men of invention and industry-第29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！



wreck　of　the　Darien　expedition；　there　seemed　to　be　neither　skill；

enterprise；　nor　money　left　in　the　country。　　What　resources　it

contained　were　altogether　undeveloped。　　There　was　little

communication　between　one　place　and　another；　and　such　roads　as

existed　were　for　the　greater　part　of　the　year　simply　impassable。



There　were　various　opinions　as　to　the　causes　of　this　frightful

state　of　things。　　Some　thought　it　was　the　Union　between　England

and　Scotland；　and　Andrew　Fletcher　of　Saltoun；　〃The　Patriot；〃　as

he　was　called；　urged　its　Repeal。　　In　one　of　his　publications；　he

endeavoured　to　show　that　about　one…sixth　of　the　population　of

Scotland　was　in　a　state　of　beggary　two　hundred　thousand

vagabonds　begging　from　door　to　door；　or　robbing　and　plundering

people　as　poor　as　themselves。＇1＇　Fletcher　was　accordingly　as

great　a　repealer　as　Daniel　O'Connell　in　after　times。　　But　he

could　not　get　the　people　to　combine。　　There　were　others　who　held

a　different　opinion。　　They　thought　that　something　might　be　done

by　the　people　themselves　to　extricate　the　country　from　its

miserable　condition。



It　still　possessed　some　important　elements　of　prosperity。　　The

inhabitants　of　Scotland；　though　poor；　were　strong　and　able　to

work。　　The　land；　though　cold　and　sterile；　was　capable　of

cultivation。



Accordingly；　about　the　middle　of　last　century；　some　important

steps　were　taken　to　improve　the　general　condition　of　things。　　A

few　public…spirited　landowners　led　the　way；　and　formed　themselves

into　a　society　for　carrying　out　improvements　in　agriculture。　

They　granted　long　leases　of　farms　as　a　stimulus　to　the　most

skilled　and　industrious；　and　found　it　to　their　interest　to　give

the　farmer　a　more　permanent　interest　in　his　improvements　than　he

had　before　enjoyed。　　Thus　stimulated　and　encouraged；　farming　made

rapid　progress；　especially　in　the　Lothians；　and　the　example

spread　into　other　districts。　　Banks　were　established　for　the

storage　of　capital。　　Roads　were　improved；　and　communications

increased　between　one　part　of　the　country　and　another。　　Hence

trade　and　commerce　arose；　by　reason　of　the　facilities　afforded

for　the　interchange　of　traffic。　　The　people；　being　fairly

educated　by　the　parish　schools；　were　able　to　take　advantage　of

these　improvements。　　Sloth　and　idleness　gradually　disappeared；

before　the　energy；　activity；　and　industry　which　were　called　into

life　by　the　improved　communications。



At　the　same　time；　active　and　powerful　minds　were　occupied　in

extending　the　domain　of　knowledge。　　Black　and　Robison；　of

Glasgow；　were　the　precursors　of　James　Watt；　whose　invention　of

the　condensing　steam…engine　was　yet　to　produce　a　revolution　in

industrial　operations；　the　like　of　which　had　never　before　been

known。　　Watt　had　hit　upon　his　great　idea　while　experimenting　with

an　old　Newcomen　model　which　belonged　to　the　University　of

Glasgow。　　He　was　invited　by　Mr。　Roebuck　of　Kinneil　to　make　a

working　steam…engine　for　the　purpose　of　pumping　water　from　the

coal…pits　at　Boroughstoness；　but　his　progress　was　stopped　by　want

of　capital；　as　well　as　by　want　of　experience。　　It　was　not　until

the　brave　and　generous　Matthew　Boulton　of　Birmingham　took　up　the

machine；　and　backed　Watt　with　his　capital　and　his　spirit；　that

Watt's　enterprise　had　the　remotest　chance　of　success。　　Even　after

about　twelve　years'　effort；　the　condensing　steam…engine　was　only

beginning；　though　half…heartedly；　to　be　taken　up　and　employed　by

colliery　proprietors　and　cotton　manufacturers。　　In　developing　its

powers；　and　extending　its　uses；　the　great　merits　of　William

Murdock　can　never　be　forgotten。　　Watt　stands　first　in　its

history；　as　the　inventor；　Boulton　second；　as　its　promoter　and

supporter；　and　Murdock　third；　as　its　developer　and　improver。



William　Murdock　was　born　on　the　21st　of　August；　1754；　at　Bellow

Mill；　in　the　parish　of　Auchinleck；　Ayrshire。　　His　father；　John；

was　a　miller　and　millwright；　as　well　as　a　farmer。　　His　mother's

maiden　name　was　Bruce；　and　she　used　to　boast　of　being　descended

from　Robert　Bruce；　the　deliverer　of　Scotland。　　The　Murdocks；　or

Murdochsfor　the　name　was　spelt　in　either　waywere　numerous　in

the　neighbourhood；　and　they　were　nearly　all　related　to　each

other。　　They　are　supposed　to　have　originally　come　into　the

district　from　Flanders；　between　which　country　and　Scotland　a

considerable　intercourse　existed　in　the　middle　ages。　　Some　of　the

Murdocks　took　a　leading　part　in　the　construction　of　the　abbeys

and　cathedrals　of　the　North；＇2＇　others　were　known　as　mechanics；

but　the　greater　number　were　farmers。



One　of　the　best　known　members　of　the　family　was　John　Murdock；　the

poet　Burns'　first　teacher。　　Burns　went　to　his　school　at　Alloway

Mill；　when　he　was　six　years　old。　　There　he　learnt　to　read　and

write。　　When　Murdock　afterwards　set　up　a　school　at　Ayr；　Burns；

who　was　then　fifteen；　went　to　board　with　him。　　In　a　letter　to　a

correspondent；　Murdock　said：　　〃In　1773；　Robert　Burns　came　to

board　and　lodge　with　me；　for　the　purpose　of　revising　his　English

grammar；　that　he　might　be　better　qualified　to　instruct　his

brothers　and　sisters　at　home。　　He　was　now　with　me　day　and　night；

in　school；　at　all　meals；　and　in　all　my　walks。〃　　The　pupil　even

shared　the　teacher's　bed　at　night。　　Murdock　lent　the　boy　books；

and　helped　the　cultivation　of　his　mind　in　many　ways。　　Burns　soon

revised　his　English　grammar；　and　learnt　French；　as　well　as　a

little　Latin。　　Some　time　after；　Murdock　removed　to　London；　and

had　the　honour　of　teaching　Talleyrand　English　during　his

residence　as　an　emigrant　in　this　country。　　He　continued　to　have

the　greatest　respect　for　his　former　pupil；　whose　poetry

commemorated　the　beauties　of　his　native　district。



It　may　be　mentioned　that　Bellow　Mill　is　situated　on　the　Bellow

Water；　near　where　it　joins　the　river　Lugar。　　One　of　Burns'　finest

songs　begins：



　　　〃Behind　yon　hills　where　Lugar　flows。〃



That　was　the　scene　of　William　Murdock's　boyhood。　　When　a　boy；　he

herded　his　father's　cows　along　the　banks　of　the　Bellow；　and　as

there　were　then　no　hedges；　it　was　necessary　to　have　some　one　to

watch　the　cattle　while　grazing。　　The　spot　　is　still　pointed　out

where　the　boy；　in　the　intervals　of　his　herding；　hewed　a　square

compartment　out　of　the　rock　by　the　water　side；　and　there　burnt

the　splint　coal　found　on　the　top　of　the　Black　Band　ironstone。　

That　was　one　of　the　undeveloped　industries　of　Scotland；　for　the

Scotch　iron　trade　did　not　arrive　at　any　considerable　importance

until　about　a　century　later。＇3＇　　The　little　cavern　in　which

Murdock　burnt　the　splint　coal　was　provided　with　a　fireplace　and

vent；　all　complete。　　It　is　possible　that　he　may　have　there

derived；　from　his　experiments；　the　first　idea　of　Gas　as　an

illuminant。



Murdock　is　also　said　to　have　made　a　wooden　horse；　worked　by

mechanical　power；　which　was　the　wonder　of　the　district。　　On　this

mechanical　horse　he　rode　to　the　village　of　Cumnock；　about　two

miles　distant。　　His　father's　name　is；　however；　associated　with

his　own　in　the　production　of　this　machine。　　Old　John　Murdock　had

a　reputation　for　intelligence　and　skill　of　no　ordinary　kind。　

When　at　Carron　ironworks；　in　1760；　he　had　a　pinton　cast　after　a

pattern　which　he　had　prepared。　　This　is　said　to　have　been　the

first　piece　of　iron…toothed　gearing　ever　used　in　mill　work。　　When

I　last　saw　it；　the　pinton　was　placed　on　the　lawn　in　front　of

William　Murdock's　villa　at　Handsworth。



The　young　man　helped　his　father　in　many　ways。　　He　worked　in　the

mill；　worked　on　the　farm；　and　assisted　in　the　preparation　of　mill

machinery。　　In　this　way　he　obtained　a　considerable　amount　of

general　technical　knowledge。　　He　even　designed　and　constructed

bridges。　　He　was　employed　to　build　a　bridge　over　the　river　Nith；

near　Dumfries；　and　it　stands　there　to　this　day；　a　solid　and

handsome　structure。　　But　he　had　an　ambition　to　be　something　more

than　a　country　mason。　　He　had　heard　a　great　deal　about　the

inventions　of　James　Watt；　and　he　determined　to　try　whether　he

could　not　get