of　inborn　faculty；　is　clear　from　the　fact　of　so

many　of　our　distinguished　mechanics　undergoing　the　same　kind　of

practical　discipline；　and　perhaps　still　more　so　from　the　circumstance

of　so　many　of　them　passing　through　the　same　workshops。　　Thus　Maudslay

and　Clement　were　trained　in　the　workshops　of　Bramah；　and　Roberts；

Whitworth；　Nasmyth；　and　others；　were　trained　in　those　of　Maudslay。



Joseph　Clement　was　born　at　Great　Ashby　in　Westmoreland；　in　the　year

1779。　　His　father　was　a　hand…loom　weaver；　and　a　man　of　remarkable

culture　considering　his　humble　station　in　life。　　He　was　an　ardent

student　of　natural　history；　and　possessed　a　much　more　complete

knowledge　of　several　sub…branches　of　that　science　than　was　to　have

been　looked　for　in　a　common　working…man。　　One　of　the　departments　which

he　specially　studied　was　Entomology。　　In　his　leisure　hours　he　was

accustomed　to　traverse　the　country　searching　the　hedge…bottoms　for

beetles　and　other　insects；　of　which　he　formed　a　remarkably　complete

collection；　and　the　capture　of　a　rare　specimen　was　quite　an　event　in

his　life。　　In　order　more　deliberately　to　study　the　habits　of　the　bee

tribe；　he　had　a　number　of　hives　constructed　for　the　purpose　of

enabling　him　to　watch　their　proceedings　without　leaving　his　work；　and

the　pursuit　was　a　source　of　the　greatest　pleasure　to　him。　　He　was　a

lover　of　all　dumb　creatures；　his　cottage　was　haunted　by　birds　which

flew　in　and　out　at　his　door；　and　some　of　them　became　so　tame　as　to

hop　up　to　him　and　feed　out　of　his　hand。　　〃Old　Clement〃　was　also　a　bit

of　a　mechanic；　and　such　of　his　leisure　moments　as　he　did　not　devote

to　insect…hunting；　were　employed　in　working　a　lathe　of　his　own

construction；　which　he　used　to　turn　his　bobbing　on；　and　also　in

various　kinds　of　amateur　mechanics。



His　boy　Joseph；　like　other　poor　men's　sons；　was　early　set　to　work。　　He

received　very　little　education；　and　learnt　only　the　merest　rudiments

of　reading　and　writing　at　the　village　school。　　The　rest　of　his

education　he　gave　to　himself　as　he　grew　older。　　His　father　needed　his

help　at　the　loom；　where　he　worked　with　him　for　some　years；　but；　as

handloom　weaving　was　gradually　being　driven　out　by　improved

mechanism；　the　father　prudently　resolved　to　put　his　son　to　a　better

trade。　　They　have　a　saying　in　Cumberland　that　when　the　bairns　reach　a

certain　age；　they　are　thrown　on　to　the　house…rigg；　and　that　those　who

stick　on　are　made　thatchers　of；　while　those　who　fall　off　are　sent　to

St。　　Bees　to　be　made　parsons　of。　　Joseph　must　have　been　one　of　those

that　stuck　onat　all　events　his　father　decided　to　make　him　a

thatcher；　afterwards　a　slater；　and　he　worked　at　that　trade　for　five

years；　between　eighteen　and　twenty…three。



The　son；　like　the　father；　had　a　strong　liking　for　mechanics；　and　as

the　slating　trade　did　not　keep　him　in　regular　employment；　especially

in　winter　time；　he　had　plenty　of　opportunity　for　following　the　bent

of　his　inclinations。　　He　made　a　friend　of　the　village　blacksmith；

whose　smithy　he　was　accustomed　to　frequent；　and　there　he　learned　to

work　at　the　forge；　to　handle　the　hammer　and　file；　and　in　a　short　time

to　shoe　horses　with　considerable　expertness。　　A　cousin　of　his　named

Farer；　a　clock　and　watchmaker　by　trade；　having　returned　to　the

village　from　London；　brought　with　him　some　books　on　mechanics；　which

he　lent　to　Joseph　to　read；　and　they　kindled　in　him　an　ardent　desire

to　be　a　mechanic　instead　of　a　slater。　　He　nevertheless　continued　to

maintain　himself　by　the　latter　trade　for　some　time　longer；　until　his

skill　had　grown；　and；　by　way　of　cultivating　it；　he　determined；　with

the　aid　of　his　f