reduce　the　cost　of　production；　to　improve　immensely　the　quality　of
  the　manufacture；　and　to　establish　the　British　linen　trade　on　a　solid
  foundation。　　The　production　of　flax…machinery　became　an　important
  branch　of　manufacture　at　Leeds；　large　quantities　being　made　for　use
  at　home　as　well　as　for　exportation；　giving　employment　to　an
  increasing　number　of　highly　skilled　mechanics。*
  ＇footnote。。。
  Among　more　recent　improvers　of　flax…machinery；　the　late　Sir　Peter
  Fairbairn　is　entitled　to　high　merit：　　the　work　turned　out　by　him　being
  of　first…rate　excellence；　embodying　numerous　inventions　and
  improvements　of　great　value　and　importance。
  。。。＇
  Mr。　Murray's　faculty　for　organising　work；　perfected　by　experience；
  enabled　him　also　to　introduce　many　valuable　improvements　in　the
  mechanics　of　manufacturing。　　His　pre…eminent　skill　in　mill…gearing
  became　generally　acknowledged；　and　the　effects　of　his　labours　are
  felt　to　this　day　in　the　extensive　and　still　thriving　branches　of
  industry　which　his　ingenuity　and　ability　mainly　contributed　to
  establish。　　All　the　machine　tools　used　in　his　establishment　were
  designed　by　himself；　and　he　was　most　careful　in　the　personal
  superintendence　of　all　the　details　of　their　construction。　　Mr。　Murray
  died　at　Leeds　in　1826；　in　his　sixty…third　year。
  We　have　not　yet　exhausted　the　list　of　claimants　to　the　invention　of
  the　Planing　Machine；　for　we　find　still　another　in　the　person　of
  Richard　Roberts　of　Manchester；　one　of　the　most　prolific　of　modem
  inventors。　　Mr。　Roberts　has　indeed　achieved　so　many　undisputed
  inventions；　that　he　can　readily　afford　to　divide　the　honour　in　this
  case　with　others。　　He　has　contrived　things　so　various　as　the
  self…acting　mule　and　the　best　electro…magnet；　wet　gas…meters　and　dry
  planing　machines；　iron　billard…tables　and　turret…clocks；　the
  centrifugal　railway　and　the　drill　slotting…machine；　an　apparatus　for
  making　cigars　and　machinery　for　the　propulsion　and　equipment　of
  steamships；　so　that　he　may　almost　be　regarded　as　the　Admirable
  Crichton　of　modem　mechanics。
  Richard　Roberts　was　born　in　1789；　at　Carreghova　in　the　parish　of
  Llanymynech。　　His　father　was　by　trade　a　shoemaker；　to　which　he
  occasionally　added　the　occupation　of　toll…keeper。　　The　house　in　which
  Richard　was　born　stood　upon　the　border　line　which　then　divided　the
  counties　of　Salop　and　Montgomery；　the　front　door　opening　in　the　one
  county；　and　the　back　door　in　the　other。　　Richard；　when　a　boy；　received
  next　to　no　education；　and　as　soon　as　he　was　of　fitting　age　was　put　to
  common　labouring　work。　　For　some　time　he　worked　in　a　quarry　near　his
  father's　dwelling；　but　being　of　an　ingenious　turn；　he　occupied　his
  leisure　in　making　various　articles　of　mechanism；　partly　for　amusement
  and　partly　for　profit。　　One　of　his　first　achievements；　while　working
  as　a　quarryman；　was　a　spinning…wheel；　of　which　he　was　very　proud；　for
  it　was　considered　〃a　good　job。〃　　Thus　he　gradually　acquired　dexterity
  in　handling　tools；　and　he　shortly　came　to　entertain　the　ambition　of
  becoming　a　mechanic。
  There　were　several　ironworks　in　the　neighbour　hood；　and　thither　he
  went　in　search　of　employment。　　He　succeeded　in　finding　work　as　a
  pattern…maker　at　Bradley；　near　Bilston；　under　John　Wilkinson；　the
  famous　ironmastera　man　of　great　enterprise　as　well　as　mechanical
  skill；　for　he　was　the　first　man；　as　already　stated；　that　Watt　could
  find　capable　of　boring　a　cylinder　with　any　approach　to　truth；　for　the
  purposes　of　his　steam…engines。　　After　acquiring　some　practical
  knowledge　of　the　art　of　working　in　wood　as　well　as　iron；　Roberts
  proceeded　to　Birmingham；　where　he　passed　through　different　shops；
  gaining　further　experience　in　mechanical　practice。　　He　tried　his　hand
  at　many　kinds　of　work；　and　acquired　considerable　dexterity　in　each。
  He　was　regarded　as　a　sort　of　jack…of…all…trades；　for　he　was　a　good
  turner；　a　tolerable　wheel…wright；　and　could　repair　mill…work　at　a
  pinch。
  He　next　moved　northward　to　the　Horsley　ironworks；　Tipton；　where　he
  was　working　as　a　pattern…maker　when　he　had　the　misfortune　to　be　drawn
  in　his　own　county　for　the　militia。　　He　immediately　left　his　work　and
  made　his　way　homeward　to　Llanymynech；　determined　not　to　be　a　soldier
  or　even　a　militiaman。　　But　home　was　not　the　place　for　him　to　rest　in；
  and　after　bidding　a　hasty　adieu　to　his　father；　he　crossed　the　country
  northward　on　foot　and　reached　Liverpool；　in　the　hope　of　finding　work
  there。　　Failing　in　that；　he　set　out　for　Manchester　and　reached　it　at
  dusk；　very　weary　and　very　miry　in　consequence　of　the　road　being　in
  such　a　wretched　state　of　mud　and　ruts。　　He　relates　that；　not　knowing　a
  person　in　the　town；　he　went　up　to　an　apple…stall　ostensibly　to　buy　a
  pennyworth　of　apples；　but　really　to　ask　the　stall…keeper　if　he　knew
  of　any　person　in　want　of　a　hand。　　Was　there　any　turner　in　the
  neighbourhood？　Yes；　round　the　corner。　　Thither　he　went　at　once；　found
  the　wood…turner　in；　and　was　promised　a　job　on　the　following　morning。
  He　remained　with　the　turner　for　only　a　short　time；　after　which　he
  found　a　job　in　Salford　at　lathe　and　tool…making。　　But　hearing　that　the
  militia　warrant…officers　were　still　searching　for　him；　he　became
  uneasy　and　determined　to　take　refuge　in　London。
  He　trudged　all　the　way　on　foot　to　that　great　hiding…place；　and　first
  tried　Holtzapffel's；　the　famous　tool…maker's；　but　failing　in　his
  application　he　next　went　to　Maudslay's　and　succeeded　in　getting
  employment。　　He　worked　there　for　some　time；　acquiring　much　valuable
  practical　knowledge　in　the　use　of　tools；　cultivating　his　skill　by
  contact　with　first…class　workmen；　and　benefiting　by　the　spirit　of
  active　contrivance　which　pervaded　the　Maudslay　shops。　　His　manual
  dexterity　greatly　increased；　and　his　inventive　ingenuity　fully
  stimulated；　he　determined　on　making　his　way　back　to　Manchester；
  which；　even　more　than　London　itself；　at　that　time　presented　abundant
  openings　for　men　of　mechanical　skill。　　Hence　we　find　so　many　of　the
  best　mechanics　trained　at　Maudslay's　and　Clement'sNasmyth；　Lewis；
  Muir；　Roberts；　Whitworth；　and　othersshortly　rising　into　distinction
  there　as　leading　mechanicians　and　tool…makers。
  The　mere　enumeration　of　the　various　results　of　Mr。　Roberts's
  inventive　skill　during　the　period　of　his　settlement　at　Manchester　as
  a　mechanical　engineer；　would　occupy　more　space　than　we　can　well
  spare。　　But　we　may　briefly　mention　a　few　of　the　more　important。　　In
  1816；　while　carrying　on　business　on　his　own　account　in　Deansgate；　he
  invented　his　improved　sector　for　correctly　sizing　wheels　in　blank
  previously　to　their　being　cut；　which　is　still　extensively　used。　　In
  the　same　year　he　invented　his　improved　screw…lathe；　and　in　the
  following　year；　at　the　request　of　the　boroughreeve　and　constables　of
  Manchester；　he　contrived　an　oscillating　and　rotating　wet　gas　meter　of
  a　new　kind；　which　enabled　them　to　sell　gas　by　measure。　　This　was　the
  first　meter　in　which　a　water　lute　was　applied　to　prevent　the　escape
  of　gas　by　the　index　shaft；　the　want　of　which；　as　well　as　its　great
  complexity；　had　prevented　the　only　other　gas　meter　then　in　existence
  from　working　satisfactorily。　　The　water　lute　was　immediately　adopted
  by　the　patentee　of　that　meter。　　The　planing　machine；　though　claimed；
  as　we　have　seen；　by　many　inventors；　was　constructed　by　Mr。　Roberts
  after　an　original　plan　of　his　own　in　1817；　and　became　the　tool　most
  generally　employed　in　mechanical　workshopsacting　by　means　of　a
  chain　and　rackthough　it　has　since　been　superseded　to　some　extent　by
  the　planing　machine　of　Whitworth；　which　works　both　ways　upon　an
  endless　screw。　　Improvements　followed　in　the　slide…lathe　（giving　a
  large　range　of　speed　with　increased　diameters　for　the　same　size　of
  headstocks；　&c。）；　in　the　wheel…cutting　engine；　in　the　scale…beam　（by
  which；　with　a　load　of　2　oz。　　on　each　end；　the　fifteen…hundredth　part
  of　a　grain　could　be　indicated）；　in　the　broaching…machine；　the
  slotting…machine；　and　other　engines。
  But　the　inventions　by　which　his　fame　became　most　extensively　known
  arose　out　of　circumstances　connected　with　the　cotton　manufactures　of
  Manchester　and　the　neighbourhood。　　The　great　improvements　which　he
  introduced　in　the　machine　for　making　weavers'　reeds；　led　to　the
  formation　of　the　firm　of　Sharp；　Roberts；　and　Co。；　of　which　Mr。
  Roberts　was　the　acting　mechanical　partner　for　many　years。　　Not　less
  important　were　his　improvements　in　power…looms　for　weaving　fustians；
  which　were　extensively　adopted。　　But　by　far　the　most　famous　of　his
  inventions　was　unquestionably　his　Self…acting　Mule；　one　of　the　most
  elaborate　and　beautiful　pieces　of　machinery　ever　contrived。　　Before
  its　invention；　the　working　of　the　entire　machinery　of　the
  cotton…mill；　as　well　as　the　employment　of　the　piecers；　cleaners；　and
  other　classes　of　operatives；　depended　upon　the　spinners；　who；　though
  receiving　the　highest　rates　of　pay；　were　by　much　the　most　given　to
  strikes；　and　they　were　frequently　accustomed　to　turn　out　in　times
  when　trade　was　brisk；　thereby　bringi