men of invention and industry-第72节

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some　curious　results；　which；　I　think；　might　puzzle　our　scientific

men　to　account　for。　　For　instance；　I　proved　the　existence　of

black　light；　or　rays　of　such　a　nature　as　to　turn　the

rose…coloured　surface　of　the　sensitive…plate　blackthat　is；　rays

reflected　from　the　black　paint　of　drapery；　produced　black　in　the

picture；　and　not　the　effect　of　darkness。　　I　was；　like　Becquerel；

unable　to　fix　the　coloured　image　without　destroying　the　colours；

though　the　plates　would　keep　a　long　while　in　the　dark；　and　could

be　examined　in　a　subdued；　though　not　in　a　strong　light。　　The

coloured　image　was　faint；　but　the　colours　came　out　with　great

truth　and　delicacy。



〃I　began　to　attend　the　School　of　Art　at　Darlington　on　the　6th　of

March；　1872。　　I　found；　on　attempting　to　draw；　that　I　had

naturally　a　correct　eye　and　hand；　and　I　made　such　progress；　that

when　the　students'　drawings　were　examined；　previously　to　sending

them　up　to　South　Kensington；　all　my　work　was　approved。　　I　was

then　set　to　draw　from　the　cast　in　chalk；　although　I　had　only　been

at　the　school　for　a　month。　　I　tried　for　all　the　four　subjects　at

the　May　examination；　and　was　fortunate　enough　to　pass　three　of

them；　and　obtained　as　a　prize　Packett's　'Sciography。'　I　worked

hard　during　the　next　year；　and　sent　up　seventeen　works；　for　one

of　these；　the　'Venus　de　Milo；'　I　gained　a　studentship。



〃I　then　commenced　the　study　of　human　anatomy；　and　began

water…colour　painting；　reading　all　the　works　upon　art　on　which　I

could　lay　my　hand。　　At　the　May　examination　of　1873；　I　completed

my　second…grade　certificate；　and　at　the　end　of　the　year　of　my

studentship；　I　accepted　the　office　of　teacher　in　the　School　of

Art。　　This　art…training　created　in　me　a　sort　of　disgust　for

photography；　as　I　saw　that　the　science　of　photography　had　really

very　little　genuine　art　in　it；　and　was　more　allied　to　a

mechanical　pursuit　than　to　an　artistic　one。　　Now；　when　I　look

back　on　my　past　ideas；　I　clearly　see　that　a　great　deal　of　this

disgust　was　due　to　my　ignorance　and　self…conceit。



〃In　1874；　I　commenced　painting　in　tempora；　and　then　in　oil；

copying　the　pictures　lent　to　the　school　from　the　South　Kensington

Art　Library。　　I　worked　also　from　still　life；　and　began　sketching

from　nature　in　oil　and　water…colours；　sometimes　selling　my　work

to　help　me　to　buy　materials　for　art…work　and　scientific

experiments。　　I　was；　however；　able　to　do　very　little　in　the

following　year；　as　I　was　at　home　suffering　from　sciatica。　　For

nine　months　I　could　not　stand　erect；　but　had　to　hobble　about　with

a　stick。　　This　illness　caused　me　to　give　up　my　teachership。



〃Early　in　1876　I　returned　to　Darlington。　　I　went　on　with　my　art

studies　and　the　science　of　chemistry；　though　I　went　no　further　in

heliochromy。　　I　pushed　forward　with　anatomy。　　I　sent　about

fifteen　works　to　South　Kensington；　and　gained　as　my　third…grade

prize　in　list　A　the　'Dictionary　of　Terms　used　in　Art'　by　Thomas

Fairholt；　which　I　found　a　very　useful　work。　　Towards　the　end　of

the　year；　my　father；　whose　health　was　declining；　sent　for　me　home

to　assist　him　in　the　school。　　I　now　commenced　the　study　of

Algebra　and　Euclid　in　good　earnest；　but　found　it　tough　work。　　My

father；　though　a　fair　mathematician；　was　unable　to　give　me　any

instruction；　for　he　had　been　seized　with　paralysis；　from　which　he

never　recovered。　　Before　he　died；　he　recommended　me　to　try　for　a

schoolmaster's　certificate；　and　I　promised　him　that　I　would。　　I

obtained　a　situation　as　master　of　a　small　village　school；　not

under　Government　inspection；　and　I　studied　during　the　year；　and

obtained　a　second　class　certificate　at　the　Durham　Diocesan

College　at　Christmas；　1877。　　Early　in　the　following　year；　the

school　was　placed　under　Government　inspection；　and　became　a

little　more　remunerative。



〃I　now　went　on　with　chemical　analysis；　making　my　own　apparatus。　

Requiring　an　intense　heat　on　a　small　scale；　I　invented　a　furnace

that　burnt　petroleum　oil。　　It　was　blown　by　compressed　air。　　After

many　failures；　I　eventually　succeeded　in　bringing　it　to　such

perfection　that　in　7　1/2　minutes　it　would　bring　four　ounces　of

steel　into　a　perfectly　liquefied　state。　　I　next　commenced　the

study　of　electricity　and　magnetism；　and　then　acoustics；　light；

and　heat。　　I　constructed　all　my　apparatus　myself；　and　acquired

the　art　of　glass…blowing；　in　order　to　make　my　own　chemical

apparatus；　and　thus　save　expense。



〃I　then　went　on　with　Algebra　and　Euclid；　and　took　up　plane

trigonometry；　but　I　devoted　most　of　my　time　to　electricity　and

magnetism。　　I　constructed　various　scientific　apparatusa　syren；

telephones；　microphones；　an　Edison's　megaphone；　as　well　as　an

electrometer；　and　a　machine　for　covering　electric　wire　with

cotton　or　silk。　　A　friend　having　lent　me　a　work　on　artificial

memory；　I　began　to　study　it；　but　the　work　led　me　into　nothing　but

confusion；　and　I　soon　found　that　if　I　did　not　give　it　up；　I

should　be　left　with　no　memory　at　all。　　I　still　went　an　sketching

from　Nature；　not　so　much　as　a　study；　but　as　a　means　of　recruiting

my　health；　which　was　far　from　being　good。　　At　the　beginning　of

1881　I　obtained　my　present　situation　as　assistant　master　at　the

Yorebridge　Grammar　School；　of　which　the　Rev。　W。　Balderston；　M。A。；

is　principal。



〃Soon　after　I　became　settled　here；　I　spent　some　of　my　leisure

time　in　reading　Emerson's　'Optics；'　a　work　I　bought　at　an　old

bookstall。　　I　was　not　very　successful　with　it；　owing　to　my

deficient　mathematical　knowledge。　　On　the　May　Science

Examinations　of　1881　taking　place　at　Newcastle…on…Tyne；　applied

for　permission　to　sit；　and　obtained　four　tickets　for　the

following　subjects：　Mathematics；　Electricity　and　Magnetism；

Acoustics；　Light　and　Heat；　and　Physiography。　　During　the

preceding　month　I　had　read　up　the　first　three　subjects；　but；

being　pressed　for　time；　I　gave　up　the　idea　of　taking

physiography。　　However；　on　the　last　night　of　the　examinations；　I

had　some　conversation　with　one　of　the　students　as　to　the　subjects

required　for　physiography。　　He　said；　'You　want　a　little　knowledge

of　everything　in　a　scientific　way；　and　nothing　much　of　anything。'

I　determined　to　try；　for　'nothing　much　of　anything'　suited　me

exactly。　　I　rose　early　next　morning；　and　as　soon　as　the　shops

were　open　I　went　and　bought　a　book　on　the　subject；　'Outlines　of

Physiography；'　by　W。　Lawson；　F。R。G。S。　　I　read　it　all　day；　and　at

night　sat　for　the　examination。　　The　results　of　my　examinations

were；　failure　in　mathematics；　but　second　class　advanced　grade

certificates　in　all　the　others。　　I　do　not　attach　any　credit　to

passing　in　physiography；　but　merely　relate　the　circumstance　as

curiously　showing　what　can　be　done　by　a　good　'cram。'



〃The　failure　in　mathematics　caused　me　to　take　the　subject　'by　the

horns；'　to　see　what　I　could　do　with　it。　　I　began　by　going　over

quadratic　equations；　and　I　gradually　solved　the　whole　of　those

given　in　Todhunter's　larger　'Algebra。'　Then　I　re…read　the

progressions；　permutations；　combinations；　the　binomial　theorem；

with　indices　and　surds；　the　logarithmic　theorem　and　series；

converging　and　diverging。　　I　got　Todhunter's　larger　'Plane

Trigonometry；'　and　read　it；　with　the　theorems　contained　in　it；

then　his　'Spherical　Trigonometry；'　his　'Analytical　Geometry；　of

Two　Dimensions；'　and　'Conics。'　I　next　obtained　De　Morgan's

'Differential　and　Integral　Calculus；'　then　Woolhouse's；　and

lastly；　Todhunter's。　　I　found　this　department　of　mathematics

difficult　and　perplexing　to　the　last　degree；　but　I　mastered　it

sufficiently　to　turn　it　to　some　account。　　This　last　mathematical

course　represents　eighteen　months　of　hard　work；　and　I　often　sat

up　the　whole　night　through。　　One　result　of　the　application　was　a

permanent　injury　to　my　sight。



〃Wanting　some　object　on　which　to　apply　my　newly…acquired

mathematical　knowledge；　I　determined　to　construct　an　astronomical

telescope。　　I　got　Airy's　'Geometrical　Optics；'　and　read　it

through。　　Then　I　searched　through　all　my　English　Mechanic　（a

scientific　paper　that　I　take）；　and　prepared　for　my　work　by

reading　all　the　literature　on　the　subject　that　I　could　obtain。　　I

bought　two　discs　of　glass；　of　6　1/2　inches　diameter；　and　began　to

grind　them　to　a　spherical　curve　12　feet　radius。　　I　got　them

hollowed　out；　but　failed　in　fining　them　through　lack　of　skill。　

This　occurred　six　times　in　succession；　but　at　the　seventh　time

the　polish　came　up　beautifully；　with　scarcely　a　scratch　upon　the

surface。　　Stopping　my　work　one　night；　and　it　being　starlight；　I

thought　I　would　try　the　mirror　on　a　star。　　I　had　a　wooden　frame

ready　for　the　purpose；　which　the　carpenter　had　made　for　me。　

Judge　of　my　surprise　and　delight　when　I　found　that　the　star　disc

enlarged　nearly　in　the　same　manner　from　each　side　of　the　focal

point；　thus　making　it　extremely　probable　that　I　had　accidentally

hit　on　a　near　approach　to　the　parabola　in　the　curve　of　my　mirror。



And　such　proved　to　be　the　case。　　I　have　the　mirror　still；　and　its

performance　is　very　good　indeed。



〃I　went