industrial biography-第60节

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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