industrial biography-第44章

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father　set　his　face　against　his　son's　〃preaching　at　the　back　o'

dikes；〃　as　he　called　it；　and　so　John　quietly　settled　down　to　his

work。　　The　engine　which　the　two　brothers　managed　was　a　very　small　one；

and　the　master　and　apprentice　served　for　engineman　and　fireman。　　Here

the　youth　worked　for　three　years；　employing　his　leisure　hours　in　the

evenings　in　remedying　the　defects　of　his　early　education；　and

endeavouring　to　acquire　a　knowledge　of　English　grammar；　drawing；　and

mathematics。



On　the　expiry　of　his　apprenticeship；　Beaumont　continued　for　a　time　to

work　under　his　brother　as　journeyman　at　a　guinea　a　week；　after　which；

in　1814；　he　entered　the　employment　of　William　Taylor；　coal…master　at

Irvine；　and　he　was　appointed　engine…wright　of　the　colliery　at　a

salary　of　from　70L。　to　80L。　a　year。　　One　of　the　improvements　which　he

introduced　in　the　working　of　the　colliery；　while　he　held　that　office；

was　the　laying　down　of　an　edge　railway　of　cast…iron；　in　lengths　of

three　feet；　from　the　pit　to　the　harbour　of　Irvine；　a　distance　of

three　miles。　　At　the　age　of　23　he　married　his　first　wife；　Barbara

Montgomerie；　an　Irvine　lass；　with　a　〃tocher〃　of　250L。　　This　little

provision　was　all　the　more　serviceable　to　him；　as　his　master；　Taylor；

becoming　unfortunate　in　business；　he　was　suddenly　thrown　out　of

employment；　and　the　little　fortune　enabled　the　newly…married　pair　to

hold　their　heads　above　water　till　better　days　came　round。　　They　took　a

humble　tenement；　consisting　of　a　room　and　a　kitchen；　in　the

Cowcaddens；　Glasgow；　where　their　first　child　was　born。



About　this　time　a　gas…work；　the　first　in　Glasgow；　was　projected；　and

the　company　having　been　formed；　the　directors　advertised　for　a

superintendent　and　foreman；　to　whom　they　offered　a　〃liberal　salary。〃

Though　Beaumont　had　never　seen　gaslight　before；　except　at　the

illumination　of　his　father's　colliery　office　after　the　Peace　of

Amiens；　which　was　accomplished　in　a　very　simple　and　original　manner；

without　either　condenser；　purifier；　or　gas…holder；　and　though　he　knew

nothing　of　the　art　of　gas…making；　he　had　the　courage　to　apply　for　the

situation。　　He　was　one　of　twenty　candidates；　and　the　fortunate　one；

and　in　August；　1817；　we　find　him　appointed　foreman　of　the　Glasgow

Gasworks；　for　five　years；　at　the　salary　of　90L。　a　year。　　Before　the

expiry　of　his　term　he　was　reappointed　for　six　years　more；　at　the

advanced　salary　of　200L。；　with　the　status　of　manager　and　engineer　of

the　works。　　His　salary　was　gradually　increased　to　400L。　a　year；　with　a

free　dwelling…house；　until　1847；　when；　after　a　faithful　service　of

thirty　years；　during　which　he　had　largely　extended　the　central　works；

and　erected　branch　works　in　Tradeston　and　Partick；　he　finally

resigned　the　management。



The　situation　of　manager　of　the　Glasgow　Gas…works　was　in　many

respects　well　suited　for　the　development　of　Mr。　Neilson's　peculiar

abilities。　　In　the　first　place　it　afforded　him　facilities　for

obtaining　theoretical　as　well　as　practical　knowledge　in　Chemical

Science；　of　which　he　was　a　diligent　student　at　the　Andersonian

University；　as　well　as　of　Natural　Philosophy　and　Mathematics　in　their

higher　branches。　　In　the　next　place　it　gave　free　scope　for　his

ingenuity　in　introducing　improvements　in　the　manufacture　of　gas；　then

in　its　infancy。　　He　was　the　first　to　employ　clay　retorts；　and　he

introduced　sulphate　of　iron　as　a　self…acting　purifier；　passing　the

gas　through　beds　of　charcoal　to　remove　its　oily　and　tarry　elements。

The　swallow…tail　or　union　jet　was　also　his　invention；　and　it　has

since　come　into　general　use。



While　managing　the　Gas…works；　one　of　Mr。Neilson's　labours　of　love　was

the　establishment　and　direction　by　him　of　a　Workmen's　Institution　for

mutual　improvement。　　Having　been　a　workman　himself；　and　experienced

the　disadvantages　of　an　imperfect　education　in　early　life；　as　well　as

the　benefits　arising　from　improved　culture　in　later　years；　he　desired

to　impart　some　of　these　advantages　to　the　workmen　in　his　employment；

who　consisted　chiefly　of　persons　from　remote　parts　of　the　Highlands

or　from　Ireland。　　Most　of　them　could　not　even　read；　and　his　principal

difficulty　consisted　in　persuading　them　that　it　was　of　any　use　to

learn。　　For　some　time　they　resisted　his　persuasions　to　form　a

Workmen's　Institution；　with　a　view　to　the　establishment　of　a　library；

classes；　and　lectures；　urging　as　a　sufficient　plea　for　not　joining

it；　that　they　could　not　read；　and　that　books　would　be　of　no　use　to

them。　　At　last　Mr。　Neilson　succeeded；　though　with　considerable

difficulty；　in　inducing　fourteen　of　the　workmen　to　adopt　his　plan。

Each　member　was　to　contribute　a　small　sum　monthly；　to　be　laid　out　in

books；　the　Gas　Company　providing　the　members　with　a　comfortable　room

in　which　they　might　meet　to　read　and　converse　in　the　evenings　instead

of　going　to　the　alehouse。　　The　members　were　afterwards　allowed　to　take

the　books　home　to　read；　and　the　room　was　used　for　the　purpose　of

conversation　on　the　subjects　of　the　books　read　by　them；　and

occasionally　for　lectures　delivered　by　the　members　themselves　on

geography；　arithmetic；　chemistry；　and　mechanics。　　Their　numbers

increased　so　that　the　room　in　which　they　met　became　insufficient　for

their　accommodation；　when　the　Gas　Company　provided　them　with　a　new

and　larger　place　of　meeting；　together　with　a　laboratory　and　workshop。

In　the　former　they　studied　practical　chemistry；　and　in　the　latter

they　studied　practical　mechanics；　making　for　themselves　an　air　pump

and　an　electrifying　machine；　as　well　as　preparing　the　various　models

used　in　the　course　of　the　lectures。　　The　effects　on　the　workmen　were

eminently　beneficial；　and　the　institution　came　to　be　cited　as　among

the　most　valuable　of　its　kind　in　the　kingdom。*

　＇footnote。。。

Article　by　Dugald　Bannatyne　in　Glasgow　Mechanic's　Magazine；　No。　53；

Dec。　1824。

　。。。＇

Mr。　Neilson　throughout　watched　carefully　over　its　working；　and

exerted　himself　in　all　ways　to　promote　its　usefulness；　in　which　he

had　the　zealous　co…operation　of　the　leading　workmen　themselves；　and

the　gratitude　of　all。　　On　the　opening　of　the　new　and　enlarged　rooms　in

1825；　we　find　him　delivering　an　admirable　address；　which　was　thought

worthy　of　republication；　together　with　the　reply　of　George

Sutherland；　one　of　the　workmen；　in　which　Mr。　Neilson's　exertions　as

its　founder　and　chief　supporter　were　gratefully　and　forcibly

expressed。*

　＇footnote。。。

Glasgow　Mechanic's　Magazine；　vol。　iii。　p。　159。

　。。。＇



It　was　during　the　period　of　his　connection　with　the　Glasgow　Gas…works

that　Mr。　Neilson　directed　his　attention　to　the　smelting　of　iron。　　His

views　in　regard　to　the　subject　were　at　first　somewhat　crude；　as

appears　from　a　paper　read　by　him　before　the　Glasgow　Philosophical

Society　early　in　1825。　　It　appears　that　in　the　course　of　the　preceding

year　his　attention　had　been　called　to　the　subject　by　an　iron…maker；

who　asked　him　if　he　thought　it　possible　to　purify　the　air　blown　into

the　blast　furnaces；　in　like　manner　as　carburetted　hydrogen　gas　was

purified。　　The　ironmaster　supposed　that　it　was　the　presence　of　sulphur

in　the　air　that　caused　blast…furnaces　to　work　irregularly；　and　to

make　bad　iron　in　the　summer　months。　　Mr。　Neilson　was　of　opinion　that

this　was　not　the　true　cause；　and　he　was　rather　disposed　to　think　it

attributable　to　the　want　of　a　due　proportion　of　oxygen　in　summer；

when　the　air　was　more　rarefied；　besides　containing　more　aqueous

vapour　than　in　winter。　　He　therefore　thought　the　true　remedy　was　in

some　way　or　other　to　throw　in　a　greater　proportion　of　oxygen；　and　he

suggested　that；　in　order　to　dry　the　air；　it　should　be　passed；　on　its

way　to　the　furnace；　through　two　long　tunnels　containing　calcined

lime。　　But　further　inquiry　served　to　correct　his　views；　and　eventually

led　him　to　the　true　theory　of　blasting。



Shortly　after；　his　attention　was　directed　by　Mr。　James　Ewing　to　a

defect　in　one　of　the　Muirkirk　blast…furnaces；　situated　about　half　a

mile　distant　from　the　blowing…engine；　which　wa