at　Soho；　apparently　taken　by　some　such　process。*
  ＇footnote。。。
  The　plate　is　now　to　be　seen　at　the　Museum　of　Patents　at　South
  Kensington。　　In　the　account　which　has　been　published　of　the　above
  discovery　it　is　stated　that　〃an　old　man　of　ninety　（recently　dead　or
  still　alive）　recollected；　or　recollects；　that　Watt　and　others　used　to
  take　portraits　of　people　in　a　dark　（？）　room；　and　there　is　a　letter
  extant　of　Sir　William　Beechey；　begging　the　Lunar　Society　to　desist
  from　these　experiments；　as；　were　the　process　to　succeed；　it　would
  ruin　portrait…painting。〃
  。。。＇
  In　like　manner　the　invention　of　the　electric　telegraph；　supposed　to
  be　exclusively　modern；　was　clearly　indicated　by　Schwenter　in　his
  Delasements　Physico…Mathematiques；　published　in　1636；　and　he　there
  pointed　out　how　two　individuals　could　communicate　with　each　other　by
  means　of　the　magnetic　needle。　　A　century　later；　in　1746；　Le　Monnier
  exhibited　a　series　of　experiments　in　the　Royal　Gardens　at　Paris；
  showing　how　electricity　could　be　transmitted　through　iron　wire　950
  fathoms　in　length；　and　in　1753　we　find　one　Charles　Marshall
  publishing　a　remarkable　description　of　the　electric　telegraph　in　the
  Scots　Magazine；　under　the　title　of　'An　expeditions　Method　of
  conveying　Intelligence。'　Again；　in　1760；　we　find　George　Louis　Lesage；
  professor　of　mathematics　at　Geneva；　promulgating　his　invention　of　an
  electric　telegraph；　which　he　eventually　completed　and　set　to　work　in
  1774。　　This　instrument　was　composed　of　twenty…four　metallic　wires；
  separate　from　each　other　and　enclosed　in　a　non…conducting　substance。
  Each　wire　ended　in　a　stalk　mounted　with　a　little　ball　of　elder…wood
  suspended　by　a　silk　thread。　　When　a　stream　of　electricity；　no　matter
  how　slight。；　was　sent　through　the　wire；　the　elder…ball　at　the
  opposite　end　was　repelled；　such　movement　designating　some　letter　of
  the　alphabet。　　A　few　years　later　we　find　Arthur　Young；　in　his　Travels
  in　France；　describing　a　similar　machine　invented　by　a　M。　Lomond　of
  Paris；　the　action　of　which　he　also　describes。*
  ＇footnote。。。
  〃l6th　Oct。l787。　　In　the　evening　to　M。　Lomond；　a　very　ingenious　and
  inventive　mechanic；　who　has　made　an　improvement　of　the　jenny　for
  spinning　cotton。　　Common　machines　are　said　to　make　too　hard　a　thread
  for　certain　fabrics；　but　this　forms　it　loose　and　spongy。　　In
  electricity　he　has　made　a　remarkable　discovery：　　you　write　two　or
  three　words　on　a　paper；　he　takes　it　with　him　into　a　room；　and　turns　a
  machine　inclosed　in　a　cylindrical　case；　at　the　top　of　which　is　an
  electrometer；　a　small　fine　pith　ball；　a　wire　connects　with　a　similar
  cylinder　and　electrometer　in　a　distant　apartment；　and　his　wife；　by
  remarking　the　corresponding　motions　of　the　ball；　writes　down　the
  words　they　indicate；　from　which　it　appears　that　he　has　formed　an
  alphabet　of　motions。　　As　the　length　of　the　wire　makes　no　difference　in
  the　effect；　a　correspondence　might　be　carried　on　at　any　distance：
  within　and　without　a　besieged　town；　for　instance；　or　for　a　purpose
  much　more　worthy；　and　a　thousand　times　more　harmless；　between　two
  lovers　prohibited　or　prevented　from　any　better　connexion。　　Whatever
  the　use　may　be；　the　invention　is　beautiful。〃Arthur　Young's　Travels
  in　France　in　1787…8…9。　　London；　1792；　4to。　ed。　p。　65。
  。。。＇
  In　these　and　similar　cases；　though　the　idea　was　born　and　the　model　of
  the　invention　was　actually　made；　it　still　waited　the　advent　of　the
  scientific　mechanical　inventor　who　should　bring　it　to　perfection；　and
  embody　it　in　a　practical　working　form。
  Some　of　the　most　valuable　inventions　have　descended　to　us　without　the
  names　of　their　authors　having　been　preserved。　　We　are　the　inheritors
  of　an　immense　legacy　of　the　results　of　labour　and　ingenuity；　but　we
  know　not　the　names　of　our　benefactors。　　Who　invented　the　watch　as　a
  measurer　of　time？　Who　invented　the　fast　and　loose　pulley？　Who
  invented　the　eccentric？　Who；　asks　a　mechanical　inquirer；*
  ＇footnote。。。
  Mechanic's　Magazine；　4th　Feb。　1859。
  。。。＇
  〃invented　the　method　of　cutting　screws　with　stocks　and　dies？　Whoever
  he　might　be；　he　was　certainly　a　great　benefactor　of　his　species。　　Yet
  （adds　the　writer）　his　name　is　not　known；　though　the　invention　has
  been　so　recent。〃　　This　is　not；　however；　the　case　with　most　modern
  inventions；　the　greater　number　of　which　are　more　or　less　disputed。
  Who　was　entitled　to　the　merit　of　inventing　printing　has　never　yet　been
  determined。　　Weber　and　Senefelder　both　laid　claim　to　the　invention　of
  lithography；　though　it　was　merely　an　old　German　art　revived。　　Even　the
  invention　of　the　penny…postage　system　by　Sir　Rowland　Hill　is
  disputed；　Dr。　Gray　of　the　British　Museum　claiming　to　be　its　inventor；
  and　a　French　writer　alleging　it　to　be　an　old　French　invention。*
  ＇footnote。。。
  A　writer　in　the　Monde　says：　　〃The　invention　of　postage…stamps。　　is　far
  from　being　so　modern　as　is　generally　supposed。　　A　postal　regulation　in
  France　of　the　year　1653；　which　has　recently　come　to　light；　gives
  notice　of　the　creation　of　pre…paid　tickets　to　be　used　for　Paris
  instead　of　money　payments。　　These　tickets　were　to　be　dated　and
  attached　to　the　letter　or　wrapped　round　it；　in　such　a　manner　that　the
  postman　could　remove　and　retain　them　on　delivering　the　missive。　　These
  franks　were　to　be　sold　by　the　porters　of　the　convents；　prisons；
  colleges；　and　other　public　institutions；　at　the　price　of　one　sou。〃
  。。。＇
  The　invention　of　the　steamboat　has　been　claimed　on　behalf　of　Blasco
  de　Garay；　a　Spaniard；　Papin；　a　Frenchman；　Jonathan　Hulls；　an
  Englishman；　and　Patrick　Miller　of　Dalswinton；　a　Scotchman。　　The
  invention　of　the　spinning　machine　has　been　variously　attributed　to
  Paul；　Wyatt；　Hargreaves；　Higley；　and　Arkwright。　　The　invention　of　the
  balance…spring　was　claimed　by　Huyghens；　a　Dutchman；　Hautefeuille；　a
  Frenchman；　and　Hooke；　an　Englishman。　　There　is　scarcely　a　point　of
  detail　in　the　locomotive　but　is　the　subject　of　dispute。　　Thus　the
  invention　of　the　blast…pipe　is　claimed　for　Trevithick；　George
  Stephenson；　Goldsworthy　Gurney；　and　Timothy　Hackworth；　that　of　the
  tubular　boiler　by　Seguin；　Stevens；　Booth；　and　W。　　H。　　James；　that　of
  the　link…motion　by　John　Gray；　Hugh　Williams；　and　Robert　Stephenson。
  Indeed　many　inventions　appear　to　be　coincident。　　A　number　of　minds　are
  working　at　the　same　time　in　the　same　track；　with　the　object　of
  supplying　some　want　generally　felt；　and；　guided　by　the　same
  experience；　they　not　unfrequently　arrive　at　like　results。　　It　has
  sometimes　happened　that　the　inventors　have　been　separated　by　great
  distances；　so　that　piracy　on　the　part　of　either　was　impossible。　　Thus
  Hadley　and　Godfrey　almost　simultaneously　invented　the　quadrant；　the
  one　in　London；　the　other　in　Philadelphia；　and　the　process　of
  electrotyping　was　invented　at　the　same　time　by　Mr。　Spencer；　a　working
  chemist　at　Liverpool；　and　by　Professor　Jacobi　at　St。　　Petersburg。　　The
  safety…lamp　was　a　coincident　invention；　made　about　the　same　time　by
  Sir　Humphry　Davy　and　George　Stephenson；　and　perhaps　a　still　more
  remarkable　instance　of　a　coincident　discovery　was　that　of　the　planet
  Neptune　by　Leverrier　at　Paris；　and　by　Adams　at　Cambridge。
  It　is　always　difficult　to　apportion　the　due　share　of　merit　which
  belongs　to　mechanical　inventors；　who　are　accustomed　to　work　upon　each
  other's　hints　and　suggestions；　as　well　as　by　their　own　experience。
  Some　idea　of　this　difficulty　may　be　formed　from　the　fact　that；　in　the
  course　of　our　investigations　as　to　the　origin　of　the　planing
  machineone　of　the　most　useful　of　modern　toolswe　have　found　that
  it　has　been　claimed　on　behalf　of　six　inventorsFox　of　Derby；　Roberts
  of　Manchester；　Matthew　Murray　of　Leeds；　Spring　of　Aberdeen；　Clement
  and　George　Rennie　of　London；　and　there　may　be　other　claimants　of　whom
  we　have　not　yet　heard。　　But　most　mechanical　inventions　are　of　a　very
  composite　character；　and　are　led　up　to　by　the　labour　and　the　study　of
  a　long　succession　of　workers。　　Thus　Savary　and　Newcomen　led　up　to
  Watt；　Cugnot；　Murdock；　and　Trevithick　to　the　Stephensons；　and
  Maudslay　to　Clement；　Roberts；　Nasmyth；　Whitworth；　and　many　more
  mechanical　inventors。　　There　is　scarcely　a　process　in　the　arts　but　has
  in　like　manner　engaged　mind　after　mind　in　bringing　it　to　perfection。
  〃There　is　nothing；〃　says　Mr。　Hawkshaw；　〃really　worth　having　that　man
  has　obtained；　that　has　not　been　the　result　of　a　combined　and　gradual
  process　of　investigation。　　A　gifted　individual　comes　across　some　old
  footmark；　stumbles　on　a　chain　of　previous　research　and　inquiry。　　He
  meets；　for　instance；　with　a　machine；　the　result　of　much　previous
  labour；　he　modifies　it；　pulls　it　to　pieces；　constructs　and
  reconstructs　it；　and　by　further　trial　and　experiment　he　arrives　at
  the　long　sought…for　result。〃*
  ＇footnote。。。
  Inaugural　Address　delivered　before　the　Institution　of　Civil
  Engineers；　l4th　Jan。　1862。
  。。。＇
  But　the　making　of　the　invention　is　not　the　sole　difficulty。　　It　is　one
  thing　to　invent；　said　Sir　Marc　Brunel；　and　another　thing　to　make　the
  invention　work。　　Thus　when