industrial biography-第57章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



would　have　been　no　Henry　Maudslay。〃　　The　wounded　artilleryman　was

invalided　and　sent　home　to　Woolwich；　the　headquarters　of　his　corps；

where　he　was　shortly　after　discharged。　　Being　a　handy　workman；　he

sought　and　obtained　employment　at　the　Arsenal。　　He　was　afterwards

appointed　a　storekeeper　in　the　Dockyard。　　It　was　during　the　former

stage　of　William　Maudslay's　employment　at　Woolwich；　that　the　subject

of　this　memoir　was　born　in　the　house　in　the　court　above　mentioned；　on

the　22nd　of　August；　1771。



The　boy　was　early　set　to　work。　　When　twelve　years　old　he　was　employed

as　a　〃powder…monkey；〃　in　making　and　filling　cartridges。　　After　two

years；　he　was　passed　on　to　the　carpenter's　shop　where　his　father

worked；　and　there　he　became　acquainted　with　tools　and　the　art　of

working　in　wood　and　iron。　　From　the　first；　the　latter　seems　to　have

had　by　far　the　greatest　charms　for　him。　　The　blacksmiths'　shop　was

close　to　the　carpenters'；　and　Harry　seized　every　opportunity　that

offered　of　plying　the　hammer；　the　file；　and　the　chisel；　in　preference

to　the　saw　and　the　plane。　　Many　a　cuff　did　the　foreman　of　carpenters

give　him　for　absenting　himself　from　his　proper　shop　and　stealing　off

to　the　smithy。　　His　propensity　was　indeed　so　strong　that；　at　the　end

of　a　year；　it　was　thought　better；　as　he　was　a　handy；　clever　boy；　to

yield　to　his　earnest　desire　to　be　placed　in　the　smithy；　and　he　was

removed　thither　accordingly　in　his　fifteenth　year。



His　heart　being　now　in　his　work；　he　made　rapid　progress；　and　soon

became　an　expert　smith　and　metal　worker。　　He　displayed　his　skill

especially　in　forging　light　ironwork；　and　a　favourite　job　of　his　was

the　making　of　〃Trivets〃　out　of　the　solid；　which　only　the　〃dab　hands〃

of　the　shop　could　do；　but　which　he　threw　off　with　great　rapidity　in

first　rate　style。　　These　〃Trivets〃　were　made　out　of　Spanish　iron　bolts

rare　stuff；　which；　though　exceedingly　tough；　forged　like　wax　under

the　hammer。　　Even　at　the　close　of　his　life；　when　he　had　acquired

eminent　distinction　as　an　inventor；　and　was　a　large　employer　of

skilled　labour；　he　looked　back　with　pride　to　the　forging　of　his　early

days　in　Woolwich　Arsenal。　　He　used　to　describe　with　much　gusto；　how

the　old　experienced　hands；　with　whom　he　was　a　great　favourite；　would

crowd　about　him　when　forging　his　〃Trivets；〃　some　of　which　may　to　this

day　be　in　use　among　Woolwich　housewives　for　supporting　the

toast…plate　before　the　bright　fire　against　tea　time。　　This　was；

however；　entirely　contraband　work；　done　〃on　the　sly；〃　and　strictly

prohibited　by　the　superintending　officer；　who　used　kindly　to　signal

his　approach　by　blowing　his　nose　in　a　peculiar　manner；　so　that　all

forbidden　jobs　might　be　put　out　of　the　way　by　the　time　he　entered　the

shop。



We　have　referred　to　Maudslay's　early　dexterity　in　trivet…makinga

circumstance　trifling　enough　in　itselffor　the　purpose　of

illustrating　the　progress　which　he　had　made　in　a　branch　of　his　art　of

the　greatest　importance　in　tool　and　machine　making。　　Nothing　pleased

him　more　in　his　after　life　than　to　be　set　to　work　upon　an　unusual

piece　of　forging；　and　to　overcome；　as　none　could　do　so　cleverly　as

he；　the　difficulties　which　it　presented。　　The　pride　of　art　was　as

strong　in　him　as　it　must　have　been　in　the　mediaeval　smiths；　who

turned　out　those　beautiful　pieces　of　workmanship　still　regarded　as

the　pride　of　our　cathedrals　and　old　mansions。　　In　Maudslay's　case；　his

dexterity　as　a　smith　was　eventually　directed　to　machinery；　rather

than　ornamental　work；　though；　had　the　latter　been　his　line　of　labour；

we　do　not　doubt　that　he　would　have　reached　the　highest　distinction。



The　manual　skill　which　our　young　blacksmith　had　acquired　was　such　as

to　give　him　considerable　reputation　in　his　craft；　and　he　was　spoken

of　even　in　the　London　shops　as　one　of　the　most　dexterous　hands　in　the

trade。　　It　was　this　circumstance　that　shortly　after　led　to　his　removal

from　the　smithy　in　Woolwich　Arsenal　to　a　sphere　more　suitable　for　the

development　of　his　mechanical　ability。



We　have　already　stated　in　the　preceding　memoir；　that　Joseph　Bramah

took　out　the　first　patent　for　his　lock　in　1784；　and　a　second　for　its

improvement　several　years　later；　but　notwithstanding　the　acknowledged

superiority　of　the　new　lock　over　all　others；　Bramah　experienced　the

greatest　difficulty　in　getting　it　manufactured　with　sufficient

precision；　and　at　such　a　price　as　to　render　it　an　article　of

extensive　commerce。　　This　arose　from　the　generally　inferior　character

of　the　workmanship　of　that　day；　as　well　as　the　clumsiness　and

uncertainty　of　the　tools　then　in　use。　　Bramah　found　that　even　the　best

manual　dexterity　was　not　to　be　trusted；　and　yet　it　seemed　to　be　his

only　resource；　for　machine…tools　of　a　superior　kind　had　not　yet　been

invented。　　In　this　dilemma　he　determined　to　consult　an　ingenious　old

German　artisan；　then　working　with　William　Moodie；　a　general

blacksmith　in　Whitechapel。　　This　German　was　reckoned　one　of　the　most

ingenious　workmen　in　London　at　the　time。　　Bramah　had　several　long

interviews　with　him；　with　the　object　of　endeavouring　to　solve　the

difficult　problem　of　how　to　secure　precise　workmanship　in

lock…making。　　But　they　could　not　solve　it；　they　saw　that　without

better　tools　the　difficulty　was　insuperable；　and　then　Bramah　began　to

fear　that　his　lock　would　remain　a　mere　mechanical　curiosity；　and　be

prevented　from　coming　into　general　use。



He　was　indeed　sorely　puzzled　what　next　to　do；　when　one　of　the

hammermen　in　Moodie's　shop　ventured　to　suggest　that　there　was　a　young

man　in　the　Woolwich　Arsenal　smithy；　named　Maudslay；　who　was　so

ingenious　in　such　matters　that　〃nothing　bet　him；〃　and　he　recommended

that　Mr。　Bramah　should　have　a　talk　with　him　upon　the　subject　of　his

difficulty。　　Maudslay　was　at　once　sent　for　to　Bramah's　workshop；　and

appeared　before　the　lock…maker；　a　tall；　strong；　comely　young　fellow；

then　only　eighteen　years　old。　　Bramah　was　almost　ashamed　to　lay　his

case　before　such　a　mere　youth；　but　necessity　constrained　him　to　try

all　methods　of　accomplishing　his　object；　and　Maudslay's　suggestions

in　reply　to　his　statement　of　the　case　were　so　modest；　so　sensible；

and　as　the　result　proved；　so　practical；　that　the　master　was

constrained　to　admit　that　the　lad　before　him　had　an　old　head　though

set　on　young　shoulders。　　Bramah　decided　to　adopt　the　youth's

suggestions；　made　him　a　present　on　the　spot；　and　offered　to　give　him

a　job　if　he　was　willing　to　come　and　work　in　a　town　shop。　　Maudslay

gladly　accepted　the　offer；　and　in　due　time　appeared　before　Bramah　to

enter　upon　his　duties。



As　Maudslay　had　served　no　regular　apprenticeship；　and　was　of　a　very

youthful　appearance；　the　foreman　of　the　shop　had　considerable　doubts

as　to　his　ability　to　take　rank　alongside　his　experienced　hands。　　But

Maudslay　soon　set　his　master's　and　the　foreman's　mind　at　rest。

Pointing　to　a　worn…out　vice…bench；　he　said　to　Bramah；　〃Perhaps　if　I

can　make　that　as　good　as　new　by　six　o'clock　to…night；　it　will　satisfy

your　foreman　that　I　am　entitled　to　rank　as　a　tradesman　and　take　my

place　among　your　men；　even　though　I　have　not　served　a　seven　years'

apprenticeship。〃　　There　was　so　much　self…reliant　ability　in　the

proposal；　which　was　moreover　so　reasonable；　that　it　was　at　once

acceded　to。　　Off　went　Maudslay's　coat；　up　went　his　shirt　sleeves；　and

to　work　he　set　with　a　will　upon　the　old　bench。　　The　vice…jaws　were

re…steeled　〃in　no　time；〃　filed　up；　re…cut；　all　the　parts　cleaned　and

made　trim；　and　set　into　form　again。　　By　six　o'clock；　the　old　vice　was

screwed　up　to　its　place；　its　jaws　were　hardened　and　〃let　down〃　to

proper　temper；　and　the　old　bench　was　made　to　look　so　smart　and　neat

that　it　threw　all　the　neighbouring　benches　into　the　shade！　　Bramah　and

his　foreman　came　round　to　see　it；　while　the　men　of　the　shop　looked

admiringly　on。　　It　was　examined　and　pronounced　〃a　first…rate　job。〃

This　diploma　piece　of　work　secured　Maudslay's　footing；　and　next

Monday　morning　he　came　on　as　one　of　the　regular　hands。



H