men of invention and industry-第21章

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glass…maker　and　druggist；　which　brought　no　contamination　upon

nobility　in　Venice。　　In　a　country　where　wealth　was　concentrated

in　the　hands　of　the　powerful；　it　was　no　doubt　highly　judicious

thus　to　encourage　its　employment　for　objects　of　public　advantage。



A　feeling；　more　or　less　powerful；　has　always　existed　in　the　minds

of　the　high…born；　against　the　employment　of　their　time　and　wealth

to　purposes　of　commerce　or　manufactures。　　All　trades；　save　only

that　of　war；　seem　to　have　been　held　by　them　as　in　some　sort

degrading；　and　but　little　comporting　with　the　dignity　of

aristocratic　blood。〃　Cabinet　CyclopediaSilk　Manufacture；　p。　20。



＇2＇　A　Brief　State　of　the　Inland　or　Home　Trade。　（Pamphlet。）　1730。



＇3＇　A　Brief　State　of　the　Case　relating　to　the　Machine　erected　at

Derby　for　making　Italian　Organzine　Silk；　which　was　discovered　and

brought　into　England　with　the　utmost　difficulty　and　hazard；　and

at　the　Sole　Expense　of　Sir　Thomas　Lombe。　　House　of　Commons　Paper；

28th　January；　1731。



＇4＇　Self…Help；　p。　205。



＇5＇　The　Trade　and　Navigation　of　Great　Britain　considered；　p。　94。



＇6＇　The　petition　sets　forth　the　merits　of　the　machine　at　Derby

for　making　Italian　organzine　silk〃a　manufacture　made　out　of

fine　raw　silk；　by　reducing　it　to　a　hard　twisted　fine　and　even

thread。　　This　silk　makes　the　warp；　and　is　absolutely　necessary　to

mix　with　and　cover　the　Turkey　and　other　coarser　silks　thrown

here；　which　are　used　for　Shute；so　that；　without　a　constant

supply　of　this　fine　Italian　organzine　silk；　very　little　of　the

said　Turkey　or　other　silks　could　be　used；　nor　could　the　silk

weaving　trade　be　carried　on　in　England。　　This　Italian　organzine

（or　thrown）　silk　has　in　all　times　past　been　bought　with　our

money；　ready　made　（or　worked）　in　Italy；　for　want　of　the　art　of

making　it　here。　　Whereas　now；　by　making　it　ourselves　out　of　fine

Italian　raw　silk；　the　nation　saves　near　one…third　part；　and　by

what　we　make　out　of　fine　China　raw　silk；　above　one…half　of　the

price　we　pay　for　it　ready　worked　in　Italy。　　The　machine　at　Derby

contains　97；746　wheels；　movements；　and　individual　parts　（which

work　day　and　night）；　all　which　receive　their　motion　from　one

large　water…wheel；　are　governed　by　one　regulator；　and　it　employs

about　300　persons　to　attend　and　supply　it　with　work。〃　In　Bees

Cyclopaedia　（art。　'Silk　Manufacture'）　there　is　a　full　description

of　the　Piedmont　throwing　machine　introduced　to　England　by　John

Lombe；　with　a　good　plate　of　it。



＇7＇　Sir　Thomas　Lombe　died　in　1738。　　He　had　two　daughters。　　The

first；　Hannah；　was　married　to　Sir　Robert　Clifton；　of　Clifton；　co。



Notts；　the　second；　Mary　Turner；　was　married　to　James；　7th　Earl　of

Lauderdale。　　In　his　will；　he　〃recommends　his　wife；　at　the

conclusion　of　the　Darby　concern；〃　to　distribute　among　his

〃principal　servants　or　managers　five　or　six　hundred　pounds。〃





CHAPTER　V。



WILLIAM　MURDOCK：　HIS　LIFE　AND　INVENTIONS。



〃Justice　exacts；　that　those　by　whom　we　are　most　benefited　　

Should　be　most　admired。〃Dr。　Johnson。



〃The　beginning　of　civilization　is　the　discovery　of　some　useful

arts；　by　which　men　acquire　property；　comforts；　or　luxuries。　　The

necessity　　or　desire　of　preserving　them　leads　to　laws　and　social

institutions。。。　In　reality；　the　origin　as　well　as　the　progress

and　improvement　of　civil　society　is　founded　on　mechanical　and

chemical　inventions。〃Sir　Humphry　Davy。



At　the　middle　of　last　century；　Scotland　was　a　very　poor　country。　

It　consisted　mostly　of　mountain　and　moorland；　and　the　little

arable　land　it　contained　was　badly　cultivated。　　Agriculture　was

almost　a　lost　art。　　〃Except　in　a　few　instances；〃　says　a　writer　in

the　'Farmers'　Magazine'　of　1803；　〃Scotland　was　little　better　than

a　barren　waste。〃　　Cattle　could　with　difficulty　be　kept　alive；　and

the　people　in　some　parts　of　the　country　were　often　on　the　brink

of　starvation。　　The　people　were　hopeless；　miserable；　and　without

spirit；　like　the　Irish　in　their　very　worst　times。　　After　the

wreck　of　the　Darien　expedition；　there　seemed　to　be　neither　skill；

enterprise；　nor　money　left　in　the　country。　　What　resources　it

contained　were　altogether　undeveloped。　　There　was　little

communication　between　one　place　and　another；　and　such　roads　as

existed　were　for　the　greater　part　of　the　year　simply　impassable。



There　were　various　opinions　as　to　the　causes　of　this　frightful

state　of　things。　　Some　thought　it　was　the　Union　between　England

and　Scotland；　and　Andrew　Fletcher　of　Saltoun；　〃The　Patriot；〃　as

he　was　called；　urged　its　Repeal。　　In　one　of　his　publications；　he

endeavoured　to　show　that　about　one…sixth　of　the　population　of

Scotland　was　in　a　state　of　beggary　two　hundred　thousand

vagabonds　begging　from　door　to　door；　or　robbing　and　plundering

people　as　poor　as　themselves。＇1＇　Fletcher　was　accordingly　as

great　a　repealer　as　Daniel　O'Connell　in　after　times。　　But　he

could　not　get　the　people　to　combine。　　There　were　others　who　held

a　different　opinion。　　They　thought　that　something　might　be　done

by　the　people　themselves　to　extricate　the　country　from　its

miserable　condition。



It　still　possessed　some　important　elements　of　prosperity。　　The

inhabitants　of　Scotland；　though　poor；　were　strong　and　able　to

work。　　The　land；　though　cold　and　sterile；　was　capable　of

cultivation。



Accordingly；　about　the　middle　of　last　century；　some　important

steps　were　taken　to　improve　the　general　condition　of　things。　　A

few　public…spirited　landowners　led　the　way；　and　formed　themselves

into　a　society　for　carrying　out　improvements　in　agriculture。　

They　granted　long　leases　of　farms　as　a　stimulus　to　the　most

skilled　and　industrious；　and　found　it　to　their　interest　to　give

the　farmer　a　more　permanent　interest　in　his　improvements　than　he

had　before　enjoyed。　　Thus　stimulated　and　encouraged；　farming　made

rapid　progress；　especially　in　the　Lothians；　and　the　example

spread　into　other　districts。　　Banks　were　established　for　the

storage　of　capital。　　Roads　were　improved；　and　communications

increased　between　one　part　of　the　country　and　another。　　Hence

trade　and　commerce　arose；　by　reason　of　the　facilities　afforded

for　the　interchange　of　traffic。　　The　people；　being　fairly

educated　by　the　parish　schools；　were　able　to　take　advantage　of

these　improvements。　　Sloth　and　idleness　gradually　disappeared；

before　the　energy；　activity；　and　industry　which　were　called　into

life　by　the　improved　communications。



At　the　same　time；　active　and　powerful　minds　were　occupied　in

extending　the　domain　of　knowledge。　　Black　and　Robison；　of

Glasgow；　were　the　precursors　of　James　Watt；　whose　invention　of

the　condensing　steam…engine　was　yet　to　produce　a　revolution　in

industrial　operations；　the　like　of　which　had　never　before　been

known。　　Watt　had　hit　upon　his　great　idea　while　experimenting　with

an　old　Newcomen　model　which　belonged　to　the　University　of

Glasgow。　　He　was　invited　by　Mr。　Roebuck　of　Kinneil　to　make　a

working　steam…engine　for　the　purpose　of　pumping　water　from　the

coal…pits　at　Boroughstoness；　but　his　progress　was　stopped　by　want

of　capital；　as　well　as　by　want　of　experience。　　It　was　not　until

the　brave　and　generous　Matthew　Boulton　of　Birmingham　took　up　the

machine；　and　backed　Watt　with　his　capital　and　his　spirit；　that

Watt's　enterprise　had　the　remotest　chance　of　success。　　Even　after

about　twelve　years'　effort；　the　condensing　steam…engine　was　only

beginning；　though　half…heartedly；　to　be　taken　up　and　employed　by

colliery　proprietors　and　cotton　manufacturers。　　In　developing　its

powers；　and　extending　its　uses；　the　great　merits　of　William

Murdock　can　never　be　forgotten。　　Watt　stands　first　in　its

history；　as　the　inventor；　Boulton　second；　as　its　promoter　and

supporter；　and　Murdock　third；　as　its　developer　and　improver。



William　Murdock　was　born　on　the　21st　of　August；　1754；　at　Bellow

Mill；　in　the　parish　of　Auchinleck；　Ayrshire。　　His　father；　John；

was　a　miller　and　millwright；　as　well　as　a　farmer。　　His　mother's

maiden　name　was　Bruce；　and　she　used　to　boast　of　being　descended

from　Robert　Bruce；　the　deliverer　of　Scotland。　　The　Murdocks；　or

Murdochsfor　the　name　was　spelt　in　either　waywere　numerous　in

the　neighbourhood；　and　they　were　nearly　all　related　to　each

other。　　They　are　supposed　to　have　originally　come　into　the

district　from　Flanders；　between　which　country　and　Scotland　a

considerable　intercourse　existed　in　the　middle　ages。　　Some　of　the

Murdocks　took　a　leading　part　in　the　construction　of　the　abbeys

and　cathedrals　of　the　North；＇2＇　others　were　known　as　mechanics；

but　the　greater　number　were　farmers。



One　of　the　best　known　members　of　the　family　was　John　Murdock；　the

poet　Burns'　first　teacher。　　Burns　went　to　his　school　at　Alloway

Mill；　when　he　was　six　years　old。　　There　he　learnt　to　read　and

write。　　When　Murdock　afterwards　set　up　a　school　at　Ayr；　Burns；

who　was　then　fifteen；　went　to　board　with　him。　　In　a　letter　to　a

correspondent；　Murdock　said：　　〃In　1773；　Robert　Burns　came　to

board　and　lodge　with　me；　for　the　purpose　of　revising　his　English

grammar；　that　he　might　be　better　qualified　to　instruct　his

brothers　and　sisters　at　home。　　He　was　now　with　me　day　and　night；

in　school；　at　all　meals；　and　in　all　my　walks。〃　　The　pupil　even

shared　the　teacher's　bed　at　night。　　Murdock　lent　the　boy　books；

and　helped　the　cultivation　of　his　mind　in　many　ways。　　Burns　soon

revised　his　English　grammar；　and　learnt　French；　as　well　as　a

little　Latin。　　Some　time　after；　Murdock　removed　to　London；　and

had　the　honour　of　teaching　Talleyrand　English　during　his

residence　as　an　emigrant　in　this　country。　　He　continued　to　have

the　greatest　respect　for　his　former　pupil；　whose　poetry

commemorated　the　beauties　of　his　native　district。



It　may　be　mentioned　that　Bellow　Mill　is　situated　on　the　Bellow

Water；　near　where　it　joins　the　river　Lugar。　　One　of　Burns'　finest

songs　begins：



　　　〃Behind　yon　hills　where　Lugar　flows。〃



That　was　the　scene　of　William　Murdock's　boyhood。　　When　a　boy；　he

herded　his　father's　cows　along　the　banks　of　the　Bellow；　and　as

there　were　then　no　hedges；　it　was　necessary　to　have　some　one　to

watch　the　cattle　while　grazing。　　The　spot　　is　still　pointed　out

where　the　boy；　in　the　intervals　of　his　herding；　hewed　a　square

compartment　out　of　the　rock　by　the　water　side；　and　there　burnt

the　splint　coal　found　on　the　top　of　the　Black　Band　ironstone。　

That　was　one　of　the　undeveloped　industries　of　Scotland；　for　the

Scotch　iron　trade　did　not　arrive　at　any　considerable　importance

until　about　a　century　later。＇3＇　　The　little　cavern　in　which

Murdock　burnt　the　splint　coal　was　provided　with　a　fireplace　and

vent；　all　complete。　　It　is　possible　that　he　may　have　there

derived；　from　his　experiments；　the　first　idea　of　Gas　as　an

illuminant。



Murdock　is　also　said　to　have　made　a　wooden　horse；　worked　by

mechanical　power；　which　was　the　wonder　of　the　district。　　On　this

mechanical　horse　he　rode　to　the　village　of　Cumnock；　about　two

miles　distant。　　His　father's　name　is；　however；　associated　with