disastrously　ended；　the　two　youths　determined　to　try　their　fortune　in
  the　country；　and　with　aching　hearts　they　started　next　morning　before
  daylight。　　Their　hopes　had　been　suddenly　crushed；　their　slender　funds
  were　nearly　exhausted；　and　they　scarce　knew　where　to　turn。　　But　they
  set　their　faces　bravely　northward；　and　pushed　along　the　high　road；
  through　slush　and　snow；　as　far　as　Hertford；　which　they　reached　after
  nearly　eight　hours'　walking；　on　the　moderate　fare　during　their
  journey　of　a　penny　roll　and　a　pint　of　ale　each。　　Though　wet　to　the
  skin；　they　immediately　sought　out　a　master　millwright；　and　applied
  for　work。　　He　said　he　had　no　job　vacant　at　present；　but；　seeing　their
  sorry　plight；　he　had　compassion　upon　them；　and　said；　〃Though　I　cannot
  give　you　employment；　you　seem　to　be　two　nice　lads；〃　and　he　concluded
  by　offering　Fairbairn　a　half…crown。　　But　his　proud　spirit　revolted　at
  taking　money　which　he　had　not　earned；　and　he　declined　the　proffered
  gift　with　thanks；　saying　he　was　sorry　they　could　not　have　work。　　He
  then　turned　away　from　the　door；　on　which　his　companion；　mortified　by
  his　refusal　to　accept　the　half…crown　at　a　time　when　they　were　reduced
  almost　to　their　last　penny；　broke　out　in　bitter　remonstrances　and
  regrets。　　Weary；　wet；　and　disheartened；　the　two　turned　into　Hertford
  churchyard；　and　rested　for　a　while　upon　a　tombstone；　Fairbairn's
  companion　relieving　himself　by　a　good　cry；　and　occasional　angry
  outbursts　of　〃Why　didn't　you　take　the　half…crown？〃　　〃Come；　come；　man！〃
  said　Fairbairn；　〃it's　of　no　use　crying；　cheer　up；　let's　try　another
  road；　something　must　soon　cast　up。〃　　They　rose；　and　set　out　again；　but
  when　they　reached　the　bridge；　the　dispirited　youth　again　broke　down；
  and；　leaning　his　back　against　the　parapet；　said；　〃I　winna　gang　a　bit
  further；　let's　get　back　to　London。〃　　Against　this　Fairbairn
  remonstrated；　saying　〃It's　of　no　use　lamenting；　we　must　try　what　we
  can　do　here；　if　the　worst　comes　to　the　worst；　we　can　'list；　you　are　a
  strong　chapthey'll　soon　take　you；　and　as　for　me；　I'll　join　too；　I
  think　I　could　fight　a　bit。〃　　After　this　council　of　war；　the　pair
  determined　to　find　lodgings　in　the　town　for　the　night；　and　begin
  their　search　for　work　anew　on　the　morrow。
  Next　day；　when　passing　along　one　of　the　back　streets　of　Hertford；
  they　came　to　a　wheelwright's　shop；　where　they　made　the　usual
  enquiries。　　The　wheelwright；　said　that　he　did　not　think　there　was　any
  job　to　be　had　in　the　town；　but　if　the　two　young　men　pushed　on　to
  Cheshunt；　he　thought　they　might　find　work　at　a　windmill　which　was
  under　contract　to　be　finished　in　three　weeks；　and　where　the
  millwright　wanted　hands。　　Here　was　a　glimpse　of　hope　at　last；　and　the
  strength　and　spirits　of　both　revived　in　an　instant。　　They　set　out
  immediately；　walked　the　seven　miles　to　Cheshunt；　succeeded　in
  obtaining　the　expected　employment；　worked　at　the　job　a　fortnight；　and
  entered　London　again　with　nearly　three　pounds　in　their　pockets。
  Our　young　millwright　at　length　succeeded　in　obtaining　regular
  employment　in　the　metropolis　at　good　wages。　　He　worked　first　at
  Grundy's　Patent　Ropery　at　Shadwell；　and　afterwards　at　Mr。　Penn's　of
  Greenwich；　gaining　much　valuable　insight；　and　sedulously　improving
  his　mind　by　study　in　his　leisure　hours。　　Among　the　acquaintances　he
  then　made　was　an　enthusiastic　projector　of　the　name　of　Hall；　who　had
  taken　out　one　patent　for　making　hemp　from　bean…stalks；　and
  contemplated　taking　out　another　for　effecting　spade　tillage　by　steam。
  The　young　engineer　was　invited　to　make　the　requisite　model；　which　he
  did；　and　it　cost　him　both　time　and　money；　which　the　out…at…elbows
  projector　was　unable　to　repay；　and　all　that　came　of　the　project　was
  the　exhibition　of　the　model　at　the　Society　of　Arts　and　before　the
  Board　of　Agriculture；　in　whose　collection　it　is　probably　still　to　be
  found。　　Another　more　successful　machine　constructed　By　Mr。　Fairbairn
  about　the　same　time　was　a　sausage…chopping　machine；　which　he
  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