industrial biography-第68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！



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

improved　pair　of　die…stocks　for　screws；　and；　at　Aberdeen；　he　made　a

turning…lathe　with　a　sliding　mandrill　and　guide…screws；　for　cutting

screws；　furnished　also　with　the　means　for　correcting　guide…screws。　　In

the　same　machine　he　introduced　a　small　slide　rest；　into　which　he

fixed　the　tool　for　cutting　the　screws；having　never　before　seen　a

slide　rest；　though　it　is　very　probable　he　may　have　heard　of　what

Maudslay　had　already　done　in　the　same　direction。　　Clement　continued

during　this　period　of　his　life　an　industrious　self…cultivator；

occupying　most　of　his　spare　hours　in　mechanical　and　landscape

drawing；　and　in　various　studies。　　Among　the　papers　left　behind　him　we

find　a　ticket　to　a　course　of　instruction　on　Natural　Philosophy　given

by　Professor　Copland　in　the　Marischal　College　at　Aberdeen；　which

Clement　attended　in　the　session　of　1812…13；　and　we　do　not　doubt　that

our　mechanic　was　among　the　most　diligent　of　his　pupils。　　Towards　the

end　of　1813；　after　saving　about　100L。　out　of　his　wages；　Clement

resolved　to　proceed　to　London　for　the　purpose　of　improving　himself　in

his　trade　and　pushing　his　way　in　the　world。　　The　coach　by　which　he

travelled　set　him　down　in　Snow　Hill；　Holborn；　and　his　first　thought

was　of　finding　work。　　He　had　no　friend　in　town　to　consult　on　the

matter；　so　he　made　inquiry　of　the　coach…guard　whether　he　knew　of　any

person　in　the　mechanical　line　in　that　neighbourhood。　　The　guard　said；

〃Yes；　there　was　Alexander　Galloway's　show　shop；　just　round　the

corner；　and　he　employed　a　large　number　of　hands。〃　　Running　round　the

corner；　Clement　looked　in　at　Galloway's　window；　through　which　he　saw

some　lathes　and　other　articles　used　in　machine　shops。　　Next　morning　he

called　upon　the　owner　of　the　shop　to　ask　employment。　　〃What　can　you

do？〃　asked　Galloway。　　〃I　can　work　at　the　forge；〃　said　Clement。

〃Anything　else？〃　　〃I　can　turn。〃　　〃What　else？〃　　〃I　can　draw。〃　　〃What！〃

said　Galloway；　〃can　you　draw？　Then　I　will　engage　you。〃　　A　man　who

could　draw　or　work　to　a　drawing　in　those　days　was　regarded　as　a

superior　sort　of　mechanic。　　Though　Galloway　was　one　of　the　leading

tradesmen　of　his　time；　and　had　excellent　opportunities　for

advancement；　he　missed　them　all。　　As　Clement　afterwards　said　of　him；

〃He　was　only　a　mouthing　common…council　man；　the　height　of　whose

ambition　was　to　be　an　alderman；〃　and；　like　most　corporation

celebrities；　he　held　a　low　rank　in　his　own　business。　　He　very　rarely

went　into　his　workshops　to　superintend　or　direct　his　workmen；　leaving

this　to　his　foremena　sufficient　indication　of　the　causes　of　his

failure　as　a　mechanic。*

　＇footnote。。。

On　one　occasion　Galloway　had　a　cast…iron　roof　made　for　his　workshop；

so　flat　and　so　independent　of　ties　that　the　wonder　was　that　it　should

have　stood　an　hour。　　One　day　Peter　Keir；　an　engineer　much　employed　by

the　governmenta　clever　man；　though　some　what　eccentricwas　taken

into　the　shop　by　Galloway　to　admire　the　new　roof。　　Keir；　on　glancing

up　at　it；　immediately　exclaimed；　〃Come　outside；　and　let　us　speak

about　it　there！〃　　All　that　he　could　say　to　Galloway　respecting　the

unsoundness　of　its　construction　was　of　no　avail。　　The　fact　was　that；

however　Keir　might　argue　about　its　not　being　able　to　stand；　there　it

was　actually　standing；　and　that　was　enough　for　Galloway。　　Keir　went

home；　his　mind　filled　with　Galloway's　most　unprincipled　roof。　　〃If

that　stands；〃　said　he　to　himself；　〃all　that　I　have　been　learning　and

doing　for　thirty　years　has　been　wrong。〃　　That　night　he　could　not　sleep

for　thinking　about　it。　　In　the　morning　he　strolled　up　Primrose　Hill；

and　returned　home　still　muttering　to　himself　about　〃that　roof。〃

〃What；　said　his　wife　to　him；　〃are　you　thinking　of　Galloway's　roof？〃

〃Yes；　said　he。　　〃Then　you　have　seen　the　papers？〃　　〃No　　what　about

them？〃　　〃Galloway's　roof　has　fallen　in　this　morning；　and　killed　eight

or　ten　of　the　men！〃　　Keir　immediately　went　to　bed；　and　slept　soundly

till　next　morning。

　。。。＇



On　entering　Galloway's　shop；　Clement　was　first　employed　in　working　at

the　lathe；　but　finding　the　tools　so　bad　that　it　was　impossible　to

execute　satisfactory　work　with　them；　he　at　once　went　to　the　forge；

and　began　making　a　new　set　of　tools　for　himself。　　The　other　men；　to

whom　such　a　proceeding　was　entirely　new；　came　round　him　to　observe

his　operations；　and　they　were　much　struck　with　his　manual　dexterity。

The　tools　made；　he　proceeded　to　use　them；　displaying　what　seemed　to

the　other　workmen　an　unusual　degree　of　energy　and　intelligence；　and

some　of　the　old　hands　did　not　hesitate　already　to　pronounce　Clement

to　be　the　best　mechanic　in　the　shop。　　When　Saturday　night　came　round；

the　other　men　were　curious　to　know　what　wages　Galloway　would　allow

the　new　hand；　and　when　he　had　been　paid；　they　asked　him。　　〃A　guinea；〃

was　the　reply。　　〃A　guinea！　　Why；　you　are　worth　two　if　you　are　worth　a

shilling；〃　said　an　old　man　who　came　out　of　the　rankan　excellent

mechanic；　who；　though　comparatively　worthless　through　his　devotion　to

drink；　knew　Clement's　money　value　to　his　employer　better　than　any　man

there；　and　he　added；　〃Wait　for　a　week　or　two；　and　if　you　are　not

better　paid　than　this；　I　can　tell　you　of　a　master　who　will　give　you　a

fairer　wage。〃　　Several　Saturdays　came　round；　but　no　advance　was　made

on　the　guinea　a　week；　and　then　the　old　workman　recommended　Clement　to

offer　himself　to　Bramah　at　Pimlico；　who　was　always　on　the　look　out

for　first…rate　mechanics。



Clement　acted　on　the　advice；　and　took　with　him　some　of　his　drawings；

at　sight　of　which　Bramah　immediately　engaged　him　for　a　month；　and　at

the　end　of　that　time　he　had　given　so　much　satisfaction；　that　it　was

agreed　he　should　continue　for　three　months　longer　at　two　guineas　a

week。　　Clement　was　placed　in　charge　of　the　tools　of　the　shop；　and　he

showed　himself　so　apt　at　introducing　improvements　in　them；　as　well　as

in　organizing　the　work　with　a　view　to　despatch　and　economy；　that　at

the　end　of　the　term　Bramah　made　him　a　handsome　present；　adding；　〃if　I

had　secured　your　services　five　years　since；　I　would　now　have　been　a

richer　man　by　many　thousands　of　pounds。〃　　A　formal　agreement　for　a

term　of　five　years　was　then　entered　into　between　Bramah　and　Clement；

dated　the　1st　of　April；　1814；　by　which　the　latter　undertook　to　fill

the　office　of　chief…draughtsman　and　superintendent　of　the　Pimlico

Works；　in　consideration　of　a　salary　of　three　guineas　a　week；　with　an

advance　of　four　shillings　a　week　in　each　succeeding　year　of　the

engagement。　　This　arrangement　proved　of　mutual　advantage　to　both。

Clement　devoted　himself　with　increased　zeal　to　the　improvement　of　the

mechanical　arrangements　of　the　concern；　exhibiting　his　ingenuity　in

many　ways；　and　taking；　a　genuine　pride　in　upholding　the　character　of

his　master　for　turning　out　first…class　work。



On　the　death　of　Bramah；　his　sons　returned　from　college　and　entered

into　possession　of　the　business。　　They　found　Clement　the　ruling　mind

there　and　grew　jealous　of　him　to　such　an　extent　that　his　situation

became　uncomfortable；　and　by　mutual　consent　he　was　allowed　to　leave

before　the　expiry　of　his　term　of　agreement。　　He　had　no　difficulty　in

finding　employment；　and　was　at　once　taken　on　as　chief　draughtsman　at

Maudslay　and　Field's　where　he　was　of　much　assistance　in　proportioning

the　early　marine　engines；　for　the　manufacture　of　which　that　firm　were

becoming　celebrated。　　After　a　short　time；　he　became　desirous　of

beginning　business　on　his　own　account　as　a　mechanical　engineer。　　He

was　encouraged　to　do　this　by　the　Duke　of　Northumberland；　who；　being　a

great　lover　of　mechanics　and　himself　a　capital　turner；　used　often　to

visit　Maudslay's；　and　thus　became　acquainted　with　Clement；　whose

expertness　as　a　draughtsman　and　mechanic　he　greatly　admired。　　Being　a

man　of　frugal　and　sober　habits；　always　keeping　his　expenditure　very

considerably　within　his　income；　Clement　had　been　enabled　to

accumulate　about　500L。；　which　he　thought　would　be　enough　for　his

purpose；　and