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

the aid of his friend the village blacksmith; to make a

turning…lathe。  The two set to work; and the result was the production

of an article in every way superior to that made by Clement's father;

which was accordingly displaced to make room for the new machine。  It

was found to work very satisfactorily; and by its means Joseph

proceeded to turn fifes; flutes; clarinets; and hautboys; for to his

other accomplishments he joined that of music; and could play upon

the instruments that he made。  One of his most ambitious efforts was

the making of a pair of Northumberland bagpipes; which he finished to

his satisfaction; and performed upon to the great delight of the

villagers。  To assist his father in his entomological studies; he even

contrived; with the aid of the descriptions given in the books

borrowed from his cousin the watchmaker; to make for him a

microscope; from which he proceeded to make a reflecting telescope;

which proved a very good instrument。  At this early period (1804) he

also seems to have directed his attention to screw…makinga branch

of mechanics in which he afterwards became famous; and he proceeded

to make a pair of very satisfactory die…stocks; though it is said

that he had not before seen or even heard of such a contrivance for

making screws。



So clever a workman was not likely to remain long a village slater。

Although the ingenious pieces of work which he turned out by his

lathe did not bring him in much money; he liked the occupation so

much better than slating that he was gradually giving up that trade。

His father urged him to stick to slating as 〃a safe thing;〃 but his

own mind was in favour of following his instinct to be a mechanic;

and at length he determined to leave his village and seek work in a

new line。  He succeeded in finding employment in a small factory at

Kirby Stephen; a town some thirteen miles from Great Ashby; where he

worked at making power…looms。  From an old statement of account

against his employer which we have seen; in his own handwriting;

dated the 6th September; 1805; it appears that his earnings at such

work as 〃fitting the first set of iron loames;〃 〃fitting up

shittles;〃 and 〃making moddles;〃 were 3s。 6d。 a day; and he must;

during the same time; have lived with his employer; who charged him

as a set…off 〃14 weaks bord at 8s。 per weak。〃  He afterwards seems to

have worked at piece…work in partnership with one Andrew Gamble

supplying the materials as well as the workmanship for the looms and

shuttles。  His employer; Mr。 George Dickinson; also seems to have

bought his reflecting telescope from him for the sum of 12l。



From Kirby Stephen Clement removed to Carlisle; where he was employed

by Forster and Sons during the next two years at the same description

of work; and he conducted himself; according; to their certificate on

his leaving their employment to proceed to Glasgow in 1807; 〃with

great sobriety and industry; entirely to their satisfaction。〃  While

working at Glasgow as a turner; he took lessons in drawing from Peter

Nicholson; the well…known writer on carpentrya highly ingenious

man。  Nicholson happened to call at the shop at which Clement worked

in order to make a drawing of a power…loom; and Clement's expressions

of admiration at his expertness were so enthusiastic; that Nicholson;

pleased with the youth's praise; asked if he could be of service to

him in any way。  Emboldened by the offer; Clement requested; as the

greatest favour he could confer upon him; to have the loan of the

drawing he had just made; in order that he might copy it。  The request

was at once complied with; and Clement; though very poor at the time;

and scarcely able to buy candle for the long winter evenings; sat up

late every night until he had finished it。  Though the first drawing

he had ever made; he handed it back to Nicholson instead of the

original; and at first the draughtsman did not recognise that the

drawing was not his own。  When Clement told him that it was only the

copy; Nicholson's brief but emphatic praise was …  〃Young man;

YOU'LL DO!〃  Proud to have such a pupil; Nicholson generously offered

to give him gratuitous lessons in drawing; which were thankfully

accepted; and Clement; working at nights with great ardour; soon made

rapid progress; and became an expert draughtsman。



Trade being very slack in Glasgow at the time; Clement; after about a

year's stay in the place; accepted a situation with Messrs。 Leys;

Masson; and Co。; of Aberdeen; with whom he began at a guinea and a

half a week; from which he gradually rose to two guineas; and

ultimately to three guineas。  His principal work consisted in

designing and making power…looms for his employers; and fitting them

up in different parts of the country。  He continued to devote himself

to the study of practical mechanics; and made many improvements in

the tools with which he worked。  While at Glasgow he had made an

improved pair of die…stocks for screws; and; at Aberdeen; he made a

turning…lathe with a sliding mandrill and guide…screws; for cutting

screws; furnished also with the means for correcting guide…screws。  In

the same machine he introduced a small slide rest; into which he

fixed the tool for cutting the screws;having never before seen a

slide rest; though it is very probable he may have heard of what

Maudslay had already done in the same direction。  Clement continued

during this period of his life an industrious self…cultivator;

occupying most of his spare hours in mechanical and landscape

drawing; and in various studies。  Among the papers left behind him we

find a ticket to a course of instruction on Natural Philosophy given

by Professor Copland in the Marischal College at Aberdeen; which

Clement attended in the session of 1812…13; and we do not doubt that

our mechanic was among the most diligent of his pupils。  Towards the

end of 1813; after saving about 100L。 out of his wages; Clement

resolved to proceed to London for the purpose of improving himself in

his trade and pushing his way in the world。  The coach by which he

travelled set him down in Snow Hill; Holborn; and his first thought

was of finding work。  He had no friend in town to consult on the

matter; so he made inquiry of the coach…guard whether he knew of any

person in the mechanical line in that neighbourhood。  The guard said;

〃Yes; there was Alexander Galloway's show shop; just round the

corner; and he employed a large number of hands。〃  Running round the

corner; Clement looked in at Galloway's window; through which he saw

some lathes and other articles used in machine shops。  Next morning he

called upon the owner of the shop to ask employment。  〃What can you

do?〃 asked Galloway。  〃I can work at the forge;〃 said Clement。

〃Anything else?〃  〃I can turn。〃  〃What else?〃  〃I can draw。〃  〃What!〃

said Galloway; 〃can you draw? Then I will engage you。〃  A man who

could draw or work to a drawing in those days was regarded as a

superior sort of mechanic。  Though Galloway was one of the leading

tradesmen of his time; and had excellent opportunities for

advancement; he missed them all。  As Clement afterwards said of him;

〃He was only a mouthing common…council man; the height of whose

ambition was to be an alderman;〃 and; like most corporation

celebrities; he held a low rank in his own business。  He very rarely

went into his workshops to superintend or direct his workmen; leaving

this to his foremena sufficient indication of the causes of his

failure as a mechanic。*

 'footnote。。。

On one occasion Galloway had a cast…iron roof made for his workshop;

so flat and so independent of ties that the wonder was that it should

have stood an hour。  One day Peter Keir; an engineer much employed by

the governmenta clever man; though some what eccentricwas taken

into the shop by Galloway to admire the new roof。  Keir; on glancing

up at it; immediately exclaimed; 〃Come outside; and let us speak

about it there!〃  All that he could say to Galloway respecting the

unsoundness of its construction was of no avail。  The fact was that;

however Keir might argue about its not being able to stand; there it

was actually standing; and that was enough for Galloway。  Keir went

home; his mind filled with Galloway's most unprincipled roof。  〃If

that stands;〃 said he to himself; 〃all that I have been learning and

doing for thirty years has been wrong。〃  That night he could not sleep

for thinking about it。  In the morning he strolled up Primrose Hill;

and returned home still muttering to himself about 〃that roof。〃

〃What; said his wife to him; 〃are you thinking of Galloway's roof?〃

〃Yes; said he。  〃Then you have seen the papers?〃  〃No  what about

them?〃  〃Galloway's roof has fallen in this morning; and killed eight

or ten of the men!〃  Keir immediately went to bed; and slept soundly

till next morning。

 。。。'



On entering Galloway's shop; Clemen

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