an autobiography-第25章
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I had begun life on my own resources； to maintain myself； and to help him rather than be helped any longer。 Thus the first half…sovereign I received from Mr。 Young was a great event in my life。 It was the first wages； as such； that I had ever received。 I well remember the high satisfaction I felt as I carried it home to my lodgings； and all the more so as I was quite certain that I could； by strict economy and good management； contrive to make this weekly sum of ten shillings meet all my current expenses。
I had already saved the sum of #20； which I placed in the bank as a deposit account。 It was the residue of the sale of some of my model steam…engines at Edinburgh。 My readers will remember that I brought with me a model steam…engine to show to Mr。 Maudslay as a specimen of my handiwork。 It had gained for me the situation that I desired； and I was now willing to dispose of it。 I found a purchaser in Mr。 Watkins； optician at Charing Cross； who supplied such apparatus to lecturers at Mechanics' Institutions。 He gave me #35 for the model； and I added the sum to my deposit account。 This little fund was quite sufficient to meet any expenses beyond those of a current weekly nature。
＇Image＇ My cooking stove* ＇footnote。。。 I have this handy apparatus by me still； and to prove its possession of its full original efficiency I recently set it in action after its rest of fifty years； and found that it yielded results quite equal to my grateful remembrance of its past services。 。。。＇
But I was resolved that my wages alone should maintain me in food and lodging。 I therefore directed my attention to economical living。 I found that a moderate dinner at an eating…house would cost move than I could afford to spend。 In order to keep within my weekly income I bought the raw materials and cooked them in my own way and to my own taste。 I set to and made a drawing of a very simple； compact； and handy cooking apparatus。 I took the drawing to a tinsmith near at hand； and in two days I had it in full operation。 The apparatus cost ten shillings； including the lamp。 As it contributed in no small degree to enable me to carry out my resolution； and as it may serve as a lesson to others who have an earnest desire to live economically； I think it may be useful to give a drawing and a description of my cooking stove。 The cooking or meat pan rested on the upper rim of the external cylindrical case； and was easily removable in order to be placed handy for service。 The requisite heat was supplied by an oil lamp with three small single wicks； though I found that one wick was enough。 I put the meat in the pot； with the other comestibles； at nine o'clock in the morning。 It simmered away all day； until half…past six in the evening； when I came home with a healthy appetite to enjoy my dinner。 I well remember the first day that I set the apparatus to work。 I ran to my lodging； at about four P。M。； to see how it was going on。 When I lifted the cover it was simmering beautifully； and such a savoury gusto came forth that I was almost tempted to fall to and discuss the contents。 But the time had not yet come； and I ran back to my work。
The meat I generally cooked in it was leg of beef； with sliced potato； bits of onion chopped down； and a modicum of white pepper and salt； With just enough of water to cover 〃the elements。〃 When stewed slowly the meat became very tender； and the whole yielded a capital dish； such as a very Soyer might envy。 It was partaken of with a zest that； no doubt； was a very important element in its savouriness。 The whole cost of this capital dinner was about 4 1/2d。 I sometimes varied the meat with rice boiled with a few raisins and a pennyworth of milk。 My breakfast and tea； with bread； cost me about fourpence each。 My lodgings cost 3s。 6d。 a week。 A little multiplication will satisfy any one how it was that I contrived to live economically and comfortably on my ten shillings a week。 In the following year my wages were raised to fifteen shillings a week； and then I began to take butter to my bread。
To return to my employment under Mr。 Maudslay。 One of the first jobs that I undertook was in assisting him to make a beautiful small model of a pair of 200 horsepower marine steam…engines。 The engines were then in course of construction in the factory。 They were considered a bold advance on the marine engines then in use； not only in regard to their great power； but in carrying out many specialities in their details and general structure。 Mr。 Maudslay had embodied so much of his thought in the design that he desired to have an exact model of them placed in his library； so as to keep a visible record of his ideas constantly before him。 In fact； these engines might be regarded as the culmination of his constructive abilities。
In preparing the model it was necessary that everything should be made in exact conformity with the original。 There were about three hundred minute bolts and nuts to be reduced to the proportional size。 I esteemed it a great compliment to be entrusted with their execution。 They were all to be made of cast…steel； and the nuts had to be cut to exact hexagonal form。 Many of them had collars。 To produce them by the use of the file in the ordinary mode would not only have been difficult and tedious； but in some cases practically impossible。
＇Image＇ Collar…nut cutting machine。
To get rid of the difficulty I suggested to Mr。 Maudslay a contrivance of my own by means of which the most rigid exactness in size as well as form could be given to these hexagonal nuts。 He readily granted his permission。 I constructed a special apparatus； consisting of a hard steel circular cutter to act as a circular file。 When brought into operation in the production of these minute six…sided collared nuts； held firm in the spindle of a small dividing plate and attached to the slide…rest； each side was brought in succession under the action of the circular file or cutter with the most exact precision in regard to the division of the six sides。 The result was absolutely perfect as respects the exactness of the six equal sides of the hexagonal nut； as well as their precise position in regard to the collar that was of one solid piece with it。 There was no great amount of ingenuity required in contriving this special tool； or in adapting it to the slide…rest of the lathe； to whose spindle end the file or cutter / was fixed。 But the result was so satisfactory； both as regards the accuracy and rapidity of execution in comparison with the usual process of hand filing； that Mr。 Maudslay was greatly pleased with the arrangement as well as with my zeal in contriving and executing this clever little tool。 An enlarged edition of this collar…nut cutting machine was soon after introduced into the factory。
＇Image＇ Arrangement of the machine
It was one of the specialities that I adopted in my own workshop when I commenced business for myself； and it was eagerly adopted by mechanical engineers； whom we abundantly supplied with this special machine。 It was an inestimable advantage to me to be so intimately associated with this Great Mechanic。 He was so invariably kind； pleasant； and congenial。 He communicated an infinite number of what he humorously called 〃Wrinkles〃 which afterwards proved of great use to me。 My working hours usually terminated at six in the evening。 But as many of the departments of the factory were often in full operation during busy times until eight o'clock； I went through them to observe the work while in progress。 On these occasions I often met 〃the guvnor； as the workmen called Mr。 Maudslay。 He was going his round of inspection； and when there was any special work in hand he would call me up to him to and explain point in connection with it that was worthy of particular notice。 I found this valuable privilege most instructive； as I obtained from the cheif mechanic himself a full insight into the methods； means； and processes by which the skilful workman advanced the various classes of work。 I was also permitted to take notes and make rapid sketches of any object that specially interested me。 The entire establishment thus became to me a school of practical engineering of the most instructive kind。
Mr。 Maudslay took pleasure in showing me the right system and method of treating all manner of materials employed in mechanical structures。 He showed how they might be made to obey your will； by changing them into the desired forms with the least expenditure of time and labour。 This in fact is the true philosophy of construction。 When clear ideas have been acquired upon the subject； after careful observation and practice； the comparative ease and certainty with which complete mastery over the most obdurate materials is obtained； opens up the most direct road to the attainment of commercial as well as of professional success。
To be permitted to stand by and observe the systematic way in which Mr。 Maudslay would first mark or line out his work； and the masterly manner in which he would deal with his materials； and cause them to assume the desired forms； was a treat beyond all expression。 Every stroke of the hammer； chisel； or file； told as an effective step towards the intended result。 It was a never…to…be…forgotten practical lesson in workmanship； in the most exalted sense of the term。 In conformity with his often repeated maxim； 〃that there is a right way and a wrong way of doing everything；〃 he took the shortest and most direct cuts to accomplish his objects。 He illustrated this by telling me； in his own humorous style； 〃 When you want to go from London to Greenwich； don't go round by Inverness。〃 Another of his droll sayings was that he 〃considered no man a thorough mechanic unless he could cut a plank with a gimlet； and bore a hole with a saw！〃
The grand result of thoughtful practice is what we call experience： it is the power or faculty of seeing clearly before you begin； what to avoid and what to selector rather what to do and what not to do。 High…class workmanship； or technical knowledge； was in his hands quite a science。 Every piece of work was made subject to the soundest philosophical principles； as applied to the use and treatment of materials。 It was this that gave such a charm of enjoyment to his dealing with tools and materials。 He loved this sort of work for its own sake； far more than for its pecuniary results。 At the same time he was not without regard for the substantial evidence of his supremacy in all that regarded first…class tools； admirable management； and thorough organisation of his factory。
The innate love of truth and accuracy which distinguished Mr。 Maudslay； led him to value highly that class of technical dexterity in engineering workmen which enabled them to produce those details of mechanical structures in which perfect flat or true plane surfaces were required。 This was an essential condition for the effective and durable performance of their functions。 Sometimes this was effected by the aid of the turning…lathe and slide…rest。 But in most cases the object was attained by the dexterous use of the file； so that 〃flat filing〃 then was； as it still is； one of the highest qualities of the skilled workman。 No one that I ever met with could go beyond Henry Mauds
