industrial biography-第76节

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firm　had　provided　the　mill…work　and　water…wheel　（the　first　erected　in

France　on　the　suspension　principle；　when　the　event　was　followed　by　an

entertainment。　　During　dinner　Mr。　Fairbairn　had　been　explaining　to　M。

Gros；　who　spoke　a　little　English；　the　nature　of　home…brewed　beer；

which　he　much　admired；　having　tasted　it　when　in　England。　　The　dinner

was　followed　by　music；　in　the　performance　of　which　the　host　himself

took　part；　and　on　Mr。　Fairbairn's　admiring　his　execution　on　the

violin；　M。　Gros　asked　him　if　he　played。　　〃A　little；〃　was　the　almost

unconscious　reply。　　〃Then　you　must　have　the　goodness　to　play　some；〃

and　the　instrument　was　in　a　moment　placed　in　his　hands；　amidst　urgent

requests　from　all　sides　that　he　should　play。　　There　was　no

alternative；　so　he　proceeded　to　perform　one　of　his　best　tunes〃The

Keel　Row。〃　　The　company　listened　with　amazement；　until　the　performer's

career　was　suddenly　cut　short　by　the　host　exclaiming　at　the　top　of

his　voice；　〃Stop；　stop；　Monsieur；　by　gar　that　be　HOME…BREWED　MUSIC！〃

　。。。＇



In　due　course　of　time　our　young　engineer　was　removed　from　the

workshop；　and　appointed　to　take　charge　of　the　pumps　of　the　mine　and

the　steam…engine　by　which　they　were　kept　in　work。　　This　employment　was

more　to　his　taste；　gave　him　better　〃insight；〃　and　afforded　him

greater　opportunities　for　improvement。　　The　work　was；　however；　very

trying；　and　at　times　severe；　especially　in　winter；　the　engineer　being

liable　to　be　drenched　with　water　every　time　that　he　descended　the

shaft　to　regulate　the　working　of　the　pumps；　but；　thanks　to　a　stout

constitution；　he　bore　through　these　exposures　without　injury；　though

others　sank　under　them。　　At　this　period　he　had　the　advantage　of

occasional　days　of　leisure；　to　which　he　was　entitled　by　reason　of　his

nightwork；　and　during　such　leisure　he　usually　applied　himself　to

reading　and　study。



It　was　about　this　time　that　William　Fairbairn　made　the　acquaintance

of　George　Stephenson；　while　the　latter　was　employed　in　working　the

ballast…engine　at　Willington　Quay。　　He　greatly　admired　George　as　a

workman；　and　was　accustomed　in　the　summer　evenings　to　go　over　to　the

Quay　occasionally　and　take　charge　of　George's　engine；　to　enable　him

to　earn　a　few　shillings　extra　by　heaving　ballast　out　of　the　collier

vessels。　　Stephenson's　zeal　in　the　pursuit　of　mechanical　knowledge

probably　was　not　without　its　influence　in　stimulating　William

Fairbairn　himself　to　carry　on　so　diligently　the　work　of　self…culture。

But　little　could　the　latter　have　dreamt；　while　serving　his

apprenticeship　at　Percy　Main；　that　his　friend　George　Stephenson；　the

brakesman；　should　yet　be　recognised　as　among　the　greatest　engineers

of　his　age；　and　that　he　himself　should　have　the　opportunity；　in　his

capacity　of　President　of　the　Institute　of　Mechanical　Engineers　at

Newcastle；　of　making　public　acknowledgment　of　the　opportunities　for

education　which　he　had　enjoyed　in　that　neighbourhood　in　his　early

years。*

　＇footnote。。。

〃Although　not　a　native　of　Newcastle；〃　he　then　said；　〃he　owed　almost

everything　to　Newcastle。　　He　got　the　rudiments　of　his　education　there；

such　as　it　was；　and　that　was　（something　like　that　of　his　revered

predecessor　George　Stephenson）　at　a　colliery。　　He　was　brought　up　as　an

engineer　at　the　Percy　Main　Colliery。　　He　was　there　seven　years；　and　if

it　had　not　been　for　the　opportunities　he　then　enjoyed；　together　with

the　use　of　the　library　at　North　Shields；　he　believed　he　would　not

have　been　there　to　address　them。　　Being　self…taught；　but　with　some

little　ambition；　and　a　determination　to　improve　himself；　he　was　now

enabled　to　stand　before　them　with　some　pretensions　to　mechanical

knowledge；　and　the　persuasion　that　he　had　been　a　useful　contributor

to　practical　science　and　objects　connected　with　mechanical

engineering。〃Meeting　of　the　Institute　of　Mechanical　Engineers　at

Newcastle…on…Tyne；　1858。

　。。。＇



Having　finished　his　five　years'　apprenticeship　at　Percy　Main；　by

which　time　he　had　reached　his　twenty…first　year；　William　Fairbairn

shortly　after　determined　to　go　forth　into　the　world　in　search　of

experience。　　At　Newcastle　he　found　employment　as　a　millwright　for　a

few　weeks；　during　which　he　worked　at　the　erection　of　a　sawmill　in　the

Close。　　From　thence　he　went　to　Bedlington　at　an　advanced　wage。　　He

remained　there　for　six　months；　during　which　he　was　so　fortunate　as　to

make　the　acquaintance　of　Miss　Mar；　who　five　years　after；　when　his

wanderings　had　ceased；　became　his　wife。　　On　the　completion　of　the　job

on　which　he　had　been　employed；　our　engineer　prepared　to　make　another

change。　　Work　was　difficult　to　be　had　in　the　North；　and；　joined　by　a

comrade；　he　resolved　to　try　his　fortune　in　London。　　Adopting　the

cheapest　route；　he　took　passage　by　a　Shields　collier；　in　which　he

sailed　for　the　Thames　on　the　11th　of　December；　1811。　　It　was　then

war…time；　and　the　vessel　was　very　short…handed；　the　crew　consisting

only　of　three　old　men　and　three　boys；　with　the　skipper　and　mate；　so

that　the　vessel　was　no　sooner　fairly　at　sea　than　both　the　passenger

youths　had　to　lend　a　hand　in　working　her；　and　this　continued　for　the

greater　part　of　the　voyage。　　The　weather　was　very　rough；　and　in

consequence　of　the　captain's　anxiety　to　avoid　privateers　he　hugged

the　shore　too　close；　and　when　navigating　the　inside　passage　of　the

Swin；　between　Yarmouth　and　the　Nore；　the　vessel　very　narrowly　escaped

shipwreck。　　After　beating　about　along　shore；　the　captain　half　drunk

the　greater　part　of　the　time；　the　vessel　at　last　reached　the　Thames

with　loss　of　spars　and　an　anchor；　after　a　tedious　voyage　of　fourteen

days。



On　arriving　off　Blackwall　the　captain　went　ashore　ostensibly　in

search　of　the　Coal　Exchange；　taking　our　young　engineer　with　him。　　The

former　was　still　under　the　influence　of　drink；　and　though　he　failed

to　reach　the　Exchange　that　night；　he　succeeded　in　reaching　a　public

house　in　Wapping；　beyond　which　he　could　not　be　got。　　At　ten　o'clock

the　two　started　on　their　return　to　the　ship；　but　the　captain　took　the

opportunity　of　the　darkness　to　separate　from　his　companion；　and　did

not　reach　the　ship　until　next　morning。　　It　afterwards　came　out　that　he

had　been　taken　up　and　lodged　in　the　watch…house。　　The　youth；　left

alone　in　the　streets　of　the　strange　city；　felt　himself　in　an　awkward

dilemma。　　He　asked　the　next　watchman　he　met　to　recommend　him　to　a

lodging；　on　which　the　man　took　him　to　a　house　in　New　Gravel　Lane；

where　he　succeeded　in　finding　accommodation。　　What　was　his　horror　next

morning　to　learn　that　a　whole　familythe　Williamsonshad　been

murdered　in　the　very　next　house　during　the　night！　　Making　the　best　of

his　way　back　to　the　ship；　he　found　that　his　comrade；　who　had　suffered

dreadfully　from　sea…sickness　during　the　voyage；　had　nearly　recovered；

and　was　able　to　accompany　him　into　the　City　in　search　of　work。　　They

had　between　them　a　sum　of　only　about　eight　pounds；　so　that　it　was

necessary　for　them　to　take　immediate　steps　to　obtain　employment。



They　thought　themselves　fortunate　in　getting　the　promise　of　a　job

from　Mr。　Rennie；　the　celebrated　engineer；　whose　works　were　situated

at　the　south　end　of　Blackfriars　Bridge。　　Mr。　Rennie　sent　the　two　young

men　to　his　foreman；　with　the　request　that　he　should　set　them　to　work。

The　foreman　referred　them　to　the　secretary　of　the　Millwrights'

Society；　the　shop　being　filled　with　Union　men；　who　set　their

shoulders　together　to　exclude　those　of　their　own　grade；　however

skilled；　who　could　not　produce　evidence　that　they　had　complied　with

the　rules　of　the　trade。　　Describing　his　first　experience　of　London

Unionists；　nearly　half　a　century　later；　before　an　assembly　of　working

men　at　Derby；　Mr。　Fairbairn　said；　〃When　I　first　entered　London；　a

young　man　from　the　country　had　no　chance　whatever　of　success；　in

consequence　of　the　trade　guilds　and　unions。　　I　had　no　difficulty　in

finding　employment；　but　before　I　could　begin　work　I　had　to　run　the

gauntlet　of　the　trade　societies；　and　after　dancing　attendance　for

nearly　six　weeks；　with　very　little　money　in　my　pocket；　and　having　to

'box　Harry'　all　the　time；　I　was　ultimately　declared　illegitimate；　and

sent　adrift　to　seek　my　fortune　elsewhere。　　There　were　then　three

millwright　societies　in　London：　　one　called　the　Old　Society；　another

the　New　Society；　and　a　third　the　Independent　Society。　　These　societies

were　not　founded　for　the　protection　of　the　trade；　but　for　the

maintenance　of　high　wages；　and　for　the　exclusion　of　all　those　who

could　not　assert　their　claims　to　work　in　London　and　other　corporate

towns。　　Laws　of　a　most　arbitrary　character　were　enforced；　and　they

were　governed　by　cliques　of　self…appointed　officers；　who　never　failed

to　take　care　of　their　own　interests。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

Useful　Information　for　Engineers；　2nd　series；　1860；　p。　211。

　。。。＇



Their　first　application　for　leave　to　work　in　London　having　thus

disastrously　ended；　the　two　youths　determined　to　try　their　fortune　in

the　country；　and　with　aching　hearts　they　started　next