industrial biography-第67章

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student　of　natural　history；　and　possessed　a　much　more　complete

knowledge　of　several　sub…branches　of　that　science　than　was　to　have

been　looked　for　in　a　common　working…man。　　One　of　the　departments　which

he　specially　studied　was　Entomology。　　In　his　leisure　hours　he　was

accustomed　to　traverse　the　country　searching　the　hedge…bottoms　for

beetles　and　other　insects；　of　which　he　formed　a　remarkably　complete

collection；　and　the　capture　of　a　rare　specimen　was　quite　an　event　in

his　life。　　In　order　more　deliberately　to　study　the　habits　of　the　bee

tribe；　he　had　a　number　of　hives　constructed　for　the　purpose　of

enabling　him　to　watch　their　proceedings　without　leaving　his　work；　and

the　pursuit　was　a　source　of　the　greatest　pleasure　to　him。　　He　was　a

lover　of　all　dumb　creatures；　his　cottage　was　haunted　by　birds　which

flew　in　and　out　at　his　door；　and　some　of　them　became　so　tame　as　to

hop　up　to　him　and　feed　out　of　his　hand。　　〃Old　Clement〃　was　also　a　bit

of　a　mechanic；　and　such　of　his　leisure　moments　as　he　did　not　devote

to　insect…hunting；　were　employed　in　working　a　lathe　of　his　own

construction；　which　he　used　to　turn　his　bobbing　on；　and　also　in

various　kinds　of　amateur　mechanics。



His　boy　Joseph；　like　other　poor　men's　sons；　was　early　set　to　work。　　He

received　very　little　education；　and　learnt　only　the　merest　rudiments

of　reading　and　writing　at　the　village　school。　　The　rest　of　his

education　he　gave　to　himself　as　he　grew　older。　　His　father　needed　his

help　at　the　loom；　where　he　worked　with　him　for　some　years；　but；　as

handloom　weaving　was　gradually　being　driven　out　by　improved

mechanism；　the　father　prudently　resolved　to　put　his　son　to　a　better

trade。　　They　have　a　saying　in　Cumberland　that　when　the　bairns　reach　a

certain　age；　they　are　thrown　on　to　the　house…rigg；　and　that　those　who

stick　on　are　made　thatchers　of；　while　those　who　fall　off　are　sent　to

St。　　Bees　to　be　made　parsons　of。　　Joseph　must　have　been　one　of　those

that　stuck　onat　all　events　his　father　decided　to　make　him　a

thatcher；　afterwards　a　slater；　and　he　worked　at　that　trade　for　five

years；　between　eighteen　and　twenty…three。



The　son；　like　the　father；　had　a　strong　liking　for　mechanics；　and　as

the　slating　trade　did　not　keep　him　in　regular　employment；　especially

in　winter　time；　he　had　plenty　of　opportunity　for　following　the　bent

of　his　inclinations。　　He　made　a　friend　of　the　village　blacksmith；

whose　smithy　he　was　accustomed　to　frequent；　and　there　he　learned　to

work　at　the　forge；　to　handle　the　hammer　and　file；　and　in　a　short　time

to　shoe　horses　with　considerable　expertness。　　A　cousin　of　his　named

Farer；　a　clock　and　watchmaker　by　trade；　having　returned　to　the

village　from　London；　brought　with　him　some　books　on　mechanics；　which

he　lent　to　Joseph　to　read；　and　they　kindled　in　him　an　ardent　desire

to　be　a　mechanic　instead　of　a　slater。　　He　nevertheless　continued　to

maintain　himself　by　the　latter　trade　for　some　time　longer；　until　his

skill　had　grown；　and；　by　way　of　cultivating　it；　he　determined；　with

the　aid　of　his　friend　the　village　blacksmith；　to　make　a

turning…lathe。　　The　two　set　to　work；　and　the　result　was　the　production

of　an　article　in　every　way　superior　to　that　made　by　Clement's　father；

which　was　accordingly　displaced　to　make　room　for　the　new　machine。　　It

was　found　to　work　very　satisfactorily；　and　by　its　means　Joseph

proceeded　to　turn　fifes；　flutes；　clarinets；　and　hautboys；　for　to　his

other　accomplishments　he　joined　that　of　music；　and　could　play　upon

the　instruments　that　he　made。　　One　of　his　most　ambitious　efforts　was

the　making　of　a　pair　of　Northumberland　bagpipes；　which　he　finished　to

his　satisfaction；　and　performed　upon　to　the　great　delight　of　the

villagers。　　To　assist　his　father　in　his　entomological　studies；　he　even

contrived；　with　the　aid　of　the　descriptions　given　in　the　books

borrowed　from　his　cousin　the　watchmaker；　to　make　for　him　a

microscope；　from　which　he　proceeded　to　make　a　reflecting　telescope；

which　proved　a　very　good　instrument。　　At　this　early　period　（1804）　he

also　seems　to　have　directed　his　attention　to　screw…makinga　branch

of　mechanics　in　which　he　afterwards　became　famous；　and　he　proceeded

to　make　a　pair　of　very　satisfactory　die…stocks；　though　it　is　said

that　he　had　not　before　seen　or　even　heard　of　such　a　contrivance　for

making　screws。



So　clever　a　workman　was　not　likely　to　remain　long　a　village　slater。

Although　the　ingenious　pieces　of　work　which　he　turned　out　by　his

lathe　did　not　bring　him　in　much　money；　he　liked　the　occupation　so

much　better　than　slating　that　he　was　gradually　giving　up　that　trade。

His　father　urged　him　to　stick　to　slating　as　〃a　safe　thing；〃　but　his

own　mind　was　in　favour　of　following　his　instinct　to　be　a　mechanic；

and　at　length　he　determined　to　leave　his　village　and　seek　work　in　a

new　line。　　He　succeeded　in　finding　employment　in　a　small　factory　at

Kirby　Stephen；　a　town　some　thirteen　miles　from　Great　Ashby；　where　he

worked　at　making　power…looms。　　From　an　old　statement　of　account

against　his　employer　which　we　have　seen；　in　his　own　handwriting；

dated　the　6th　September；　1805；　it　appears　that　his　earnings　at　such

work　as　〃fitting　the　first　set　of　iron　loames；〃　〃fitting　up

shittles；〃　and　〃making　moddles；〃　were　3s。　6d。　a　day；　and　he　must；

during　the　same　time；　have　lived　with　his　employer；　who　charged　him

as　a　set…off　〃14　weaks　bord　at　8s。　per　weak。〃　　He　afterwards　seems　to

have　worked　at　piece…work　in　partnership　with　one　Andrew　Gamble

supplying　the　materials　as　well　as　the　workmanship　for　the　looms　and

shuttles。　　His　employer；　Mr。　George　Dickinson；　also　seems　to　have

bought　his　reflecting　telescope　from　him　for　the　sum　of　12l。



From　Kirby　Stephen　Clement　removed　to　Carlisle；　where　he　was　employed

by　Forster　and　Sons　during　the　next　two　years　at　the　same　description

of　work；　and　he　conducted　himself；　according；　to　their　certificate　on

his　leaving　their　employment　to　proceed　to　Glasgow　in　1807；　〃with

great　sobriety　and　industry；　entirely　to　their　satisfaction。〃　　While

working　at　Glasgow　as　a　turner；　he　took　lessons　in　drawing　from　Peter

Nicholson；　the　well…known　writer　on　carpentrya　highly　ingenious

man。　　Nicholson　happened　to　call　at　the　shop　at　which　Clement　worked

in　order　to　make　a　drawing　of　a　power…loom；　and　Clement's　expressions

of　admiration　at　his　expertness　were　so　enthusiastic；　that　Nicholson；

pleased　with　the　youth's　praise；　asked　if　he　could　be　of　service　to

him　in　any　way。　　Emboldened　by　the　offer；　Clement　requested；　as　the

greatest　favour　he　could　confer　upon　him；　to　have　the　loan　of　the

drawing　he　had　just　made；　in　order　that　he　might　copy　it。　　The　request

was　at　once　complied　with；　and　Clement；　though　very　poor　at　the　time；

and　scarcely　able　to　buy　candle　for　the　long　winter　evenings；　sat　up

late　every　night　until　he　had　finished　it。　　Though　the　first　drawing

he　had　ever　made；　he　handed　it　back　to　Nicholson　instead　of　the

original；　and　at　first　the　draughtsman　did　not　recognise　that　the

drawing　was　not　his　own。　　When　Clement　told　him　that　it　was　only　the

copy；　Nicholson's　brief　but　emphatic　praise　was　…　　〃Young　man；

YOU'LL　DO！〃　　Proud　to　have　such　a　pupil；　Nicholson　generously　offered

to　give　him　gratuitous　lessons　in　drawing；　which　were　thankfully

accepted；　and　Clement；　working　at　nights　with　great　ardour；　soon　made

rapid　progress；　and　became　an　expert　draughtsman。



Trade　being　very　slack　in　Glasgow　at　the　time；　Clement；　after　about　a

year's　stay　in　the　place；　accepted　a　situation　with　Messrs。　Leys；

Masson；　and　Co。；　of　Aberdeen；　with　whom　he　began　at　a　guinea　and　a

half　a　week；　from　which　he　gradually　rose　to　two　guineas；　and

ultimately　to　three　guineas。　　His　principal　work　consisted　in

designing　and　making　power…looms　for　his　employers；　and　fitting　them

up　in　different　parts　of　the　country。　　He　continued　to　devote　himself

to　the　study　of　practical　mechanics；　and　made　many　improvements　in

the　tools　with　which　he　worked。　　While　at　Glasgow　he　had　made　an

improved　pair　of　die…stocks　for　screws；　an