men of invention and industry-第78章

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I　was　　afterwards　enabled；　through　the　kind　assistance　of　his

widow；　Mrs。　Cooke；　whom　I　saw　at　Saltburn；　in　Yorkshire；　to　add　a

few　particulars　to　his　biography。



〃My　husband；〃　she　said；　〃was　the　son　of　a　working　shoemaker　at

Pocklington；　in　the　East　Riding。　　He　was　born　in　1807。　　His

father's　circumstances　were　so　straitened　that　he　was　not　able　to

do　much　for　him；　but　he　sent　him　to　the　National　school；　where　he

received　some　education。　　He　remained　there　for　about　two　years；

and　then　he　was　put　to　his　father's　trade。　　But　he　greatly

disliked　shoemaking；　and　longed　to　get　away　from　it。　　He　liked

the　sun；　the　sky；　and　the　open　air。　　He　was　eager　to　be　a　sailor；

and；　having　heard　of　the　voyages　of　Captain　Cook；　he　wished　to　go

to　sea。　　He　spent　his　spare　hours　in　learning　navigation；　that　he

might　be　a　good　seaman。　　But　when　he　was　ready　to　set　out　for

Hull；　the　entreaties　and　tears　of　his　mother　prevailed　on　him　to

give　up　the　project；　and　then　he　had　to　consider　what　he　should

do　to　maintain　himself　at　home。



〃He　proceeded　with　his　self…education；　and　with　such　small　aids

as　he　could　procure；　he　gathered　together　a　good　deal　of

knowledge。　　He　thought　that　he　might　be　able　to　teach　others。　

Everybody　liked　him；　for　his　diligence；　his　application；　and　his

good　sense。　　At　the　age　of　seventeen　he　was　employed　to　teach　the

sons　of　the　neighbouring　farmers。　　He　succeeded　so　well　that　in

the　following　year　he　opened　a　village　school　at　Beilby。　　He　went

on　educating　himself；　and　learnt　a　little　of　everything。　　He　next

removed　his　school　to　Kirpenbeck；　near　Stamford　Bridge；　and　it

was　there；〃　proceeded　Mrs。　Cooke；　〃that　I　got　to　know　him；　for　I

was　one　of　his　pupils。〃



〃He　first　learned　mathematics　by　buying　an　old　volume　at　a

bookstall；　with　a　spare　shilling。　　That　was　before　he　began　to

teach。　　He　also　got　odd　sheets；　and　read　other　books　about

geometry　and　mathematics；　before　he　could　buy　them；　for　he　had

very　little　to　spare。　　He　studied　and　learnt　as　much　as　he　could。



He　was　very　anxious　to　get　an　insight　into　knowledge。　　He　studied

optics　before　he　had　any　teaching。　　Then　he　tried　to　turn　his

knowledge　to　account。　　While　at　Kirpenbeck　he　made　his　first

object…glass　out　of　a　thick　tumbler　bottom。　　He　ground　the　glass

cleverly　by　hand；　then　he　got　a　piece　of　tin　and　soldered　it

together；　and　mounted　the　object…glass　in　it　so　as　to　form　a

telescope。



〃He　next　got　a　situation　at　the　Rev。　Mr。　Shapkley's　school　in

Micklegate；　York；　where　he　taught　mathematics。　　He　also　taught　in

ladies'　schools　in　the　city；　and　did　what　he　could　to　make　a

little　income。　　Our　intimacy　had　increased；　and　we　had　arranged

to　get　married。　　He　was　twenty…four；　and　I　was　nineteen；　when　we

were　happily　united。　　I　was　then　his　pupil　for　life。



〃Professor　Phillips　saw　his　first　telescope；　with　the

object…glass　made　out　of　the　thick　tumbler　bottom；　and　he　was　so

much　pleased　with　it　that　my　husband　made　it　over　to　him。　　But　he

also　got　an　order　for　another；　from　Mr。　Gray；　solicitor；　more　by

way　of　encouragement　than　because　Mr。　Gray　wanted　it；　for　he　was

a　most　kind　man。　　The　object…glass　was　of　four…inch　aperture；　and

when　mounted　the　defining　power　was　found　excellent。　　My　husband

was　so　successful　with　his　telescopes　that　he　went　on　from

smaller　to　greater；　and　at　length　he　began　to　think　of　devoting

himself　to　optics　altogether。　　His　knowledge　of　mathematics　had

led　him　on；　and　friends　were　always　ready　to　encourage　him　in　his

pursuits。



〃During　this　time　he　had　continued　his　teaching　at　the　school　in

the　day…time；　and　he　also　taught　on　his　own　account　the　sons　of

gentlemen　in　the　evening：　amongst　others　the　sons　of　Dr。　Wake　and

Dr。　Belcomb；　both　medical　men。　　He　was　only　making　about　100L。　a

year；　and　his　family　was　increasing。　　It　was　necessary　to　be　very

economical；　and　I　was　careful　of　everything。　　At　length　my　uncle

Milner　agreed　to　advance　about　100L。　as　a　loan。　　A　shop　was　taken

in　Stonegate　in　1836；　and　provided　with　optical　instruments。　　I

attended　to　the　shop；　while　my　husband　worked　in　the　back

premises。　　To　bring　in　a　little　ready　money；　I　also　took　in

lodgers。



〃My　husband　now　devoted　himself　entirely　to　telescope　making　and

optics。　　But　he　took　in　other　work。　　His　pumps　were　considered

excellent；　and　he　furnished　all　those　used　at　the　pump…room；

Harrogate。　　His　clocks；　telescope…driving＇6＇　and　others；　were　of

the　best。　　He　commenced　turret…clock　making　in　1852；　and　made

many　improvements　in　them。　　We　had　by　that　time　removed　to　Coney

Street；　and　in　1855　the　Buckingham　Works　were　established；　where

a　large　number　of　first…rate　workmen　were　employed。　　A　place　was

also　taken　in　Southampton　Street；　London；　in　1868；　for　the　sale

of　the　instruments　manufactured　at　York。〃



Thus　far　Mrs。　Cooke。　　It　may　be　added　that　Thomas　Cooke　revived

the　art　of　making　refracting　telescopes　in　England。　　Since　the

discovery　by　Dollond；　in　1758；　of　the　relation　between　the

refractive　and　dispersive　powers　of　different　kinds　of　glass；　and

the　invention　by　that　distinguished　optician　of　the　achromatic

telescope；　the　manufacture　of　that　instrument　had　been　confined

to　England；　where　the　best　flint　glass　was　made。　　But　through　the

short…sighted　policy　of　the　Government；　an　exorbitant　duty　was

placed　upon　the　manufacture　of　flint　glass；　and　the　English　trade

was　almost　entirely　stamped　out。　　We　had　accordingly　to　look　to

foreign　countries　for　the　further　improvement　of　the　achromatic

telescope；　which　Dollond　had　so　much　advanced。



A　humble　mechanic　of　Brenetz；　in　the　Canton　of　Neufchatel；

Switzerland；　named　Guinaud；　having　directed　his　attention　to　the

manufacture　of　flint　glass　towards　the　close　of　last　century；　at

length　succeeded；　after　persevering　efforts；　in　producing　masses

of　that　substance　perfectly　free　from　stain；　and　therefore

adapted　for　the　construction　of　the　object…glasses　of　telescopes。



Frauenhofer；　the　Bavarian　optician；　having　just　begun　business；

heard　of　the　wonderful　success　of　Guinaud；　and　induced　the　Swiss

mechanic　to　leave　Brenetz　and　enter　into　partnership　with　him　at

Munich　in　1805。



The　result　was　perfectly　successful；　and　the　new　firm　turned　out

some　of　the　largest　object…glasses　which　had　until　then　been

made。　　With　one　of　these　instruments；　having　an　aperture　of　9。9

inches；　Struve；　the　Russian　astronomer；　made　some　of　his　greatest

discoveries。　　Frauenhofer　was　succeeded　by　Merz　and　Mahler；　who

carried　out　his　views；　and　turned　out　the　famous　refractors　of

Pulkowa　Observatory　in　Russia；　and　of　Harvard　University　in　the

United　States。　　These　last　two　telescopes　contained

object…glasses　of　fifteen　inches　aperture。



The　pernicious　impost　upon　flint　glass　having　at　length　been

removed　by　the　English　Government；　an　opportunity　was　afforded　to

our　native　opticians　to　recover　the　supremacy　which　they　had　so

long　lost。　　It　is　to　Thomas　Cooke；　more　than　to　any　other　person；

that　we　owe　the　recovery　of　this　manufacture。　　Mr。　Lockyer；

writing　in　1878；　says：　〃The　two　largest　and　most　perfectly

mounted　refractors　on　the　German　form　at　present　in　existence　are

those　at　Gateshead　and　Washington；　U。S。　　The　former　belongs　to

Mr。　Newall；　a　gentleman　who；　connected　with　those　who　were　among

the　first　to　recognise　the　genius　of　our　great　English　optician；

Cooke；　did　not　hesitate　to　risk　thousands　of　pounds　in　one　great

experiment；　the　success　of　which　will　have　a　most　important

bearing　upon　the　astronomy　of　the　future。〃＇7＇



The　progress　which　Mr。　Cooke　made　in　his　enterprise　was　slow　but

steady。　　Shortly　after　he　began　business　as　an　optician；　he

became　dissatisfied　with　the　method　of　hand…polishing；　and　made

arrangements　to　polish　the　object…glasses　by　machinery　worked　by

steam　power。　　By　this　means　he　secured　perfect　accuracy　of

figure。　　He　was　also　able　to　turn　out　a　large　quantity　of

glasses；　so　as　to　furnish　astronomers　in　all　parts　of　the　wo