men of invention and industry-第58章

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to　enable　him　to　make　and　judge　a　telescope。　　He　spent　some　ten

years　in　grinding　lenses；　and　was　at　length　enabled　to　produce

objectives　equal　in　quality　to　any　ever　made。



In　1853；　the　Rev。　W。　E。　Dawesone　of　Mr。　Cooke's　customers　

purchased　an　object…glass　from　Mr。　Clark。　　It　was　so　satisfactory

that　he　ordered　several　others；　and　finally　an　entire　telescope。　

The　American　artist　then　began　to　be　appreciated　in　his　own

country。　　In　1860　he　received　an　order　for　a　refractor　of

eighteen　inches　aperture；　three　inches　greater　than　the　largest

which　had　up　to　that　time　been　made。　　This　telescope　was　intended

for　the　Observatory　of　Mississippi；　but　the　Civil　War　prevented

its　being　removed　to　the　South；　and　the　telescope　was　sold　to　the

Astronomical　Society　of　Chicago　and　mounted　in　the　Observatory　of

that　city。



And　now　comes　in　the　rivalry　of　Mr。　Cooke　of　York；　or　rather　of

his　patron；　Mr。　Newall　of　Gateshead。　　At　the　Great　Exhibition　of

London；　in　1862；　two　large　circular　blocks　of　glass；　about　two

inches　thick　and　twenty…six　inches　in　diameter；　were　shown　by　the

manufacturers；　Messrs。　Chance　of　Birmingham。　　These　discs　were

found　to　be　of　perfect　quality；　and　suitable　for　object…glasses

of　the　best　kind。　　At　the　close　of　the　Exhibition；　they　were

purchased　by　Mr。　Newall；　and　transferred　to　the　workshops　of

Messrs。　Cooke　and　Sons　at　York。　　To　grind　and　polish　and　mount

these　discs　was　found　a　work　of　great　labour　and　difficulty。　　Mr。

Lockyer　says；　〃such　an　achievement　marks　an　epoch　in　telescopic

astronomy；　and　the　skill　of　Mr。　Cooke　and　the　munificence　of　Mr。

Newall　will　long　be　remembered。〃



When　finished；　the　object…glass　had　an　aperture　of　nearly

twenty…five　inches；　and　was　of　much　greater　power　than　the

eighteen…inch　Chicago　instrument。　　The　length　of　the　tube　was

about　thirty…two　feet。　　The　cast…iron　pillar　supporting　the　whole

was　nineteen　feet　in　height　from　the　ground；　and　the　weight　of

the　whole　instrument　was　about　six　tons。　　In　preparing　this

telescope；　nearly　everything；　from　its　extraordinary　size；　had　to

be　specially　arranged。＇10＇　　The　great　anxiety　involved　in　these

arrangements；　and　the　constant　study　and　application　told　heavily

upon　Mr。　Cooke；　and　though　the　instrument　wanted　only　a　few

touches　to　make　it　complete；　his　health　broke　down；　and　he　died

on　the　l9th　of　October；　1868；　at　the　comparatively　early　age　of

sixty…two。



Mr。　Cooke's　death　was　felt；　in　a　measure；　to　be　a　national　loss。　

His　science　and　skill　had　restored　to　England　the　prominent

position　she　had　held　in　the　time　of　Dollond；　and；　had　he　lived；

even　more　might　have　been　expected　from　him。　　We　believe　that　the

Gold　Medal　and　Fellowship　of　the　Royal　Society　were　waiting　for

him；　but；　as　one　of　his　friends　said　to　his　widow；　〃neither　worth

nor　talent　avails　when　the　great　ordeal　is　presented　to　us。〃　　In

a　letter　from　Professor　Pritchard；　he　said：　〃Your　husband　has

left　his　mark　upon　his　age。　　No　optician　of　modern　times　has

gained　a　higher　reputation；　and　I　for　one　do　not　hesitate　to　call

his　loss　national；　for　he　cannot　be　replaced　at　present　by　any

one　else　in　his　own　peculiar　line。　　I　shall　carry　the

recollection　of　the　affectionate　esteem　in　which　I　held　Thomas

Cooke　with　me　to　my　grave。　　Alas！　that　he　should　be　cut　off　just

at　the　moment　when　he　was　about　to　reap　the　rewards　due　to　his

unrivalled　excellence。　　I　have　said　that　F。R。S。　and　medals　were

to　be　his。　　But　he　is；　we　fondly　trust；　in　a　better　and　higher

state　than　that　of　earthly　distinction。　　Best　assured；　your

husband's　name　must　ever　be　associated　with　the　really　great　men

of　his　day。　　Those　who　knew　him　will　ever　cherish　his　memory。〃



Mr。　Cooke　left　behind　him　the　great　works　which　he　founded　in

Buckingham　Street；　York。　　They　still　give　employment　to　a　large

number　of　skilled　and　intelligent　artizans。　　There　I　found　many

important　works　in　progress；the　manufacture　of　theodolites；　of

prismatic　compasses　（for　surveying）；　of　Bolton's　range　finder；

and　of　telescopes　above　all。　　In　the　factory　yard　was　the

commencement　of　the　Observatory　for　Greenwich；　to　contain　the

late　Mr。　Lassell's　splendid　two　feet　Newtonian　reflecting

telescope；　which　has　been　presented　to　the　nation。　　Mr。　Cooke's

spirit　still　haunts　the　works；　which　are　carried　on　with　the

skill；　the　vigour；　and　the　perseverance；　transmitted　by　him　to

his　sons。



While　at　York；　I　was　informed　by　Mr。　Wigglesworth；　the　partner　of

Messrs。　Cooke；　of　an　energetic　young　astronomer　at　Bainbridge；　in

the　mountain…district　of　Yorkshire；　who　had　not　only　been　able　to

make　a　telescope　of　his　own；　but　was　an　excellent　photographer。　

He　was　not　yet　thirty　years　of　age；　but　had　encountered　and

conquered　many　difficulties。　　This　is　a　sort　of　character　which

is　more　often　to　be　met　with　in　remote　country　places　than　in

thickly…peopled　cities。　　In　the　country　a　man　is　more　of　an

individual；　in　a　city　he　is　only　one　of　a　multitude。　　The　country

boy　has　to　rely　upon　himself；　and　has　to　work　in　comparative

solitude；　while　the　city　boy　is　distracted　by　excitements。　　Life

in　the　country　is　full　of　practical　teachings；　whereas　life　in

the　city　may　be　degraded　by　frivolities　and　pleasures；　which　are

too　often　the　foes　of　work。　　Hence　we　have　usually　to　go　to

out…of…the…way　corners　of　the　country　for　our　hardest

brain…workers。　　Contact　with　the　earth　is　a　great　restorer　of

power；　and　it　is　to　the　country　folks　that　we　must　ever　look　for

the　recuperative　power　of　the　nation　as　regards　health；　vigour；

and　manliness。



Bainbridge　is　a　remote　country　village；　situated　among　the　high

lands　or　Fells　on　the　north…western　border　of　Yorkshire。　　The

mountains　there　send　out　great　projecting　buttresses　into　the

dales；　and　the　waters　rush　down　from　the　hills；　and　form

waterfalls　or　Forces；　which　Turner　has　done　so　much　to

illustrate。　　The　river　Bain　runs　into　the　Yore　at　Bainbridge；

which　is　supposed　to　be　the　site　of　an　old　Roman　station。　　Over

the　door　of　the　Grammar　School　is　a　mermaid；　said　to　have　been

found　in　a　camp　on　the　top　of　Addleborough；　a　remarkable

limestone　hill　which　rises　to　the　south…east　of　Bainbridge。　　It

is　in　this　grammar…school　that　we　find　the　subject　of　this　little

autobiography。　　He　must　be　allowed　to　tell　the　story　of　his

lifewhich　he　describes　as　'　Work：　Good；　Bad；　and　Indifferent'

in　his　own　words：



〃I　was　born　on　November　20th；　1853。　　In　my　childhood　I　suffered

from　ill…health。　　My　parents　let　me　play　about　in　the　open　air；

and　did　not　put　me　to　school　until　I　had　turned　my　sixth　year。　

One　day；　playing　in　the　shoemaker's　shop；　William　Farrel　asked　me

if　I　knew　my　letters。　　I　answered　'No。'　　He　then　took　down　a

primer　from　a　shelf；　and　began　to　teach　me　the　alphabet；　at　the

same　time　amusing　me　by　likening　the　letters　to　familiar　objects

in　his　shop。　　I　soon　learned　to　read；　and　in　about　six　weeks　I

surprised　my　father　by　reading　from　an　easy　book　which　the

shoemaker　had　given　me。



〃My　father　then　took　me　into　the　school；　of　which　he　was　master；

and　my　education　may　be　said　fairly　to　have　begun。　　My　progress；

however；　was　very　slow　partly　owing　to　ill…health；　but　more；　I

must　acknowledge；　to　carelessness　and　inattention。　　In　fact；

during　the　first　four　years　I　was　at　school；　I　learnt　very　little

of　anything；　with　the　exception　of　reciting　verses；　which　I

seemed　to　learn　without　any　mental　effort。　　My　memory　became　very

retentive。　　I　found　that　by　attentively　reading　half　a　page　of

print；　or　more；　from　any　of　the　school…books；　I　could　repeat　the

whole　of　it　without　missing　a　word。　　I　can　scarcely　explain　how　I

did　it；　but　I　think　it　was　by　paying　strict　attention　to　the

words　as　words；　and　forming　a　mental　picture　of　the　paragraphs　as

they　were　grouped　in　the　book。　　Certain；　I　am；　that　their　sense

never　made　much　impression　on　me；　for；　when　questioned　by　the

teacher；　I　was　always　sent　to　the　bottom　of　the　class；　though

apparently　I　had　learned　my　exercise　to　perfection。



〃When　I　was　twelve　years　old；　I　made　the　acquaintance　of　a　very

ingenious　boy；　who　came　to　our　school。　　Samuel　Bridge　was　a　born

mechanic。　　Though　only　a　year　older　than　myself；　such　was　his

ability　in　the　use　of　tools；　that　he　could　construct　a　model　of

any　machine　that　he　saw。　　He　awakened　in　me　a　love　of　mechanical

construction；　and　together　we　made　models　of　colliery

winding…frames；　iron…rolling　mills；　trip…hammers；　and

water…wheels。　　Some　of　them　were　not　mere　toys；　but　constructed

to　scale；　and　were　really　good　working　models。　　This　love　of

mechanical　construction　has　never　left　me；　and　I　shall　always

remember　with　affection　Samuel　Bridge；　who　first　taught　me　to　use

the　hammer　and　file。　　The　last　I　heard　of　him　was　in　1875；　when

he　passed　his　examination　as　a　schoolmaster；　in　honours；　and　was

at　the　head　of　his　list。



〃During　the　next　two　years；　when　between　twelve　and　fourteen；　I

made　comparatively　slow　progress　at　school。　　I　remember　having　to

write　out　the　fourth　commandment　from　memory。　　The　teacher

counted　twenty…three　mistakes　in　ten　lines　of　my　writing。　　It

will　be　seen　from　this；　that；　as　regards　learning；　I　continued

heedless　and　backward。　　About　this　time；　my　father；　who　was　a

good　violinist；　took　me　under　his　tuition。　　He　made　me　practice

on　the　violin　about　an　hour　and　a　half　a　day。　　I　continued　this

for　a　long　time。　　But　the　result　was　failure。　　I　hated　the

violin；　and　would　never　play　unless　compelled　to　do　so。　　I

suppose　the　secret　was　that　I　had　no　'ear。'



〃It　was　different　with　subjects　more　to　my　mind。　　Looking　over　my

father's　books　one　day；　I　came　upon　Gregory's　'Handbook　of

Inorganic　Chemistry；'　and　began　reading　it。　　I　was　fascinated

with　the　book；　and　studied　it　morning；　noon；　and　nightin　fact；

every　time　when　I　could　snatch　a　few　minutes。　　I　really　believe

that　at　one　time　I　could　have　repeated　the　whole　of　the　book　from

memory。　　Now　I　found　the　value　of　arithmetic；　and　set　to　work　in

earnest　on　proportion；　vulgar　and　decimal　fractions；　and；　in

fact；　everything　in　school　work　that　I　could　turn　to　account　in

the　science　of　chemistry。　　The　result　of　this　sudden　application

was　that　I　was　seized　with　an　illness。　　For　some　months　I　had

incessant　headache；　my　hair　became　dried　up；　then　turned　grey；

and　finally　came　off。　　Weighing　myself　shortly　after　my　recovery；

at　the　age　of　fifteen；　I　found　that　I　just　balanced　fifty…six

pounds。　　I　took　up　mensuration；　then　astronomy；　working　at　them

slowly；　but　giving　the　bulk　of　my　spare　time　to　chemistry。



〃In　the　year　1869；　when　I　was　sixteen　years　old；　I　came　across

Cuthbert　Bede's　book；　entitled　'Photographic　Pleasures。'　It　is　an

amusing　book；　giving　an　account　of　the　rise　and　progress　of

photography；　and　at　the　same　time　having　a　good…natured　laugh　at

it。　　I　read　the　book　carefully；　and　took　up　photography　as　an

amusement；　using　some　apparatus　which　belonged　to