industrial biography-第87章

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contrived　and　made　for　a　pork…butcher　for　33l。　　It　was　the　first　order

he　had　ever　had　on　his　own　account；　and；　as　the　machine　when　made　did

its　work　admirably；　he　was　naturally　very　proud　of　it。　　The　machine

was　provided　with　a　fly…wheel　and　double　crank；　with　connecting　rods

which　worked　a　cross　head。　　It　contained　a　dozen　knives　crossing　each

other　at　right　angles　in　such　a　way　as　to　enable　them　to　mince　or

divide　the　meat　on　a　revolving　block。　　Another　part　of　the　apparatus

accomplished　the　filling　of　the　sausages　in　a　very　expert　manner；　to

the　entire　satisfaction　of　the　pork…butcher。



As　work　was　scarce　in　London　at　the　time；　and　our　engineer　was　bent

on　gathering　further　experience　in　his　trade；　he　determined　to　make　a

tour　in　the　South　of　England　and　South　Wales；　and　set　out　from　London

in　April　1813　with　7l。　　in　his　pocket。　　After　visiting　Bath　and　Frome；

he　settled　to　work　for　six　weeks　at　Bathgate；　after　which　he

travelled　by　Bradford　and　Trowbridge　…　　always　on　footto　Bristol。

From　thence　he　travelled　through　South　Wales；　spending　a　few　days

each　at　Newport；　Llandaff；　and　Cardiff；　where　he　took　ship　for

Dublin。　　By　the　time　he　reached　Ireland　his　means　were　all　but

exhausted；　only　three…halfpence　remaining　in　his　pocket；　but；　being

young；　hopeful；　skilful；　and　industrious；　he　was　light　of　heart；　and

looked　cheerfully　forward。　　The　next　day　he　succeeded　in　finding

employment　at　Mr。　Robinson's；　of　the　Phoenix　Foundry；　where　he　was

put　to　work　at　once　upon　a　set　of　patterns　for　some　nail…machinery。

Mr。　Robinson　was　a　man　of　spirit　and　enterprise；　and；　seeing　the

quantities　of　English　machine…made　nails　imported　into　Ireland；　he

was　desirous　of　giving　Irish　industry　the　benefit　of　the　manufacture。

The　construction　of　the　nail…making　machinery　occupied　Mr。　Fairbairn

the　entire　summer；　and　on　its　completion　he　set　sail　in　the　month　of

October　for　Liverpool。　　It　may　be　added；　that；　notwithstanding　the

expense　incurred　by　Mr。　Robinson　in　setting　up　the　new

nail…machinery；　his　workmen　threatened　him　with　a　strike　if　he

ventured　to　use　it。　　As　he　could　not　brave　the　opposition　of　the

Unionists；　then　all…powerful　in　Dublin；　the　machinery　was　never　set

to　work；　the　nail…making　trade　left　Ireland；　never　to　return；　and　the

Irish　market　was　thenceforward　supplied　entirely　with　English…made

nails。　　The　Dublin　iron…manufacture　was　ruined　in　the　same　way；　not

through　any　local　disadvantages；　but　solely　by　the　prohibitory

regulations　enforced　by　the　workmen　of　the　Trades　Unions。



Arrived　at　Liverpool；　after　a　voyage　of　two　dayswhich　was　then

considered　a　fair　passageour　engineer　proceeded　to　Manchester；

which　had　already　become　the　principal　centre　of　manufacturing

operations　in　the　North　of　England。　　As　we　have　already　seen　in　the

memoirs　of　Nasmyth；　Roberts；　and　Whitworth；　Manchester　offered　great

attractions　for　highly…skilled　mechanics；　and　it　was　as　fortunate　for

Manchester　as　for　William　Fairbairn　himself　that　he　settled　down

there　as　a　working　millwright　in　the　year　1814；　bringing　with　him　no

capital；　but　an　abundance　of　energy；　skill；　and　practical　experience

in　his　trade。　　Afterwards　describing　the　characteristics　of　the

millwright　of　that　time；　Mr；　Fairbairn　said〃In　those　days　a　good

millwright　was　a　man　of　large　resources；　he　was　generally　well

educated；　and　could　draw　out　his　own　designs　and　work　at　the　lathe；

he　had　a　knowledge　of　mill　machinery；　pumps；　and　cranes；　and　could

turn　his　hand　to　the　bench　or　the　forge　with　equal　adroitness　and

facility。　　If　hard　pressed；　as　was　frequently　the　case　in　country

places　far　from　towns；　he　could　devise　for　himself　expedients　which

enabled　him　to　meet　special　requirements；　and　to　complete　his　work

without　assistance。　　This　was　the　class　of　men　with　whom　I　associated

in　early　lifeproud　of　their　calling；　fertile　in　resources；　and

aware　of　their　value　in　a　country　where　the　industrial　arts　were

rapidly　developing。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

Lecture　at　DerbyUseful　Information　for　Engineers；　2nd　series；　p。

212。

　。。。＇



When　William　Fairbairn　entered　Manchester　he　was　twenty…four　years　of

age；　and　his　hat　still　〃covered　his　family。〃　　But；　being　now　pretty

well　satiated　with　his　〃wandetschaft；〃as　German　tradesmen　term

their　stage　of　travelling　in　search　of　trade　experience；he　desired

to　settle；　and；　if　fortune　favoured　him；　to　marry　the　object　of　his

affections；　to　whom　his　heart　still　faithfully　turned　during　all　his

wanderings。　　He　succeeded　in　finding　employment　with　Mr。　Adam

Parkinson；　remaining　with　him　for　two　years；　working　as　a　millwright；

at　good　wages。　　Out　of　his　earnings　he　saved　sufficient　to　furnish　a

two…roomed　cottage　comfortably；　and　there　we　find　him　fairly

installed　with　his　wife　by　the　end　of　1816。　　As　in　the　case　of　most

men　of　a　thoughtful　turn；　marriage　served　not　only　to　settle　our

engineer；　but　to　stimulate　him　to　more　energetic　action。　　He　now　began

to　aim　at　taking　a　higher　position；　and　entertained　the　ambition　of

beginning　business　on　his　own　account。　　One　of　his　first　efforts　in

this　direction　was　the　preparation　of　the　design　of　a　cast…iron

bridge　over　the　Irwell；　at　Blackfriars；　for　which　a　prize　was

offered。　　The　attempt　was　unsuccessful；　and　a　stone　bridge　was

eventually　decided　on；　but　the　effort　made　was　creditable；　and　proved

the　beginning　of　many　designs。　　The　first　job　he　executed　on　his　own

account　was　the　erection　of　an　iron　conservatory　and　hothouse　for　Mr。

J。　Hulme；　of　Clayton；　near　Manchester；　and　he　induced　one　of　his

shopmates；　James　Lillie；　to　join　him　in　the　undertaking。　　This　proved

the　beginning　of　a　business　connection　which　lasted　for　a　period　of

fifteen　years；　and　laid　the　foundation　of　a　partnership；　the

reputation　of　which；　in　connection　with　mill…work　and　the

construction　of　iron　machinery　generally；　eventually　became　known　all

over　the　civilized　world。



Although　the　patterns　for　the　conservatory　were　all　made；　and　the

castings　were　begun；　the　work　was　not　proceeded　with；　in　consequence

of　the　notice　given　by　a　Birmingham　firm　that　the　plan　after　which　it

was　proposed　to　construct　it　was　an　infringement　of　their　patent。　　The

young　firm　were　consequently　under　the　necessity　of　looking　about

them　for　other　employment。　　And　to　be　prepared　for　executing　orders；

they　proceeded　in　the　year　1817　to　hire　a　small　shed　at　a　rent　of

l2s。　a　week；　in　which　they　set　up　a　lathe　of　their　own　making；

capable　of　turning　shafts　of　from　3　to　6　inches　diameter；　and　they

hired　a　strong　Irishman　to　drive　the　wheel　and　assist　at　the　heavy

work。　　Their　first　job　was　the　erection　of　a　cullender；　and　their　next

a　calico…polishing　machine；　but　orders　came　in　slowly；　and　James

Lillie　began　to　despair　of　success。　　His　more　hopeful　partner

strenuously　urged　him　to　perseverance；　and　so　buoyed　him　up　with

hopes　of　orders；　that　he　determined　to　go　on　a　little　longer。　　They

then　issued　cards　among　the　manufacturers；　and　made　a　tour　of　the

principal　firms；　offering　their　services　and　soliciting　work。



Amongst　others；　Mr。　Fairbairn　called　upon　the　Messrs。　Adam　and　George

Murray；　the　large　cotton…spinners；　taking　with　him　the　designs　of　his

iron　bridge。　　Mr。　Adam　Murray　received　him　kindly；　heard　his

explanations；　and　invited　him　to　call　on　the　following　day　with　his

partner。　　The　manufacturer　must　have　been　favourably　impressed　by　this

interview；　for　next　day；　when　Fairbairn　and　Lillie　called；　he　took

them　over　his　mill；　and　asked　whether　they　felt　themselves　competent

to　renew　with　horizontal　cross…shafts　the　whole　of　the　work　by　which

the　mule…spinning　machinery　was　turned。　　This　was　a　formidable

enterprise　for　a　young　firm　without　capital　and　almost　without　plant

to　undertake；　but　they　had　confidence　in　themselves；　and　boldly

replied　that　they　were　willing　and　able　to　execute　the　work。　　On　this；

Mr。　Murray　said　he　would　call　and　see　them　at　their　own　workshop；　to

satisfy　himself　that　they　possessed　the　means　of