industrial biography-第64节

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Babbage's　own　residence；　but　as　Clement's　claims　for　conducting　the

operations　in　the　new　premises　were　thought　exorbitant；　and　as　he

himself　considered　that　the　work　did　not　yield　him　the　average　profit

of　ordinary　employment　in　his　own　trade；　he　eventually　withdrew　from

the　enterprise；　taking　with　him　the　tools　which　he　had　constructed

for　executing　the　machine。　　The　government　also　shortly　after　withdrew

from　it；　and　from　that　time　the　scheme　was　suspended；　the　Calculating

Engine　remaining　a　beautiful　but　unfinished　fragment　of　a　great　work。

Though　originally　intended　to　go　as　far　as　twenty　figures；　it　was

only　completed　to　the　extent　of　being　capable　of　calculating　to　the

depth　of　five　figures；　and　two　orders　of　differences；　and　only　a

small　part　of　the　proposed　printing　machinery　was　ever　made。　　The

engine　was　placed　in　the　museum　of　King's　College　in　1843；　enclosed

in　a　glass　case；　until　the　year　1862；　when　it　was　removed　for　a　time

to　the　Great　Exhibition；　where　it　formed　perhaps　the　most　remarkable

and　beautifully　executed　piece　of　mechanism　the　combined　result　of

intellectual　and　mechanical　contrivancein　the　entire　collection。*

　＇footnote。。。

A　complete　account　of　the　calculating　machine；　as　well　as　of　an

analytical　engine　afterwards　contrived　by　Mr。　Babbage；　of　still

greater　power　than　the　other；　will　be　found　in　the　Bibliotheque

Universelle　de　Geneve；　of　which　a　translation　into　English；　with

copious　original　notes；　by　the　late　Lady　Lovelace；　daughter　of　Lord

Byron；　was　published　in　the　3rd　vol。　of　Taylor's　Scientific　Memoirs

（London；　1843）。　　A　history　of　the　machine；　and　of　the　circumstances

connected　with　its　construction；　will　also　be　found　in　Weld's　History

of　the　Royal　Society；　vol。　ii。　369…391。　　It　remains　to　be　added；　that

the　perusal　by　Messrs。　Scheutz　of　Stockholm　of　Dr。　Lardner's　account

of　Mr。　Babbage's　engine　in　the　Edinburgh　Review；　led　those　clever

mechanics　to　enter　upon　the　scheme　of　constructing　and　completing　it；

and　the　result　is；　that　their　machine　not　only　calculates　the　tables；

but　prints　the　results。　　It　took　them　nearly　twenty　years　to　perfect

it；　but　when　completed　the　machine　seemed　to　be　almost　capable　of

thinking。　　The　original　was　exhibited　at　the　Paris　Exhibition　of　1855。

A　copy　of　it　has　since　been　secured　by　the　English　government　at　a

cost　of　1200L。；　and　it　is　now　busily　employed　at　Somerset　House　in

working　out　annuity　and　other　tables　for　the　Registrar…General。　　The

copy　was　constructed；　with　several　admirable　improvements；　by　the

Messrs。　Donkin；　the　well…known　mechanical　engineers；　after　the

working　drawings　of　the　Messrs。　Scheutz。

　。。。＇



Clement　was　on　various　other　occasions　invited　to　undertake　work

requiring　extra　skill；　which　other　mechanics　were　unwilling　or　unable

to　execute。　　He　was　thus　always　full　of　employment；　never　being　under

the　necessity　of　canvassing　for　customers。　　He　was　almost　constantly

in　his　workshop；　in　which　he　took　great　pride。　　His　dwelling　was　over

the　office　in　the　yard；　and　it　was　with　difficulty　he　could　be

induced　to　leave　the　premises。　　On　one　occasion　Mr。　Brunel　of　the

Great　Western　Railway　called　upon　him　to　ask　if　he　could　supply　him

with　a　superior　steam…whistle　for　his　locomotives；　the　whistles　which

they　were　using　giving　forth　very　little　sound。　　Clement　examined　the

specimen　brought　by　Brunel；　and　pronounced　it　to　be　〃mere

tallow…chandler's　work。〃　　He　undertook　to　supply　a　proper　article；　and

after　his　usual　fashion　he　proceeded　to　contrive　a　machine　or　tool

for　the　express　purpose　of　making　steam…whistles。　　They　were　made　and

supplied；　and　when　mounted　on　the　locomotive　the　effect　was　indeed

〃screaming。〃　　They　were　heard　miles　off；　and　Brunel；　delighted；

ordered　a　hundred。　　But　when　the　bill　came　in；　it　was　found　that　the

charge　made　for　them　was　very　highas　much　as　40L。　the　set。　　The

company　demurred　at　the　price；Brunel　declaring　it　to　be　six　times

more　than　the　price　they　had　before　been　paying。　　〃That　may　be；〃

rejoined　Clement；　〃but　mine　are　more　than　six　times　better。　　You

ordered　a　first…rate　article；　and　you　must　be　content　to　pay　for　it。〃

The　matter　was　referred　to　an　arbitrator；　who　awarded　the　full　sum

claimed。　　Mr。　Weld　mentions　a　similar　case　of　an　order　which　Clement

received　from　America　to　make　a　large　screw　of　given　dimensions　〃in

the　best　possible　manner；〃　and　he　accordingly　proceeded　to　make　one

with　the　greatest　mathematical　accuracy。　　But　his　bill　amounted　to

some　hundreds　of　pounds；　which　completely　staggered　the　American；　who

did　not　calculate　on　having　to　pay　more　than　20L。　at　the　utmost　for

the　screw。　　The　matter　was；　however；　referred　to　arbitrators；　who　gave

their　decision；　as　in　the　former　case；　in　favour　of　the　mechanic。*

　＇footnote。。。

History　of　the　Royal　Society；　ii。　374。

　。。。＇



One　of　the　last　works　which　Clement　executed　as　a　matter　of　pleasure；

was　the　building　of　an　organ　for　his　own　use。　　It　will　be　remembered

that　when　working　as　a　slater　at　Great　Ashby；　he　had　made　flutes　and

clarinets；　and　now　in　his　old　age　he　determined　to　try　his　skill　at

making　an　organin　his　opinion　the　king　of　musical　instruments。　　The

building　of　it　became　his　hobby；　and　his　greatest　delight　was　in

superintending　its　progress。　　It　cost　him　about　two　thousand　pounds　in

labour　alone；　but　he　lived　to　finish　it；　and　we　have　been　informed

that　it　was　pronounced　a　very　excellent　instrument。



Clement　was　a　heavy…browed　man；　without　any　polish　of　manner　or

speech；　for　to　the　last　he　continued　to　use　his　strong　Westmoreland

dialect。　　He　was　not　educated　in　a　literary　sense；　for　he　read　but

little；　and　could　write　with　difficulty。　　He　was　eminently　a　mechanic；

and　had　achieved　his　exquisite　skill　by　observation；　experience；　and

reflection。　　His　head　was　a　complete　repertory　of　inventions；　on　which

he　was　constantly　drawing　for　the　improvement　of　mechanical　practice。

Though　he　had　never　more　than　thirty　workmen　in　his　factory；　they

were　all　of　the　first　class；　and　the　example　which　Clement　set　before

them　of　extreme　carefulness　and　accuracy　in　execution　rendered　his

shop　one　of　the　best　schools　of　its　time　for　the　training　of

thoroughly　accomplished　mechanics。　　Mr。　Clement　died　in　1844；　in　his

sixty…fifth　year；　after　which　his　works　were　carried　on　by　Mr。

Wilkinson；　one　of　his　nephews；　and　his　planing　machine　still

continues　in　useful　work。





CHAPTER　XIV。



FOX　OF　DERBY　…　MURRAY　OF　LEEDS　…　ROBERTS　AND　WHITWORTH　OF　MANCHESTER。



〃Founders　and　senators　of　states　and　cities；　lawgivers；　extirpers　of

tyrants；　fathers　of　the　people；　and　other　eminent　persons　in　civil

government；　were　honoured　but　with　titles　of　Worthies　or　demi…gods；

whereas；　such　as　were　inventors　and　authors　of　new　arts；　endowments；

and　commodities　towards　man's　life；　were　ever　consecrated　amongst　the

gods　themselves。〃BACON；　Advancement　of　Learning。





While　such　were　the　advances　made　in　the　arts　of　tool…making　and

engine…construction　through　the　labours　of　Bramah；　Maudslay；　and

Clement；　there　were　other　mechanics　of　almost　equal　eminence　who

flourished　about　the　same　time　and　subsequently　in　several　of　the

northern　manufacturing　towns。　　Among　these　may　be　mentioned　James　Fox

of　Derby；　Matthew　Murray　and　Peter　Fairbairn　of　Leeds；　Richard

Roberts；　Joseph　Whitworth；　James　Nasmyth；　and　William　Fairbairn　of

Manchester；　to　all　of　whom　the　manufacturing　industry　of　Great

Britain　stands　in　the　highest　degree　indebted。



James　Fox；　the　founder　of　the　Derby　firm　of　mechanical　engineers；　was

originally　a　butler　in　the　service　of　the　Rev。　Thomas　Gisborne；　of

Foxhall　Lodge；　Staffordshire。　　Though　a　situation　of　this　kind　might

not　seem　by　any　means　favourable　for　the　display　of　mechanical

ability；　yet　the　butler's　instinct　for　handicraft　was　so　strong　that

it　could　not　be　repressed；　and　his　master　not　only　encouraged　him　in

the　handling　of　tools　in　his　leisure　hours；　but　had　so　genuine　an

admiration　of　his　skill　as　well　as　his　excellent　qualities　of

character；　that　he　eventually　furnished　him　with　the　means　of

beginning　business　on　his　own　account。



The　growth　and　extension　of　the　cotton；　silk；　and　lace　trades；　in　the

neighbourhood　of　Derby；　furnished　Fox　with　sufficient　opportunities

for　the　exercise　of　his　mechanical　skill；　and　he　soon　found　ample

scope　for　its　employment。　　His　lace　machinery　became　celebrated；　and

he　supplied　it　largely　to　the　neighbouring　town　of　Nottingham；　he

also　obtained　considerable　employment　from　the　great　firms　of

Arkwright　and　Strutt　the　founders　of　the　modem　cotton　manufacture。

Mr。　Fox　also　became　celebrated　for　his　lathes；　which　were　of

excellent　quality；　still　maintaining　their　high　reputation；　and

besides　making　largely　for　the　supply　of　the　home　demand；　he　exported

much　machinery　abroad；　to　France；　Russia；　and　the　Mauritius。



The　present　Messrs。　Fox　of　Derby；　who　continue　to　carry　on　the

business　of　the　firm；　claim　for　their　gr