industrial biography-第82章

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〃But　he　is　a　first…rate　workman；〃　replied　the　employers；　〃and　we

think　it　right　to　advance　a　man　according　to　his　conduct　and　his

merits。〃　　〃No　matter；〃　said　the　workmen；　〃it　is　against　the　rules；　and

if　you　do　not　take　the　man　from　the　lathe；　we　must　turn　out。〃　　〃Very

well；　we　hold　to　our　right　of　selecting　the　best　men　for　the　best

places；　and　we　will　not　take　the　man　from　the　lathe。〃　　The　consequence

was　a　general　turn　out。　　Pickets　were　set　about　the　works；　and　any

stray　men　who　went　thither　to　seek　employment　were　waylaid；　and　if

not　induced　to　turn　back；　were　maltreated　or　annoyed　until　they　were

glad　to　leave。　　The　works　were　almost　at　a　standstill。　　This　state　of

things　could　not　be　allowed　to　go　on；　and　the　head　of　the　firm

bestirred　himself　accordingly　with　his　usual　energy。　　He　went　down　to

Scotland；　searched　all　the　best　mechanical　workshops　there；　and　after

a　time　succeeded　in　engaging　sixty…four　good　hands。　　He　forbade　them

coming　by　driblets；　but　held　them　together　until　there　was　a　full

freight；　and　then　they　came；　with　their　wives；　families；　chests　of

drawers；　and　eight…day　clocks；　in　a　steamboat　specially　hired　for

their　transport　from　Greenock　to　Liverpool。　　From　thence　they　came　by

special　train　to　Patricroft；　where　houses　were　in　readiness　for　their

reception。　　The　arrival　of　so　numerous；　well…dressed；　and　respectable

a　corps　of　workmen　and　their　families　was　an　event　in　the

neighbourhood；　and　could　not　fail　to　strike　the　〃pickets〃　with

surprise。　　Next　morning　the　sixty…four　Scotchmen　assembled　in　the　yard

at　Patricroft；　and　after　giving　〃three　cheers；〃　went　quietly　to　their

work。　　The　〃picketing〃　went　on　for　a　little　while　longer；　but　it　was

of　no　use　against　a　body　of　strong　men　who　stood　〃shouther　to

shouther；〃　as　the　new　hands　did。　　It　was　even　bruited　about　that　there

were　more　trains　to　follow！〃　　It　very　soon　became　clear　that　the　back

of　the　strike　was　broken。　　The　men　returned　to　their　work；　and　the

clever　brass　founder　continued　at　his　turning…lathe；　from　which　he

speedily　rose　to　still　higher　employment。



Notwithstanding　the　losses　and　suffering　occasioned　by　strikes；　Mr。

Nasmyth　holds　the　opinion　that　they　have　on　the　whole　produced　much

more　good　than　evil。　　They　have　served　to　stimulate　invention　in　an

extraordinary　degree。　　Some　of　the　most　important　labour…saving

processes　now　in　common　use　are　directly　traceable　to　them。　　In　the

case　of　many　of　our　most　potent　self…acting　tools　and　machines；

manufacturers　could　not　be　induced　to　adopt　them　until　compelled　to

do　so　by　strikes。　　This　was　the　ease　with　the　self…acting　mule；　the

wool…combing　machine；　the　planing　machine；　the　slotting　machine；

Nasmyth's　steam　arm；　and　many　others。　　Thus；　even　in　the　mechanical

world；　there　may　be　〃a　soul　of　goodness　in　things　evil。〃



Mr。　Nasmyth　retired　from　business　in　December；　1856。　　He　had　the　moral

courage　to　come　out　of　the　groove　which　he　had　so　laboriously　made

for　himself；　and　to　leave　a　large　and　prosperous　business；　saying；　〃I

have　now　enough　of　this　world's　goods；　let　younger　men　have　their

chance。〃　　He　settled　down　at　his　rural　retreat　in　Kent；　but　not　to

lead　a　life　of　idle　ease。　　Industry　had　become　his　habit；　and　active

occupation　was　necessary　to　his　happiness。　　He　fell　back　upon　the

cultivation　of　those　artistic　tastes　which　are　the　heritage　of　his

family。　　When　a　boy　at　the　High　School　of　Edinburgh；　he　was　so　skilful

in　making　pen　and　ink　illustrations　on　the　margins　of　the　classics；

that　he　thus　often　purchased　from　his　monitors　exemption　from　the

lessons　of　the　day。　　Nor　had　he　ceased　to　cultivate　the　art　during　his

residence　at　Patricroft；　but　was　accustomed　to　fall　back　upon　it　for

relaxation　and　enjoyment　amid　the　pursuits　of　trade。　　That　he

possesses　remarkable　fertility　of　imagination；　and　great　skill　in

architectural　and　landscape　drawing；　as　well　as　in　the　much　more

difficult　art　of　delineating　the　human　figure；　will　be　obvious　to　any

one　who　has　seen　his　works；more　particularly　his　〃City　of　St。

Ann's；〃　〃The　Fairies；〃　and　〃Everybody　for　ever！〃　　which　last　was

exhibited　in　Pall　Mail；　among　the　recent　collection　of　works　of　Art

by　amateurs　and　others；　for　relief　of　the　Lancashire　distress。　　He　has

also　brought　his　common　sense　to　bear　on　such　unlikely　subject's　as

the　origin　of　the　cuneiform　character。　　The　possession　of　a　brick　from

Babylon　set　him　a　thinking。　　How　had　it　been　manufactured？　Its　under

side　was　clearly　marked　by　the　sedges　of　the　Euphrates　upon　which　it

had　been　laid　to　dry　and　bake　in　the　sun。　　But　how　about　those　curious

cuneiform　characters？　How　had　writing　assumed　so　remarkable　a　form？

His　surmise　was　this：　　that　the　brickmakers；　in　telling　their　tale　of

bricks；　used　the　triangular　corner　of　another　brick；　and　by　pressing

it　down　upon　the　soft　clay；　left　behind　it　the　triangular　mark　which

the　cuneiform　character　exhibits。　　Such　marks　repeated；　and　placed　in

different　relations　to　each　other；　would　readily　represent　any

number。　　From　the　use　of　the　corner　of　a　brick　in　writing；　the

transition　was　easy　to　a　pointed　stick　with　a　triangular　end；　by　the

use　of　which　all　the　cuneiform　characters　can　readily　be　produced

upon　the　soft　clay。　　This　curious　question　formed　the　subject　of　an

interesting　paper　read　by　Mr。　Nasmyth　before　the　British　Association

at　Cheltenham。



But　the　most　engrossing　of　Mr。　Nasmyth's　later　pursuits　has　been　the

science　of　astronomy；　in　which；　by　bringing　a　fresh；　original　mind　to

the　observation　of　celestial　phenomena；　he　has　succeeded　in　making

some　of　the　most　remarkable　discoveries　of　our　time。　　Astronomy　was

one　of　his　favourite　pursuits　at　Patricroft；　and　on　his　retirement

became　his　serious　study。　　By　repeated　observations　with　a　powerful

reflecting　telescope　of　his　own　construction；　he　succeeded　in　making

a　very　careful　and　minute　painting　of　the　craters；　cracks；　mountains；

and　valleys　in　the　moon's　surface；　for　which　a　Council　Medal　was

awarded　him　at　the　Great　Exhibition　of　1851。　　But　the　most　striking

discovery　which　he　has　made　by　means　of　big　telescopethe　result

of　patient；　continuous；　and　energetic　observationhas　been　that　of

the　nature　of　the　sun's　surface；　and　the　character　of　the

extraordinary　light…giving　bodies；　apparently　possessed　of　voluntary

motion；　moving　across　it；　sometimes　forming　spots　or　hollows　of　more

than　a　hundred　thousand　miles　in　diameter。



The　results　of　these　observations　were　of　so　novel　a　character　that

astronomers　for　some　time　hesitated　to　receive　them　as　facts。*

　＇footnote。。。

See　Memoirs　of　the　Literary　and　Philosophical　Society　of　Manchester；

3rd　series；　vol。1。　　407。

　。。。＇

Yet　so　eminent　an　astronomer　as　Sir　John　Herschel　does　not　hesitate

now　to　describe　them　as　〃a　most　wonderful　discovery。〃　　〃According　to

Mr。　Nasmyth's　observations；〃　says　he；　〃made　with　a　very　fine

telescope　of　his　own　making；　the　bright　surface　of　the　sun　consists

of　separate；　insulated；　individual　objects　or　things；　all　nearly　or

exactly　of　one　certain　definite　size　and　shape；　which　is　more　like

that　of　a　willow　leaf；　as　he　describes　them；　than　anything　else。

These　leaves　or　scales　are　not　arranged　in　any　order　（as　those　on　a

butterfly's　wing　are）；　but　lie　crossing　one　another　in　all

directions；　like　what　are　called　spills　in　the　game　of　spillikins；

except　at　the　borders　of　a　spot；　where　they　point　for　the　most　part

inwards　towards　the　middle　of　the　spot；*

　＇footnote。。。

Sir　John　Herschel　adds；　〃Spots　of　not　very　irregular；　and　what　may　be

called　compact　form；　covering　an　area　of　between　seven　and　eight

hundred　millions　of　square　miles；　are　by　no　means　uncommon。　　One　spot

which　I　measured　in　the　year　1837　occupied　no　less　than　three

thousand　seven　hundred　and　eighty　millions；　taking　in　all　the

irregularities　of　its　form；　and　the　black　space　or　nucleus　in　the

middle　of　one　very　nearly　round　one　would　have　allowed　the　earth　to

drop　through　it；　leaving　a　thousand　clear　mile