industrial biography-第78节

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to　aim　at　taking　a　higher　position；　and　entertained　the　ambition　of

beginning　business　on　his　own　account。　　One　of　his　first　efforts　in

this　direction　was　the　preparation　of　the　design　of　a　cast…iron

bridge　over　the　Irwell；　at　Blackfriars；　for　which　a　prize　was

offered。　　The　attempt　was　unsuccessful；　and　a　stone　bridge　was

eventually　decided　on；　but　the　effort　made　was　creditable；　and　proved

the　beginning　of　many　designs。　　The　first　job　he　executed　on　his　own

account　was　the　erection　of　an　iron　conservatory　and　hothouse　for　Mr。

J。　Hulme；　of　Clayton；　near　Manchester；　and　he　induced　one　of　his

shopmates；　James　Lillie；　to　join　him　in　the　undertaking。　　This　proved

the　beginning　of　a　business　connection　which　lasted　for　a　period　of

fifteen　years；　and　laid　the　foundation　of　a　partnership；　the

reputation　of　which；　in　connection　with　mill…work　and　the

construction　of　iron　machinery　generally；　eventually　became　known　all

over　the　civilized　world。



Although　the　patterns　for　the　conservatory　were　all　made；　and　the

castings　were　begun；　the　work　was　not　proceeded　with；　in　consequence

of　the　notice　given　by　a　Birmingham　firm　that　the　plan　after　which　it

was　proposed　to　construct　it　was　an　infringement　of　their　patent。　　The

young　firm　were　consequently　under　the　necessity　of　looking　about

them　for　other　employment。　　And　to　be　prepared　for　executing　orders；

they　proceeded　in　the　year　1817　to　hire　a　small　shed　at　a　rent　of

l2s。　a　week；　in　which　they　set　up　a　lathe　of　their　own　making；

capable　of　turning　shafts　of　from　3　to　6　inches　diameter；　and　they

hired　a　strong　Irishman　to　drive　the　wheel　and　assist　at　the　heavy

work。　　Their　first　job　was　the　erection　of　a　cullender；　and　their　next

a　calico…polishing　machine；　but　orders　came　in　slowly；　and　James

Lillie　began　to　despair　of　success。　　His　more　hopeful　partner

strenuously　urged　him　to　perseverance；　and　so　buoyed　him　up　with

hopes　of　orders；　that　he　determined　to　go　on　a　little　longer。　　They

then　issued　cards　among　the　manufacturers；　and　made　a　tour　of　the

principal　firms；　offering　their　services　and　soliciting　work。



Amongst　others；　Mr。　Fairbairn　called　upon　the　Messrs。　Adam　and　George

Murray；　the　large　cotton…spinners；　taking　with　him　the　designs　of　his

iron　bridge。　　Mr。　Adam　Murray　received　him　kindly；　heard　his

explanations；　and　invited　him　to　call　on　the　following　day　with　his

partner。　　The　manufacturer　must　have　been　favourably　impressed　by　this

interview；　for　next　day；　when　Fairbairn　and　Lillie　called；　he　took

them　over　his　mill；　and　asked　whether　they　felt　themselves　competent

to　renew　with　horizontal　cross…shafts　the　whole　of　the　work　by　which

the　mule…spinning　machinery　was　turned。　　This　was　a　formidable

enterprise　for　a　young　firm　without　capital　and　almost　without　plant

to　undertake；　but　they　had　confidence　in　themselves；　and　boldly

replied　that　they　were　willing　and　able　to　execute　the　work。　　On　this；

Mr。　Murray　said　he　would　call　and　see　them　at　their　own　workshop；　to

satisfy　himself　that　they　possessed　the　means　of　undertaking　such　an

order。　　This　proposal　was　by　no　means　encouraging　to　the　partners；　who

feared　that　when　Mr。　Murray　spied　〃the　nakedness　of　the　land　〃　in

that　quarter；　he　might　repent　him　of　his　generous　intentions。　　He　paid

his　promised　visit；　and　it　is　probable　that　he　was　more　favourably

impressed　by　the　individual　merits　of　the　partners　than　by　the

excellence　of　their　machine…toolsof　which　they　had　only　one；　the

lathe　which　they　had　just　made　and　set　up；　nevertheless　he　gave　them

the　order；　and　they　began　with　glad　hearts　and　willing　hands　and

minds　to　execute　this　their　first　contract。　　It　may　be　sufficient　to

state　that　by　working　late　and　earlyfrom　5　in　the　morning　until　9

at　night　for　a　considerable　periodthey　succeeded　in　completing　the

alterations　within　the　time　specified；　and　to　Mr。　Murray's　entire

satisfaction。　　The　practical　skill　of　the　young　men　being　thus　proved；

and　their　anxiety　to　execute　the　work　entrusted　to　them　to　the　best

of　their　ability　having　excited　the　admiration　of　their　employer；　he

took　the　opportunity　of　recommending　them　to　his　friends　in　the

trade；　and　amongst　others　to　Mr。　John　Kennedy；　of　the　firm　of

MacConnel　and　Kennedy；　then　the　largest　spinners　in　the　kingdom。



The　Cotton　Trade　had　by　this　time　sprung　into　great　importance；　and

was　increasing　with　extraordinary　rapidity。　　Population　and　wealth

were　pouring　into　South　Lancashire；　and　industry　and　enterprise　were

everywhere　on　foot。　　The　foundations　were　being　laid　of　a　system　of

manufacturing　in　iron；　machinery；　and　textile　fabrics　of　nearly　all

kinds；　the　like　of　which　has　perhaps　never　been　surpassed　in　any

country。　　It　was　a　race　of　industry；　in　which　the　prizes　were　won　by

the　swift；　the　strong；　and　the　skilled。　　For　the　most　part；　the　early

Lancashire　manufacturers　started　very　nearly　equal　in　point　of

worldly　circumstances；　men　originally　of　the　smallest　means　often

coming　to　the　front　…　work　men；　weavers；　mechanics；　pedlers；　farmers；

or　labourersin　course　of　time　rearing　immense　manufacturing

concerns　by　sheer　force　of　industry；　energy；　and　personal　ability。

The　description　given　by　one　of　the　largest　employers　in　Lancashire；

of　the　capital　with　which　he　started；　might　apply　to　many　of　them：　　

〃When　I　married；〃　said　he；　〃my　wife　had　a　spinning…wheel；　and　I　had　a

loomthat　was　the　beginning　of　our　fortune。〃　　As　an　illustration　of

the　rapid　rise　of　Manchester　men　from　small　beginnings；　the　following

outline　of　John　Kennedy's　career；　intimately　connected　as　he　was　with

the　subject　of　our　memoirmay　not　be　without　interest　in　this　place。



John　Kennedy　was　one　of　five　young　men　of　nearly　the　same　age；　who

came　from　the　same　neighbourhood　in　Scotland；　and　eventually　settled

in　Manchester　as　cottons…pinners　about　the　end　of　last　century。　　The

others　were　his　brother　James；　his　partner　James　MacConnel；　and　the

brothers　Murray；　above　referred　toMr。　Fairbairn's　first　extensive

employers。　　John　Kennedy's　parents　were　respectable　peasants；

possessed　of　a　little　bit　of　ground　at　Knocknalling；　in　the　stewartry

of　Kirkcudbright；　on　which　they　contrived　to　live；　and　that　was　all。

John　was　one　of　a　family　of　five　sons　and　two　daughters；　and　the

father　dying　early；　the　responsibility　and　the　toil　of　bringing　up

these　children　devolved　upon　the　mother。　　She　was　a　strict

disciplinarian；　and　early　impressed　upon　the　minds　of　her　boys　that

they　had　their　own　way　to　make　in　the　world。　　One　of　the　first　things

she　made　them　think　about　was；　the　learning　of　some　useful　trade　for

the　purpose　of　securing　an　independent　living；　〃for；〃　said　she；　〃if

you　have　gotten　mechanical　skill　and　intelligence；　and　are　honest　and

trustworthy；　you　will　always　find　employment　and　be　ready　to　avail

yourselves　of　opportunities　for　advancing　yourselves　in　life。〃　　Though

the　mother　desired　to　give　her　sons　the　benefits　of　school　education；

there　was　but　little　of　that　commodity　to　be　had　in　the　remote

district　of　Knocknalling。　　The　parish…school　was　six　miles　distant；

and　the　teaching　given　in　it　was　of　a　very　inferior　sortusually

administered　by　students；　probationers　for　the　ministry；　or　by

half…fledged　dominies；　themselves　more　needing　instruction　than　able

to　impart　it。　　The　Kennedys　could　only　attend　the　school　during　a　few

months　in　summer…time；　so　that　what　they　had　acquired　by　the　end　of

one　season　was　often　forgotten　by　the　beginning　of　the　next。　　They

learnt；　however；　to　read　the　Testament；　say　their　catechism；　and

write　their　own　names。



As　the　children　grew　up；　they　each　longed　for　the　time　to　come　when

they　could　be　put　to　a　trade。　　The　family　were　poorly　clad；　stockings

and　shoes　were　luxuries　rarely　indulged　in；　and　Mr。　Kennedy　used　in

after…life　to　tell　his　grandchildren　of　a　certain　Sunday　which　he

remembered　shortly　after　his　father　died；　when　he　was　setting　out　for

Dalry　church；　and　had　borrowed　his　brother　Alexander's　stockings；　his

brother　ran　after　him　and　cried；　〃See　that　you　keep　out　of　the　dirt；

for　mind　you　have　got　my　stockings　on！〃　　John　indulged　in　many

day…dreams　about　the　world　that　lay　beyond　the　valley　and　the

mountains　which　surrounded　the　place　of　his　birth。　　Though　a　mere　boy；

the　natural　objects；　eternally　unchangeable；　which　daily　met　his

eyesthe　profound　silence　of　the　scene；　broken　only　by　the　bleating

of　a　solitary　sheep；　or　the　crowing　of　a　distant　cock；　or　the

thrasher　beating　out　with　his　flail　the　scanty　grain　of　the　black

oats　spread　upon　a　skin　in　the　open　air；　or　the　streamlets　leaping

from　the　rocky　clefts；　or　the　distant　church…bell　sounding　up　the

valley　on　Sundays　all　bred　in　his　mind　a　profound　melancholy　and

feeling　of　loneliness；　and　he　used　to　think　to　himself；　〃What　can　I

do　to　see　and　know　something　of　the　world　beyond　this？〃　　The　greatest

pleasure　he　experienced　during　that　period　was　when　packmen　came

round　with　their　stores　of　clothing　and　hardware；　and　display