&ERKILBY LIBRARY UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA SIDNEY GILCHEIST THOMAS PRINTED BY SPOTTISWOODE AND CO., NEW-STREET SQUARE LONDON MEMOIE AND LETTERS OF SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS INVENTOR EDITED BY K. W. BUENIE OF THE MIDDLE TEMPLE, BARRIStB ll-AT-LAW 1 Life 's more than breath, or the quick round of blood ; "Tis a great spirit and a fiery heart. We live in deeds, not years ; in thoughts, not breaths ; In feelings, not in figures on a dial, We should count time by heart throbs ; He most lives who thinks most, feels the noblest, Acts the best ' FESTUS WITH POETEAITS LONDON JOHN MUEEAY, ALBEMAELE STEEET 1891 T4-AZ EDITOE'S PEEFACE IN the following pages I have sought, with what success I know not, to construct out of material sufficiently abundant, a brief history of a very striking and individual character, and of a life cut short prematurely enough, yet possessed in its own way of a singular completeness. It is hoped that no one who may read this little book will so misapprehend its intention as to look upon it as a glorification of personal success or money-getting achieve- ment, after the fashion possibly of some biographies of inventors, biographies haply more grateful to the last generation than to us who stand (as it seems to some) on the threshold of a New Age. No one would more have recoiled from being ranked among the devotees of Ruskin's ' Goddess of Getting on ' than the subject of this Memoir. Sidney Gilchrist Thomas (although placed among conditions by no means favourable for such purposes, and with working hours occupied by distasteful and monotonous business) solved a great scientific problem the dephos- phorisation of pig iron in the Bessemer and Siemens- Martin processes and for such solution was fortunate (perhaps we should rather say foreseeing) enough to gather 296 [6] EDITOR'S PREFACE a pecuniary reward which, rightly or wrongly, he never regarded as his own, but rather, according to his lights, as trust-money for toilers and labourers. Not on this account, however, is his story told here, but because it has seemed well to those who knew him, that some record should be kept of a remarkable and interesting personality, typical indeed in some ways of the very best side of our ' industrial > century, yet touched with a human sympathy which we may hope will be more general in the future than it has been in the past. It may be observed that an endeavour has been made simply to paint a portrait, without allowing the tempera- ment or opinions of the present writer or of anyone else to affect the rigid accuracy of the presentment. R. W. BURNIE. CONTENTS CHAPTER I EARLY DAYS PAGE Parentage Birth Education Precocity Kadicalism Father's death Classical mastership Thames Police Court ... 1 CHAPTER II A SUMMER TOUR First visit to Continent Normandy Thomas's physical appearance Thomas's abstinence and over-work Paris Thrift Finan- cial genius Formula swallowing 16 CHAPTER III A ' DOUBLE LIFE ' Police Court labours Mr. Lushington on Thomas Chemical studies Letters to mother and sister 23 CHAPTER IV THE PROBLEM OF DEPHOSPHORISATION The Birkbeck Institution Mr. Chaloner Non-elimination of phos- phorus in Bessemer Converter Hindoo steel Cort Bessemer process described The Steel Age -Cleveland ironstone . . 30 [8] SIDNEY GILOHRIST THOMAS CHAPTER V YEAES OF EQUIPMENT Determination to solve dephosphorisation problem Mr. Vacher The Science and Art Department The School of Mines Summer holidays and work Anti-alcoholism Contributions to Iron Letter to Miss Burton ,36 CHAPTER VI THE PROBLEM THEORETICALLY SOLVED A GERMAN TOUR Acid lining of Bessemer Converter Basic lining Mr. Percy Gil- christ Experiments Wiesbaden Frankfort The Hartz . 56 CHAPTER VII ' TECHNICAL TRAVEL TALK ' Dresden Erzgebirge of Saxony Fair at Freiberg Saxon Mines Freiberg Academy Bohemia The Hartz Blankenberg . . 65 CHAPTER VIII EXPERIMENTS A DASH INTO SWITZERLAND Iron and Steel Institute Cwm Avon Blaenavon Thomas and Fellowship of Chemical Society Einking Literature A Brad- laugh meeting Lucerne Camping-out Gambling at Saxon Cow-Land 88 CHAPTER IX THE BASIC PROCESS PUBLICLY ANNOUNCED Police Court labours Middlesbrough Jennie Lee in Jo ' Blows at Blaenavon Life at high pressure A dangerous run A first dephosphorisation patent Financial difficulties Mr. Edward Martin A momentous announcement Music and literature . . . . . 102 CONTENTS [9] CHAPTER X THE BASIC PROCESS DESCRIBED PAGE Paper on ' Elimination of Phosphorus in Bessemer Converter ' Kationale of process Mr. Gilchrist Basic lining Basic addi- tionsBasic slag at early stage of blow The after-blow . . 117 CHAPTER XI TRIUMPH French conversation Paris in 1878 The paper not read Mr. Eichards A Creusot visit Commercial success Bush of con- tinental ironmasters The patent position The paper read Besignation at Thames Police Court Victory in Germany . . 123 CHAPTER XII DUSSELDORF A GATHERING CLOUD A narrowing span Journeyings of Thomas Stress and strain A Diisseldorf speech The Sistine Madonna Grave lung mis- chief Ventnor ' Small ailments ' 137 CHAPTER XIII A VISIT TO THE UNITED STATES A striking reception New York Clubs Plymouth Church Money worship Chicago Banquets to Thomas Hartford Capitol Architecture Some Southern cities Niagara A personal de- scription of Thomas 146 CHAPTER XIV HEALTH FAILS IN EARNEST ' Note on Current Dephosphorising Practice ' Basic steel More Journeyings A break-down Torquay The Society of Arts' Medal Thomas's plans and deeds for workers The Channel Islands Election to Council of Iron and Steel Institute , . 159 [10] SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CHAPTER XV SOUTH AFRICA PAGE Voyage to the Cape Port Elizabeth Grahamstown East London Kaffirs and Dutch Economic conditions Diamond fields . 174 CHAPTER XVI MAURITIUS AND INDIA More voyaging Port Louis Cureppe Coolies and Chinese ' Square thinking on religious questions ' Bombay Allahabad Benares Calcutta Barrakur Iron-making in India . . 205 CHAPTER XVII CEYLON, AND THE VOYAGE TO AUSTRALIA Chinese law and religion Climate of India Colombo Mount Lavinia Interview with Arabi An Argentine Steel in India Basic process 229 CHAPTER XVIII AUSTRALIA Adelaide' The Child ' Melbourne Sydney Democracy in the Colonies Australian Ministers Wangaratta A slag process wanted Lithgow Brisbane . . . . . . 240 CHAPTER XIX HOMEWARD BOUND Auckland and New Zealand Honolulu San Francisco Thomas in dangerous condition The States again ..... . . 270 CONTENTS [11] CHAPTEE XX A SAD HOME-COMING AND A FLIGHT SOUTH PAGE Worrying letters Uncheckable activity New plans and schemes The Slag Question Sevenoaks Common A change for the worse Farewell to England . 277 CHAPTEE XXI A WINTER IN ALGIERS Marseilles and mosquitoes Arab and Frenchman in Algiers- Bessemer Medal presented to Thomas Project for new type- writer Slag experiments at Bir-el-Droodj ' Steel a by-pro- duct and phosphorus a main-product ' Doctors despair A move north . . 282 CHAPTEE XXII THE LAST DAYS IN FARIS Limoges Some Southern French towns The Avenue Marceau Trial of a new cure Friends' last visits Plans for workers Death of brother Clouds close in A logical life Death of Thomas Disposal of money for toilers' benefit . . . 303 CONCLUSION . 313 ILLUSTBATIONS PORTRAIT AFTER HERKOMER Frontispiece PORTRAIT FROM A PHOTOGRAPH ..... To face page 1 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS MEMOIK AKD LETTEES OF SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CHAPTER I EARLY DAYS SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS was born on April 16, 1850, at Canonbury. His father was in the Civil Service, and a Welshman. His mother (nee Gilchrist) was the eldest daughter of the Rev. James Gilchrist, the author of a striking and individual litt'e "book, unknown to modern readers, the ' Intellectual Patrimony.' James Gilchrist was a Highlander, of keen literary tastes and eager after Truth as he saw it, who drifted from Presbyterianism into Unitarianism and thence reverted to orthodoxy, much to his worldly detriment. One of his sons was Alexander Gilchrist, the well-known and too early gone biographer of Etty and of Blake. The important matter for us to note is that Sidney Thomas was mainly of Celtic strain, and furnished yet another example of the often unrecog- nised addition of fame which that great race has brought to the ' English ' people. His childhood was passed on the banks of the New River when there was still something of a rural character B 2 SIDNEY GILCHKIST THOMAS CH. i about that artificial stream. The miles of houses which now stretch over the northern slopes of the great parish of Islington away to Highgate Hill and the very gates of the Alexandra Palace were, forty years ago, still for the most part in the future. For the first few years of Sidney's life,' says his mother, c he was a constant care ; his brain seemed too big for his .body. He learnt to read at a most unusually early age. When quite a little boy, six or seven years old, he already read much and earnestly. He would act out, in his small way, the characters of the heroes of his books now it might be Nelson, now King Arthur, or one of the Round Table Knights. I remember, when he was seven, making for him a suit of armour, as he firmly believed it to be- Clofched in it, he would solemnly "keep vigil," pacing up and down, his sword by his side, for hours together, before making his vows to an imaginary King. One of his favourite books was a little volume I gave him on his sixth birthday " Our Soldiers and Sailors " short sketches of eminent men in those lines. I can see now the earnest, large-eyed child, and his delight with his presents ; especially with his books. He was so rational and good a boy that his father and I thought he should by- and-bye be a clergyman. Very early in his boyhood, however, he told me with decision that that he should never be, " he was not good enough." " I will do something great, mamma, and you shall have a carriage to ride in " (I was not very strong just then), "and money to help people with." ' Sidney's mother taught both him and his elder brother (the late Dr. Llewellyn Thomas, of Weymouth Street) during their early years. When Sidney was eight he attended for a year, with Llewellyn, at the school kept in the neighbourhood by Mr. Darnell, of copybook fame. At the end of that year Mr. Thomas removed to Grove CH. i EARLY DAYS 8 Lane, Camberwell, near the brow of Champion Hill, mainly that he might gain for his boys the advantage of the education given by the newly reconstructed Dulwich College, then under Dr. Carver's head-mastership. There for the next seven years Sidney remained, gradually rising from form to form in the school till the proud eminence of the ' sixth ' was reached. Living at home, but attending daily at the College, the brothers enjoyed all the undoubted benefits of what is called ' home education,' together with whatever is really useful in 'public-school' life. The home in Grove Lane (well remembered by the present writer) was no ordinary educative influence. Sidney's father was no ordinary man. His talents were at once intellectual and practical, and his interest in his sons' development was ever present. Sidney was naturally precocious, and the keen hunger after knowledge (which was as much his characteristic at thirteen as afterwards at thirty) was encouraged and stimulated in every way. The boys were early admitted on equal terms to conversation both with their mother and with their father. Gossip was little favoured in the family circle. The discussion (for real discussion it would be) of literature and politics was pre- ferred to vain personal talk. Mr. Thomas himself was a Conservative in creed, his wife a Liberal by inheritance, but their sons were ever warned from accepting any opinion they had not tested for themselves, and the freest spirit of inquiry was not only welcomed but expected from them. It may truly be said that a thoroughly scientific mental attitude was thus, unconsciously to them- selves, induced in them. Omnivorous reading was the habit of the whole household. ' Sidney's mind,' says his mother, ' was stored with the kind of knowledge boys gain in a cultured home. His father habitually read aloud to the boys bits of Words - B 2 4 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CH. i worth, lives of great men, passages from Buffon's " Natural History." I well remember how Sidney's cheeks glowed at hearing read in this way the " Morte d' Arthur " of Tennyson. He and his brother had a healthy source of education in the visits they were accustomed to pay once or twice a year to the country. At Christmastide and in the early spring time, they would be received as indulged nephews by a kind, broad-minded, busy uncle into his Berkshire home. Here they would see the practical work- ing of many rural industries. 1 In the late summer or early autumn, they would visit one or other of two ideal vicarage-houses. One was Corwen, situate on the side of the lovely Berwyn Moun- tains, with the river Dee flowing silently and darkly on the other side of the Holyhead high road. Here reigned a grand old vicar, living a life of lettered dignity, and ruling his church, his house and the parish with perfectly absolute sway, yet with real sympathy and love. The other vicarage was that of Llandrillo in Rhus (near Colwyn), where the Rev. Thomas Hughes (a bachelor nephew of him of Corwen) was vicar. This was a home still more entirely Sidney's. From eleven to sixteen he was a regular autumnal visitor here, and a great favourite with the tall, hearty, breezy Mr. Hughes, the very sound of whose laugh did one good and inspired immediate con- fidence. At thirteen Sidney began helping the vicar during his visits by reading the lessons in church for him in the earlier days in English, afterwards, with some training, in Welsh. These holidays, after the close work of school, were a real blessing to him, and here he dreamed out many an ambition for the future. Noble scenery, the sea, books, the simple vicarage life all these things were a rare refreshment to the quiet, self-contained boy. I remember a characteristic story of him at this period. A e. i EAKLY DAYS 5 Dean (whose cathedral I forget) was lunching with the vicar. This dignitary put Sidney through an examination in Latin. The boy came so well out of the ordeal that the Dean " tipped " him three half-sovereigns and retained him as guide over the Great Orme's Head. A happy hour ensued; Sidney in the heat of some discussion flinging off his jacket and carrying it under his arm. The half- sovereigns had been put into the jacket pocket, and not unnaturally, upon return to the vicarage, they were gone. Not unnaturally either, the vicar was vexed ; but Sidney's only answer was : " Never mind, godfather, most likely someone has it who wants it more than I." " What can you do with such a boy ? " wrote the vicar to me. ' Never did he as a lad care for money in the way boys often do. Once, some money having been given him, he came to his father and offered him five shillings for a little worn- out American clock. His father told him the clock was not worth the money and that he might have it for nothing. Sidney, however, said that he wanted to take the clock to pieces, and must therefore pay for it. Take it to pieces he did, and, not being a watchmaker, was naturally unable to put it together again. He remained, nevertheless, perfectly content with his bargain.' Constant discussion of political questions, coupled with unceasing insistence by his elders that he should render a reason for the faith that was in him, made Sidney a militant Radical at an age when it may be supposed that most boys are chiefly interested in cricket stumps and footballs, not to say in tops and marbles. From the beginning he followed the course of the American Civil War with the eagerness and comprehen- sion of an intelligent man. Alone in the family circle he would do battle for the North, and upon fitting occasions (for he must not be supposed to have been in any sense 6 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CH. i that most dreadful of social plagues, an f infant pheno- menon ' ) would argue on State Rights and what not with a knowledge and an accuracy which would have done credit to a disputant thrice his years. The last sentence leads us specially to emphasise what is necessary to be remembered in connection with what has gone before, that amid all this precocity no element of priggism was allowed to intrude. The slightest flavour of this detestable spirit would have been instantly detected and unsparingly ridiculed. Sidney was before all things trained to be a boy while boyhood lasted. Nor was it desired to cultivate mental at the expense of physical faculties. Open-air pursuits and recreations were encou- raged in every way. Each Sunday afternoon Mr. Thomas would take his boys long country walks, by no means restricting himself to the high roads, but striking ' across country ' whenever opportunity offered. On these expe- ditions, and indeed whenever they found themselves in fields or roads, the lads were taught to use their eyes to good purpose. Natural history was a passion with Llewellyn Thomas, and Sidney also cultivated it in a minor degree. Thirty years ago Camberwell (or the up-lying portion of it at least) was still on the edge of the country, and abundant opportunity was to be found for entomological collecting even for birds'-nesting on a somewhat extensive scale, and with a more or less scien- tific object. A well-thumbed copy of a little book by Mr. Atkinson on ' British Birds' Eggs and Nests ' was a classic in the home. Llewellyn and Sidney were joint possessors of a regular aviary, with a constant population of some dozen birds of different species, an intense source of delight to both boys. For some time an effort was made to keep a kite in the garden ; but the bird developed such an CH. i EAELY DAYS 7 unpleasant habit of attacking innocent visitors, that ultimately it was deemed necessary by the domestic authorities to cause its presentation to the Zoological Gardens. These tastes were adopted by Sidney (so far as they were adopted at all) in emulation of his elder brother. From very early days his own individual predi- lections took a different direction. Mechanics and engin- eering had an irresistible fascination for him from the time when (tcrfifia ss asl as it seemed indeed) he became possessor of his first box of tools and fashioned his first toy ship. A little later, in 1862, during the formation by the then youthful Metropolitan Board of Works of the New Main Drainage System, he would stand for hours on a half-holiday entranced in contemplation of the building of the great sewers. He soon decided that his avocation in life was to be that of a mechanical engineer. A year or two afterwards the fairy 'and of chemistry opened before him, and he resolved upon becoming an analytical chemist. Little did any then foresee the devious paths by which he was to be led back to his first mistress, Science. Art, however, had also its influence on the boy. The Dulwich Gallery was a favourite resort during recreation hours at the neighbouring college. Every picture in the collection was known by heart, so to speak, to Sidney, and its history and every fact connected with it. Music, too (although in after life he always disclaimed special liking for modern developments on Wagnerian lines, or, indeed, any special taste for it), had always in truth a great attraction for Thomas. At fourteen the wonderful singing and playing of Miss Havergal (a lady whose religious verse made her quite famous at one time in certain circles) produced a strong impression on him, ' as well,' says his mother, c as the deep spiritual individuality of the sweet singer herself.' 8 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CH. i Amid all these influences and dreams, the steady, regular school work and life at Dulwich maintained an admirable balance of compensation. Sidney was boyish enough in all conscience when joining on a summer after- noon or evening in a hare and hounds paper chase round the borders of South London. Over the whole scheme of education presided a steady inculcation of industry and energy in all things, whether work or play, very delight- ful to witness. To use an expressive Americanism, the household at Grove Lane was a i live ' household, with no particle of sullen sloth about it. Self-reliance was one of the earliest lessons taught the boys, and at twelve years old or less, they were expected to be able, unassisted, to escort a less experienced country cousin to a day's sight- seeing in town, or with equal facility to join him in a day's birds'-nesting in the country. 'From the time Sidney entered Dulwich,' says his mother, ' his progress was steady. He was always obedient, always industrious, yet seeming to lead an inner life of his own. I remember that at fourteen he had a vehement struggle with another boy for the top of the fifth form. Especially was their competition keen for that form's prize for Latin Verse and Prose Composition. This prize Sidney gained. Comparing notes afterwards, however, with his friendly rival, he came to the conclusion that it had not been rightfully adjudged to him. No sooner was he con- vinced of this than he sought an interview with the Master, and endeavoured to convince that authority that the decision was wrong. The Master was both amused and aggravated, and told Sidney that he had better be content with what praise and success were given him in this hard world. Nevertheless, Sidney remained thoroughly dissatisfied with his victory, taking no pleasure in his prize. CH. i EAELY DAYS 9 c His protecting love for his little sister Lilian, eight years younger than himself, was born with her birth and grew with her growth. When she was a week old he would ask the nurse to be allowed to take her in his arms, and upon the good woman's consent, would sit holding the baby-sister for half an hour at a time, never moving, but silently looking at her. As Lilian grew older, Sidney became her companion and friend, teaching her, telling her fairy tales ; upon returning from an absence always bringing her some little memento of the spot visited, or some odd quaint tale of adventure.' Equal with Sidney's love for his sister was his devo- tion to his mother. 1 One of the strongest ties of his life,' says the latter, c was his devoted affection to me. When he was fourteen he had a serious illness, inflammation of the lungs and brain, brought on (so the doctors said) by overwork, and by carelessly getting wet in walking across the fields to school. (At that time there were fields between Camber- well and Dulwich, and not streets of speculative builders' masterpieces.) Through this terrible illness I nursed him. He and I were shut up together for three anxious months, and our mutual affection and devotion were, if possible, strengthened. During his convalescence from this malady he would sometimes give me a glimpse of his inner thoughts. Through science (always through science) he was to do some great thing, and Lilian and I were to help him to dispense among the unfortunate and the neglected the money he was sure to make. 4 When Sidney had attained his sixteenth year, Dr. Carver, the head-master of Dulwich, wrote to my husband requesting an interview. At the meeting which there- upon ensued, Dr. Carver said that he was most anxious that Sidney, who he thought would do honour to the 10 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CH. i school, should remain some time longer at Dulwich, and should ultimately go in for a scholarship at either Oxford or Cambridge. To such a scheme my husband had no objection ; on the contrary, he was eager for its execution. " Sidney," he used to say, " will in the end become a man of science ; but he will be a credit to whichever university he may join. One thing, however, is certain : money will never be an object to him; indeed, he will never be able to take care of it." This last prediction the future was fated signally to falsify. * However, an insurmountable obstacle arose to all these plans. Sidney, in his own quiet, respectful way, told both the head-master and his father that he would rather matriculate at London University and study medicine in the capital. 1 Dr. Carver, his father, I myself, were all much dis- appointed ; but the boy had his way. In the summer holidays of 1866 he left Dulwich. In that summer, too, he accompanied his father upon a long tour in South Wales. ' That trip strengthened the boy's affection for his father, and more than ever convinced the latter that he had a rare nature to deal with. Upon their return my husband said : " Sidney can pursue his own course ; we can absolutely trust him." ' My boy, on his side, at once began studying for the London Matriculation. His father offered him a coach. " No ; please, father," said he, " a fellow knows nothing really well which he does not gain for himself." So passed the weeks, Sidney working up his subjects himself, and also devoting his time to teaching Lilian and his younger brother Arthur. He began Latin with them ; made geography lessons easy to them by telling them tales of strange countries. Always the instruction was CH. I EARLY DAYS 11 wound up by some wonderful story invented for tlie occasion.' In such fashion were the irresistible forces of heredity and of education combining to mould a bright, alert, questioning, indefatigable, strenuous, and withal practical spirit. A sudden family crisis was to test that spirit earlier than had seemed likely. Dreams of matriculation at London, of study of medicine, of ultimate pursuit, mayhap, of analytical chemistry or mechanical engineering, were to disappear. In February, 1867, Mr. Thomas died suddenly of apoplexy, and the household was left without a head. The loss of income was naturally serious. Llewellyn, the eldest son, had already entered upon his career (a career destined to prove brilliant enough, although cut short too early), and for a twelvemonth past had been attending at St. Thomas's Hospital. Sidney's resolves had better be told in his mother's words : 1 Sidney sat down by his father's bedside a boy ; from his grave he passed out a man, and thenceforward took upon himself, as far as he could, the burden of my grief. When we were alone, he told me quietly that he should not matriculate, that he should write to the vicar of Llandrillo, and endeavour to obtain a Civil Service nomination ; that he would take anything that first offered. I prayed him to carry out his plans. I said we would all live quietly together, and that we should have income enough. " Mother," his answer was, " you will want all you have to educate the little ones." ' No prayers, no argument could move him, and so this boy (not yet seventeen) launched himself on a man's career. He wrote to his Llandrillo cousin and godfather, and had a speedy promise of his nomination. In the meantime, Sidney devoted himself to urgent affairs. His 12 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CH. i father had been executor of the vicar of Corwen, who had died the preceding summer. He carried on this executor- ship and helped me with my own. ' Shortly after my husband's death we moved to Camberwell Grove. We had not long settled there when Sidney told me quietly that he had taken a classical mastership at an Essex school, meaning to hold it until the promised Civil Service appointment came. He ex- plained that there was nothing now for him to help me in. " You know, mother, I cannot be idle." 1 No remonstrances availed. He went to the Essex school it was at Braintree and found his class to consist of young fellows bigger and older, for the most part, than himself. These lads were at first much inclined to re- bellion ; but Sidney persevered, prevailed, and in the end reduced them to willing obedience. The head-master was most anxious to secure his classical assistant permanently, and offered him increased salary and ultimately partnership if he would remain.' However, the particular drudgery of teaching was always abhorrent to Sidney, tolerant as he was of drudgery when needful, and he was by no means ill-pleased when the looked-for nomination came. It was to a clerkship in the Metropolitan Police Courts. Attached to each Metropolitan Police Court are a ' senior ' and a l junior ' clerk, members of the Civil Service. The junior's salary begins at 90Z. a year, with an annual increment until 200Z. a year is reached ; the senior receives 500/. per annum. The seniors are recruited from the ranks of the juniors ; but in so small a department pro- motion is necessarily slow, and the discoverer of the Thomas-Gilchrist process never attained, it in his twelve years' service. The duties of the clerks are to conduct all the business of the office as distinct from the Court, to CH. i EARLY DAYS 18 receive and account for all the moneys paid in for process, fines, &c., and in court to take notes and depositions. The examination of witnesses, in the great majority of cases where no advocate appears, is by most magistrates- left much to the clerk. To anyone with the slightest knowledge of the volume of business constantly transacted before these tribunals, it will be obvious that the official hours from ten to five must be pretty fully occupied. At the busier courts, indeed, the clerks are often detained an hour or so later, although the magistrate himself, of course, adjourns at the statutory time. This is mentioned for a reason which will presently appear. Thomas, having ob- tained his ' nomination,' had little difficulty in success in the examination, with some hundreds of marks to spare. A year or two later, equal success in his examination would have given him to a great extent his choice of departments. At this time, however, it was not so. In the latter part of 1867 he entered upon his duties at the Marlborough Street Police Court. Mr. Knox was the senior magistrate here at the time. The work was quite novel to Sidney ; but, although he never liked it (indeed, disliked it cordially), he buckled to it with characteristic energy. At any rate, it was better than teaching. It is not too much to say that, in the midst of all the other more congenial pursuits of which we shall presently speak, he found time to thoroughly master not only the practice and procedure, and the various statutes with which he was more immediately concerned, but, in- deed, to make himself an accomplished criminal lawyer. In the earlier days at Marlborough Street the atmosphere was, doubtless, strange enough to him, and the writer can well remember his telling with much gusto how he tried to convince Mr. Knox that he should not convict a man who, when starving, had appropriated another's loaf, 14 SIDNEY GIT CHRIST THOMAS CH. i because even so conservative a thinker as Paley had main- tained that such a taking was not theft. The worthy magistrate was puzzled for the moment by this citation of an authority so little quoted in law courts, but presently bethought him that in truth the plea of necessity could hardly arise, since the merciful legislation of this happy country had provided for the destitute the pleasant asylum of the casual ward. Marlborough Street is probably the police court where the work is lightest, and it is situate in a locality which is accessible and agreeable to the average middle-class man ; consequently the ordinary police-court clerk seeks rather eagerly after appointment to it. Sidney, however, was neither an average middle-class man nor an ordinary police-court clerk. In 1868 the East End had not yet been discovered by Mr. Walter Besant. Nobody knew of the delightful pastime styled ' slumming ; ' nobody dreamt of Palaces of Delight, or produced glorified technical schools. Thomas was nevertheless smitten with a genuine desire (since police-court drudgery seemed to be his portion) to pursue his vocation rather in the East than in the West, and to see for himself something of the great depths below our civilisation. For probably the first time in the history of this branch of the Civil Service, he sought an exchange with a colleague at the ' Thames ' Court in Arbour Square, and naturally met with no difficulty or obstacle in the achievement of his wish. He thus quitted the West End Court after about a year spent there, and for the remainder of his time in the profession was attached to the Stepney tribunal. Among the magistrates here were Mr. Paget, Mr. De Rutzen, Mr. Lushington, and for a short time before Sidney's resignation, Mr. Saunders. Thomas con- tinued to live at home. His mother, as we have seen, had CH. i EAKLY PAYS 15. removed from Grove Lane to the neighbouring < Camber- well Grove.' Naturally, and gradually, while still little more than a boy, he assumed unconsciously the position of head of the family ; for his elder brother was by this time out in the world on his own account, and no longer a con- stant member of the home circle. He would usually walk the long distance from Camberwell to Stepney at a swing- ing pace, always arriving at the Court at ten sharp ; often, indeed, he would walk back. At Thames he had a senior colleague, a Mr. Poyer, since deceased. With this gentle- man Sidney was enabled, after some years, to make an arrangement which left him two days a week free, and this gave him precious time which was devoted to the real mistress of his heart, Science, and to study and researches by means of which he, in the end, perfected that which was to prove his life-work. Before we speak of this pact, which had so much in- fluence on the future, let us here introduce a description of Thomas as he appeared at this time to a cousin and intimate friend, who took a holiday tour with him in the summer of 1869. 16 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CHAPTER II A SUMMER TOUR ' IT was in the gorgeous July of 1869 that Sidney Thomas and I, he then being aged nineteen and I a year or two younger, visited the Continent for the first time. Such a visit at such an age is an experience never in any case to be forgotten ; but in this instance my cousin's striking personality must, anyhow, have indelibly impressed upon one's mind all the main incidents of a month's travel with him. During our walks along the straight white Norman roads we discoursed " of all things, and some others," with that wonderful self-confidence alas ! also with that won- derful energy and new delight characteristic of the dawn- ing days of manhood, when life is like a romance " of cloak and sword," and not the dreary, grimy, realistic narrative which it too often afterwards becomes. ' We were, I think, both possessed of that keen pleasure in argument, for the sake of argument, which older out- siders sometimes find so distasteful to them in smart lads in their teens, and we naturally always took opposite views of every conceivable topic, from the mysteries of theology down to the topography of the Lower Seine. The summer air would be heavy with the clang of debate as we trudged along. Yet we had, I think, both of us, a wonderfully happy time of it, and as light hearts as any pair of youngsters in all fair France. Light hearts have a proverbial accompaniment, which in our case was not CH. ii A SUMMEK TOUR 17 lacking either to wit, light purses ; but need for economy, provided it be not too pronounced, only adds to the enjoy- ment of a pleasure-trip at twenty. ' Of the well-remembered little incidents of that trip, so far as they illustrate either Sidney Thomas' character as it appeared to me, or the experiences which were going to form it, I will say something presently ; but I want, if I can, in the first place, to give some idea of that unique personality of his at which I have already hinted. Such as he was then, such he remained, in my eyes at least, almost to the end. No one with the slightest faculty of observation could ever have come into the most momen- tary contact with him and have failed to recognise a mind of exceptional power. He had the spare frame of a man ^ager, not merely for intellectual research, but for intel- lectual conflict and conquest, of a man perhaps somewhat too disdainful of the things of the flesh. His face was a little "sicklied o'er with th.3 pale cast of thought" and his hair a little long and unkempt (of a surety from no conscious affectation, nor indeed had " sestheticism " begun in 1869) ; yet I think most women would have found his clear-cut features and speaking eyes, wonderfully variable in colour and expression, handsome. He spoke in a clear, pleasant voice, which in moments of excitement became metallic. His reading was wonderful for a youth of his age fiction, history, travel, theology, on all these subjects he seemed equally at home. Perhaps poetry had been a little neglected. In the semi-humorous, self-depreciatory way which became him well, he used to say that he had no care for verse, and that in the coming time everything worth reading would be written in prose ; but I never believed either assertion. Social subjects had a wonderful fascination for him, and although his mind was too indepen- dent to accept blindfold any of the provisional theories of c 18 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS X:K. n the human future which had come in his way, and he was -" nullius addict us jurare in verba magistri," yet I do not think, looking back across the expanse of twenty years, that it would be saying too much to describe him as almost persuaded to be a Socialist. I know that in those days he was far more advanced than I, who had but faint glimmer- ings of social problems ; although politically I was radical enough. Of science he seldom spoke to me, knowing how feeble my interest in and scant my knowledge of those departments of it, at least, which specially attracted him. 1 Under the stimulus of what to us were novel experi- ences in wayside Norman inns or on the asphalte of peer- less Paris, sides of Thomas's character became apparent which were not so well seen in his workaday life, when he was subjecting himself to that double strain of dis- tasteful exertion conscientiously performed in the fetid atmosphere of a London police court and congenial study unfortunately pursued in hours which immutable hygienic laws have decided should be devoted to leisure. Most of us, who belong to the non-productive classes at least, know nowadays something of the mental exaltation produced by realising for the first time with our own eyes the existence of a civilisation different from our own, even if it be only the civilisation of a country so like ours as is France. The very names on the shop-fronts, the very jabber of the children in the streets, the very knowledge that we are strangers and sojourners, all those things cause a delight never afterwards to be reproduced. For myself, I shall never forget our landing at Havre one afternoon in early July. We had come by the long route from London Bridge, and I think we had both of us suffered a good deal in the Channel. All the morning we had lain tossing outside the harbour waiting for the tide. Such troubles were soon forgotten as, in our phrase-book CH. n A SUMMEK TOUR 19 French, we asked our way, knapsacks on back, to the Caudebec road ; for we were to walk up the Seine valley, Paris-ward. ' With what zest we ate our rolls and drank our cafe au lait in the morning and felt that we were indeed " on the Continent! " We did a good trudge that day, I remember. Thomas resolutely refused to eat any dejeuner^ a resolution which he adhered to pretty steadfastly throughout our travels, maintaining that our rolls in the morning, with our dinner in the evening, sufficed for all our needs. This was a doctrine which I as steadfastly opposed, insisting on the midday repast as a necessity. Hence arguments which speedily led us far afield over the whole domain of what we knew of physiology, and from physiology the way was easy to dispute concerning most things in heaven and earth. The echo of our words comes back to me now, with the background of the straight white roads, the hedgeless fields, the kilometre-stones, and the iron guide-posts. I did not know of the purposes which were even then doubt- less dimly shaping themselves in Sidney's mind, and leading him to a settled scheme of minute economy in his expenditure upon himself, so that, when the hour struck, he might not fail in his projects for want of the sinews of war. ' There was, I have always thought, however, joined with this intelligible motive to abstinence, a half-conscious lean- ing to k asceticism in Sidney's nature which impelled him to unnecessary and even injurious self-denial. I much fear that the seeds of premature decay were implanted in his naturally vigorous frame by the habit which he acquired in these adolescent years, when abundance of food is of prime need, of systematic under-eating a habit, the evil results of which were assisted, as has already been hinted, by systematic over-work. But these things were absolutely c 2 20 SIDNEY GILCHEIST THOMAS CIL n hidden from us by futurity's curtain, nor did any anticipa- tion of evil to come spoil our summer days. 4 Paris in the midsummer of 1869 seemed to our in- experienced eyes the City of Pleasure in very truth, and doubtless we missed the lessons we might have learnt in the streets of the City of Light. In little more than another twelvemonth, the frequenters of the boulevard, with their English-made clothes and their twisted moustaches, would for the most part have fled elsewhither; but the real children of Paris, noblest populace perhaps of the world, would be enduring with fortitude, never before shown by such a mass of human beings, all the horrors of the long siege. In some twenty months' time, those same children of Paris would kindle a flame which should terrify respectable persons everywhere, and be as a beacon to lighten the steps of revolutionists for many a day. 4 Although we did not dip much below the surface, we crowded a great deal of sight-seeing into our eleven days in the capital. Sidney was, as ever, insatiable after new things, and, although never tired of satirising himself for the foible, yet was seemingly bent on emulating the typical Yankee anxiety to fill the day with achievement. 4 On our return walk from Paris to Dieppe I remember a country gendarme stopped us once and demanded our pass- ports. We said that we were English and needed none ; but " Je crois que vous etes des Prussiens," rejoined the moustached and swaggering Dogberry. However, after some consideration he allowed us to go our ways, yet still with scowling mien walked his horse after us for a kilo- metre or two, until, I presume, we passed out of his juris- diction. 1 We disliked this dogging of our footsteps very much, and at Sidney's suggestion we started the " Marseillaise," feeling all the time that we were very desperate ruffians CH. n A SUMMER TOUR 21 indeed ; but as we could neither of us sing a note, and as we knew nothing of the tune, and but little of the words of the then forbidden song, I really do not think that our persecutor realised our audacity. Another time we walked some miles with an ex-convict from Toulon, in whom Thomas took much interest, but from whom we gathered little save a general impression that our interlocutor was a well-meaning, stupid fellow, somewhat dazed with the injustice of the world. ' We were absent a month, and out of the ten pounds apiece we had started with I brought back some sixteen francs, but Sidney double or treble that amount. Had it not been for his example, I should never have done things so cheaply. I insist on these details because Sidney's severe and rigid, perhaps too severe and rigid, economy throws much light on some main features of his character. We may hope that in the better society which the future, as some of us hold, has in store for us, thrift may cease to be deemed a virtue ; since, where each one renders according to his capacity and receives according to his needs, there will be no fear of ever wanting. But under the present false social conditions, and in the horrible world in which we live to-day, there is, it seems to me, revolt as we may from asceticism, no undeserved credit due to him who, for a worthy and unselfish purpose, not only " shuns delights and lives laborious days," but even by abstinence hoards out of scanty means the wherewithal to battle hereafter. Thomas was no miser, and no man more generous to others ever lived. He only pinched himself. 1 He had, as it seemed, an inborn financial genius. Perhaps this was merely a manifestation of his keen sense of things as they really were. His imagination was power- ful enough in some directions ; but it was always his servant and never his master, and his outlook on the world &2 SIDNEY GILCHEIST THOMAS CH. n was quite unobscured by mists of fantasy or passion. Yet none was bolder in speculation, and in many matters he was an idealist. I will not say that he had quite " swallowed all formulas " few of us, strive as we may, succeed altogether in that ; but he had proved most things, and he held fast those which seemed to him good. 'Looking back on these somewhat rough notes wherein I have endeavoured, perhaps not too successfully, to paint my cousin's portrait in rather " impressionist " fashion it seems to me that I have given, it may be, too harsh and stern a rendering of one of the most genial men 1 ever knew. Stern and even harsh he could be upon occasions, although never for long ; but habitually he was the most cheerful, the most fascinating, even the most humorous and lightsome of mortals.' CH. m A ' DOUBLE LIFE ' 23 CHAPTER III A ' DOUBLE LIFE ' IN the foregoing chapter we have Sidney Thomas as he appeared to an intimate friend when on holiday-making bent. At home he had become practically, as we have said, the head of the family, his elder brother being out in the world. After the removal from Grove Lane to Camberwell Grove, there began, says Sidney's mother, ' a new domestic life, of which Sidney was the centre.' His official work at this time (1867-1871) was hard enough, as indeed it always was, and the two free days a week to be by him devoted to still harder scientific work which he subsequently acquired by arrangement with Mr. Poyer, were as yet in the dim and distant future. Hard as might be his police-court labours, unattractive to him as they often were, he threw his whole heart and soul into their discharge. Always an early riser, he had mastered the morning paper, eaten his breakfast, done miscellaneous work, and walked, as his usual manner was, the long miles from Camberwell to Stepney easily by ten o'clock. There, day after day, he would arrive with ever-fresh energy, always buoyant with a vitality which, so long as he remained at the court, was to the very end entirely devoted to his official duties. Mr. Lushington, under whom he served for ten years, brings out well this buoyant energy, which was one of Sidney's most marked charac- 24 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CH. in teristics, in the following letter addressed to Sidney's sister, now Mrs. Percy Thompson : ' Thames Police Court : January 1890. ( Dear Miss Thomas, Your brother, Sidney Gilchrist Thomas, appears to have been transferred as second clerk to this Court some time in the summer of 1868. I have been unable to find any letter announcing the exact date of his, appointment ; but his handwriting begins then to appear in the Court Letter Book, and this would accord very well with my own impression that he had been here from eighteen months to two years when I came to the Court in December 1869. He left it in 1879, so that I had the pleasure of his help for nearly ten years, and enjoyed the fullest opportunities of appreciating his value in our business relations, as well as of gaining an insight into his character. During most of those years, the pressure of work at the Thames Court upon the magis- trates, and the clerks also, was perhaps harder and more unremitting than at any other Court in London. 4 Your brother was as indefatigable, as clear-headed, as patient in dealing with stupid or ignorant witnesses, as accurate and concise in putting the evidence into the form of a deposition, as any clerk could possibly be ; and he was bright and elastic from the beginning of a long day to the end, and from one long day to another, with work BO heavy as to require its being got through with all the rapidity that was compatible with efficient performance. It was a constant help and a constant satisfaction to me to see his part performed, not only with the exact mechanism of a trained intellect, but with the thorough, going industry of a conscientious and passionate lover of strict justice. 1 1 instinctively felt that he formed his opinion inde- CH. in A ' DOUBLE LIFE ' 25 pendently of mine, and that he was the most competent and unbiassed, and in some ways the severest, critic of the style in which my own duty was performed. Wherever a touch of out-of-the-way medical or scientific jurispru- dence came into the details of a case, I was always par- ticularly struck with his quick appreciation of the points in the evidence of any expert witness. I understood that he was fond of practical chemistry ; but it was not until after the publication of his great discovery that I became aware of his possessing a genius in that line that would lift him at once into the first ranks of scientific reputation. ' I was most sorry when his new career removed him from the staff of the Court, though delighted with the extraordinary success he had achieved ; and I am sura that every official of the Thames, from the highest to the lowest, was equally fond of him while there, equally proud of him when he went from us, and equally grieved at his early end. His career was an instance of the precept ot the Preacher : " Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might." 1 Believe me, very truly yours, ' F. LUSHINGTOT^.' Most Civil servants, after the hard collar-work, ex- tending over seven or eight hours, which is here described, would have thought their evenings at least sacred to re- laxation ; but Thomas was made of different stuff. His evenings, as soon as his simple dinner was disposed of, were always spent in work of some kind, and very soon came to be specially set apart for chemical studies and experiments. He early began to lead the double life a very virtuous * double life ' which was to be his for a decade at least. In one aspect and to one set cf acquaint- ances he was a model and exceptionally intelligent police- 26 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CH. m court clerk ; in another aspect and to another class of friends he was a promising young scientist. Into his leisure hours he crammed work which would have been more than sufficient for all the energies of most men. We will return to his chemical pursuits presently. Let us note here that, beyond all this, he had burdened himself with the management of the financial affairs, not only of his mother, but also of several other female re- latives. The keen, practical, business-like side of him, which was as markedly characteristic as his idealism, delighted in threading the intricacies of the Stock Ex- change, and he was a thoroughly trustworthy guide to 'investments' never really rash, although sometimes seeming so. Yet he never seemed too busy for such a long talk with a congenial friend as his soul loved, and in some mysterious way he contrived to read more general litera- ture of all kinds than many professed literary men. In the summer of the fearful and memorable year 1871, Mrs. Thomas let her house in Camberwell Grove for some months, and went abroad to Germany, Switzerland, and Italy with her two younger children and Miss Burton, a cousin, returning early in 1872. Sidney accompanied them, as far as his annual holiday would stretch, and then returned to harness. During the absence of his family Thomas lived a somewhat solitary life in London, residing at first in a boarding-house in a City square, and afterwards in lodgings in Brooke Street, Holborn. The following extracts from letters belong to this period : To his Mother '1871. 'Dearest Mother, I have just contrived to squeeze out a moment or two to write to Lil. Square as I anticipated a CH. Ill A 'DOUBLE LIFE 27 failure ; but I am of course in a fix, as I can't get a day to look about. I have seen three rooms close to Chancery Lane, very small, dingy, only 15Z. per annum; of course empty. They are not empty till end of month. I calcu- late attendance about 4Z. a year ; light, fuel, and furniture 6Z., and glorious independence. No more boarding-houses for me. However, it is uncertain whether the rooms are not already let. London viler than ever. How I envy you in your luxurious retreat, far removed from the toils .and cares of your deserted sons.' To his Sister '1871. f Dearest Wee Maid, How dare you go and spend your Xmas away from your devoted boy, and leave his Xmas pudding to the chances of promiscuous charity and his own culinary skill ? The truth is, I am conscious of deserv- ing a scolding for not having rushed, with eager pen, at once to respond, as best I might, to your two delicious little epistles, and so hope to avoid the merited reproof by exposing my own grievances. It is needless to remark that I only recovered from the impression that I was the fortunate recipient of one of the world-famed missives of Sevigne, whose epistolary style has been chastened and adorned during her residence with the shades by the instruction and examples of a Lamartine, a Rochefoucauld, and a Dumas, I only awoke from this delusion, I say, when I recognised the well-beloved signature of my honoured sister. But really I was much pleased, both with your style and expression, while your communication in the vulgar tongue was equally acceptable and less straining to one's intellectual department. Now I really don't know if I am en regie in wishing you a Merry Xmas, which I had intended to do ; for I suppose you will spend it in a 28 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CH. iri picnic on Arno's banks, with umbrellas to keep the sun off, and an airy repast of strawberries and cream or grapes and ices, or in some other festive mode befitting the 41 sunny South ; " whereas we all know that roast beef and its concomitant plum indigestion, with snow on the ground, is absolutely essential to a Merrie Xmas. 1 And so I, with a prospective possession of these latter blessings, look down with pity on you benighted foreigners. By-the-bye, talking of matters culinary, yon have no conception what a professor in matters gastronomic this fraternal genius of yours is becoming. To see .him boil a potato, roast a haunch of venison (N.B. a frequent dish), and finally prepare his great and world-renowned dish of omni cum omnibus bene extrare, mixta cum quibu$ domain, oh, that indeed is a sight calculated to rejoice the spirits of a Soyer or a Francatelli ! And then to see his tranquil happiness and serene beatitude when, relieved from his pleasant toils, with heels gracefully reclining on far-upsoaring mantelshelf, and with easiest of chairs backtilted to the uttermost verge of unstable equilibrium, he rests exposed to the rays of a glowing fire, with pleasant novel and not unpleasant dreams ! Now, after this fascinating picture of life en gar$on t don't you feel tempted to join in an alliance with this fond youth and leave the rest of the family out in the cold of the blue skies of Italy ? Post of housekeeper still open ; no one over twenty-three need ppply. The midnight bell is striking, so, darling, once more a Merry Xmas and Happy New Year. Ever yours, ' SIDNEY GILCHRIST T.' Some readers may be astonished at some passages in the above letters. Chambers in Chancery Lane at 15Z. a year, with attendance calculated at 4>l. per annum and * light, fuel, and furniture ' at 61., may seem a vain dream CH, in A ' DOUBLE LIFE ' 29 of economy. But it really was upon such bases that Thomas arranged his existence. His thriftiness was, however, as his cousin explains above in the account of the French tour of 1869, confined to his own personal ex- penditure, and was doubtlessly largely dictated by the necessity of accumulating out of a small enough income the nest-egg which would be needed for those ultimate purposes which were shaping themselves more and more clearly in his mind. Under our present social system, if a man be born in the purple, he is not likely to revolutionise metallurgy by his discoveries ; if he be not so born, and yet have such an aim, he must not only work night and day, but also pinch himself for years to obtain Capital. 80 SIDNEY GILCHKIST THOMAS CH. iv CHAPTER IV THE PROBLEM OF DEPHOSPHORISATION ALL this time Thomas's purposes were ripening. We have already told how in the very early days of 1868 he had already begun experimenting and studying at home in the evenings. In 1870 he attended a course of lectures at the Birkbeck Institution delivered by Mr. George Chaloner, who then held, as he still holds, the teachership of Chemistry at that admirable school. Sidney had from the first given himself to the examination of the unsolved problems of chemistry ; l but it was at these lectures in all probability that he received the final impetus which started him in pursuit of a solution of the particular problem destined to be indissolubly associated with his name. Mr. Chaloner took occasion to say that 'the man who eliminated phosphorus by means of the Bessemer converter would make his fortune.' There can be no question that this expression sank deeply into Thomas's mind, and about this time he frequently quoted it. It has indeed been said ('Iron,' No. 630, p. Ill) that 'the 1 Although dephosphorisation of would repeatedly insist to him on iron pig was the question to which the hydrogen, oxygen, and nitro- Thomas ultimately devoted him- gen present in air and water self, yet he always kept in his and to be had for nothing, and mind other problems which per- the little use made of them. ' Im- haps, had he lived, he would possible as with present lights it have elucidated as triumphantly. may seem,' he would say, 'why Mr. Chaloner is wont now should not ammonia be extracted to tell his pupils how Thomas from the air ? ' CH. iv THE PEOBLEM OF ' DEPHOSPHORISATION 31 commercial idea here expressed was quite as much in his thoughts as the scientific nature of the problem. In early conversation on the subject he frequently used to point out the product of a royalty of sixpence a ton on 3,000,000 tons annually of Cleveland pig.' No doubt that Sidney looked forward to the realisation of riches, should he discover the secret of the dephosphorisation of iron in the con- verter. His mother has told above of his early dreams of fortune and his visions of good purposes to which that for- tune should be applied. Yet we may take leave to doubt whether this supplies any support to the threadbare theory that great inventions are only to be encouraged by monetary rewards. The bent of Thomas's mind would, in a society where money did not exist, have carried him quite as irresistibly towards discovery perhaps even, towards this particular discovery ; the stimulus of fame, nay, the intellectual pleasure in doing good work, would have been quite as effectual as the desire of riches even for others. In any case the solution of the dephosphorisation problem became from this time forth his chief thought and object. We may explain here in what that problem consisted. Up to 1855 the process of making steel from iron had not varied for a hundred years. In the middle of the last century a certain Cort had invented a new process, which in its time undoubtedly marked a new departure in the world's history. Until Cort's discovery, the finest steel used in this country was made by the Hindoos, and is said to have been quoted at the fantastic and prohibitive price of 10,0002. a ton. Cort produced equally good steel at prices ranging from 50Z. to 1002. a ton. Still, even at such prices as these what has been called the c Steel Age ' could not be said to have begun. That age began when Henry Bessemer, between 1856 32 SIDNEY GILCHEIST THOMAS CH. iv and 1859, worked out an entirely new method of steel manufacture, a method destined to revolutionise this most important branch of metallurgy. By this process pig-iron is transformed into steel by being c blown ' in a ' converter.' On May 24, 1859, Bessemer thus described his process to the Institution of Civil Engineers : 4 The converting vessel is mounted on an axis, at or near the centre of gravity. It is constructed of boiler plates, and is lined either with firebrick, road drift, or " ganister " a local name in Sheffield for a peculiar kind of powdered stone, which resists the heat better than any other material yet tried, and has also the advantage of .cheapness. The vessel, having been heated, is brought into the requisite position to receive its charge of melted metal, without either of the "tuyeres," or air-holes, being below the surface. No action can therefore take place until the vessel is turned up, so that the blast can enter through the tuyeres. The process is thus in an instant brought into full activity, and small, though powerful, jets of air spring upward though the fluid mass. The air, expanding in -volume, divides itself into globules, or bursts violently upwards, carrying with it some hundredweight of fluid metal, which again falls into the boiling mass below. Every part of the apparatus trembles under the violent agitation thus produced ; a roaring flame rushes from the mouth of the vessel, and, as the process advances, it changes its violet colour to orange, and finally to a voluminous pure white flame. The sparks, which at first were large, like those of ordinary foundry iron, change into small hissing points, and these gradually give way to soft floating specks of bluish light, as the state of malleable iron is approached. There is no eruption of cinder as in the early experiments, although it is formed during the process ; the improved shape of the converter causes it to be retained, and it not CH. iv THE PROBLEM OF DEPHOSPHORISATION 83 only acts beneficially on the metal, but it helps to confine the heat, which during the process has rapidly risen from the comparatively low temperature of melted pig-iron to one vastly greater than the highest known welding heats, by which malleable iron only becomes sufficiently soft to be shaped by the blows of the hammer ; but here it becomes perfectly fluid, and even rises so much above the melting- point as to admit of its being passed from the converter into a founder's ladle, and from thence to be transferred to Several successive moulds.' The metal thus produced was fine steel, and could be made for 61. a ton, against something like 60Z. a ten under the old system. The new Steel Age had indeed begun. Cheapness and rapidity were not the only recommendations of the new metal ; it was, after a time, found to be superior also in quality to steel manufactured under the old system. We cannot follow here the history of the Bessemer process. It was so universally adopted that in 1868 it was bringing in to its inventor 100,000?. a year. 2 Yet there was one great drawback to this system of steel-making. In the process just described one very common impurity of iron ores was not remedied, and that impurity was phosphorus. This was a matter of the highest practical importance ; for the non-elimination of phosphorus rendered steel made in the converter from pig- iron containing it utterly useless, the phosphorus making the metal brittle and worthless. The result was that this wonderful invention could only be used for the conversion of pig-iron derived from non-phosphoric ores, and (since the 2 Yet another mode of steel mami- duly note that it was subject to the facture was a few years subse- same drawback, viz. non-dephos- quently introduced : the 'Siemens- phorisation, as the Bessemer sys- Martin ' or ' open hearth ' process. tern, and that the ' Thomas-Gil- It is not necessary in a book of this christ ' process is equally applicable kind to describe this process. We to it as we shall subsequently see. 84 SIDNEY GILCHKIST THOMAS CH. iv old, long, and expensive ' puddling ' process of Cort in which the phosphorus was removed could not compete on equal terms in the struggle with Bessemer), the great majority of British, French, German and Belgian ores be- came, to a large extent, unavailable for steel-making. In Great Britain the 'hematite' iron of Barrow-in-Furness speedily drove down in the market the phosphoric pig of Cleveland or of Wales ; such pig falling or remaining stationary in price, while hematite doubled in value. The hematite iron ore to be found on the Continent (chiefly in Spain) was eagerly sought after. How was it that phosphorus was retained in the Bessemer converter, and how could it be eliminated ? If these questions could be answered satisfactorily i.e. in uch a way as to cheaply dephosphorise phosphoric pig the cost of the production of steel could be again dimin- ished, and the world would not only have begun its Steel Age, but definitely have broken with the Iron one. From 1860 onwards to the public announcement of the success of the Thomas-Gilchrist process, metallurgists were eagerly concerned with dephosphorisation. Sir Henry Bessemer himself, and an army of unsuccessful experimentalists, vainly grappled with the difficulty. Among other at- tempters of the adventure was Lowthian Bell, who had for years been regarded as the high priest of British metallurgy. In 1870-72 he published a work entitled, 'The Chemical Phenomena of Iron Smelting,' a book which must have been frequently in Thomas's hands. Doubtless Sidney had specially marked the following passage : * The limit to the production of Bessemer pig is want of ores free from phosphorus. The hematites of this country, under the sudden demand, have doubled in price, and speculators of all kinds are rushing off to Spain, where tracts of land, conceded without any payment a few months CH.-IV THE PROBLEM OF DEPHOSPHORISATION 35 ago by the Government of that country, are said now to be worth large premiums ; at least such is the impression left on the mind by a perusal of the published prospectuses of the day. ' This may be correct, and so firm may be the grip that phosphorus holds on iron, that breaking up the bonds that bind them together may defy the skill of our most scientific men ; but it may be well to remember that the yearly make of iron from Cleveland stone alone contains about 30,000 tons of phosphorus, worth for agricultural purposes, were it in manure as phosphoric acid, above a quarter of a million, and that the money value difference between Cleveland and hematite iron is not short of four millions sterling, chiefly due to the presence of this 250,OOOL worth of phosphorus. 'The Pattinson process does not leave one part of silver in 100,000 of lead; the Bessemer converter robs iron of almost every contamination except phosphorus, but nine-tenths of this ingredient is expelled by the puddling furnace. It may be difficult, but let it not be supposed that there would be any surprise excited in the minds of chemists if a simple and inexpensive process fcr separating iron and phosphorus were made known to- morrow, so that only one of the latter should be found in 5,000 of the former ; and now that there is such a margin to stimulate exertion, we may be sure the minds of properly qualified persons will be directed towards the solution of a question of such national importance.' 36 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS or. T CHAPTER V YEARS OF EQUIPMENT SUCH, then, was the problem Thomas had made up his mind to solve. Of its solution, which was due to no sudden flash of irradiating inspiration, but was the slow outcome of long years of patient, tireless work, we will speak later. Its consideration absorbed, month by month and year by year, more of Thomas's scant leisure. After the summer of 1871 no more vacations were spent in mere voyaging for plea- sure ; every holiday was devoted in some way or other to what had become the life object. The little laboratory he had fitted up at home at The Grove became insufficient for his needs, and he attended systematically the laboratories of Mr. Chaloner (already mentioned) and of Mr. Vacher, of Great Marlborough Street. He was determined, too, to acquire all the credentials of the fully equipped practical chemist, so that when the time came he might inspire full confidence in men who would certainly doubt the capability of a police-court clerk to overcome difficulties which had baffled metallurgical chemists ever since the in- troduction of the Bessemer process. With this end in view, he submitted himself from time to time to the Science examinations of the Science and Art Department. From obtaining the diploma of the School of Mines in Jermyn Street he was excluded by the rule requiring attendance at lectures ; an attendance which he could not give so long as the Thames Police Court claimed him ; and the Thames CH. v YEARS OF EQUIPMENT 37 Police Court lie was determined not to abandon until he had won for himself sure foothold and means of livelihood elsewhere. All the examinations at the School of Mines, however, which were open to him he passed. We may mention here that more than one private friend, recognising Sidney's exceptional quality, and placing, perhaps, too much faith in the ' regular professions ' as necessary to success in life, had offered Thomas some hundreds to spend in preparing for the Bar or Medicine. All such offers he had refused. In either case he must have abandoned his Civil Service certainty, since for * walking the hospitals ' his attendance at Arbour Square left him no time, and as for the Bar (although the prepara- tion for that occupation is not of an arduous character), the regulations of the Inns of Court stood in the way, no clerk to magistrates being allowed to enter at those institutions. On May 9, 1872, he passed at the School of Mines the examination in Mineralogy, ' first class advanced,' and on the same day in the following year the examination in Inorganic Chemistry, ' first class advanced.' The summer holiday of 1872 was spent in Cornwall, the chief object of interest being the tin mines and ' works.' He travelled with Mr. Board, a fellow-student of chemistry. The pair had a letter of general introduction from Mr. Waddington Smyth, which enabled them to see much which would have been closed to unaccredited travellers. His mother and the rest had returned from abroad in the be- ginning of the year, and the old life at Camberwell Grove had been resumed ; Sidney, with all his scientific studies and pursuits, with all his hard labour at his Court, being always the life and soul and central point of the home circle, never losing his interest either in domestic affairs or in more general questions of literature and life. 88 SIDNEY GILCHEIST THOMAS CH. v He began his 1873 holiday by accompanying his family to Hythe, where he initiated his sister and brother into geology ; but he went thence to Bradford, whither he was attracted by the meeting there in that year of the British Association. Here we are enabled to quote again the cousin who has described already the summer tour of 1869: 'The four years since our French expedition had ripened Sidney somewhat; yet in all essentials he was the same, with his old keen relish for all intellectual things, but with a rapidly intensifying bias towards practical science, which was perceptible even to an outsider like myself. In my father's house, where he was staying, the visitors during the Association week were chiefly physio- logists, and there was, I think, no one skilled in those branches of knowledge which were becoming specially my cousin's own. Yet he impressed everyone with whom he came in contact with his exceptional acquirements and ability an impression which was certainly not marred by the tact and modesty with which they were displayed. That modesty he never lost, even after he had become famous among all the metallurgists of the world. In that, as in other things, he was genuine to the heart's core of him ; in all earnestness his own estimate of him- self was ever too low rather than too high. ' As of old, many were our arguments together. One of our chief battlefields was the vexed question of the use of alcohol. The younger school of physiologists were then in the first flush of the reaction against this dangerous agent which has marked the medical history of the last twenty years, a reaction which has now perhaps some- what spent its force. Sidney, who personally had always been almost a teetotaller, had seen much in his official capacity of the devastating effects of the drink scourge, CH. v YEAES OF EQUIPMENT 39 and had gradually developed into an advocate of its legis- lative prohibition. I did not meet him (as in later years I should have met him) by arguing that drunkenness was a result of misery, and not a cause of it, but (being then a fanatical partisan of personal rights and " Mill on Liberty ") I went rather on the lines of the Bishop of Peterborough's famous saying about " drunken freemen and sober slaves." Starting from entirely opposite premises, we were thus enabled to retain our own opinions, despite all contradic- tion, with entire satisfaction to ourselves. ( Sidney took advantage of this visit to inspect the famous Low Moor Ironworks. Together we attended many of the sections, and I was more than ever impressed with the wide range of his interest and knowledge. Yet he was always ready to discuss the last novel of import- ance, even (if I pressed him) the last poem ; although he would still maintain his old heresy anent the superiority of prose to verse. He teased me (I remember) by speak- ing slightingly of "The Earthly Paradise," as being in truth unworthy of attention, since the book was no more than it proclaimed itself the work of the " idle singer of an empty day." I discovered, however, that he had read the "idle songs.'" It was out of this meeting that arose Thomas's first contribution to 'Iron' (then edited by Mr. Chaloner), ' Letter on Bradford Hammers, and American Blowers.' l From this time onwards for the next five or six years Thomas was a regular contributor to this periodical. His contributions range (as will be seen from the list printed below) over a great variety of topics. 2 They were for the 1 Iron, vol. ii. p. 712 (Jan- furnished to us by Mr. Chaloner. nary 3, 1874). Some six or eight small paragraphs * This list, which includes all difficult to identify are excluded. Thomas's articles in the first eleven 'He wrote,' says Mr. Chaloner, volumes of Iron, has been kindly ' little or nothing in vol. xii., 40 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS most part anonymous, ' but,' says Mr. Chaloner (' Iron,' July 6, 1885), 'his characteristic honour and rectitude appear in the fact that he never wrote a single line which would promote personal ends.' Later in this year (1873), in November, Thomas was offered by Mr. Yallentine the post of analytical chemist to a great brewery at Burton-on-Trent, with a salary of 150L a year to begin with. This was through the kindness of Mr. Chaloner, already so often mentioned. The anti-alcoholic convictions which which was the last under my care, and probably nothing but an occa- sion il letter after that.' ' Bradford Hammers and Ame- rican Blowers,' vol. ii. 712. ' Pollution of Rivers and its Prevention,' vol. ii. 771. * letter on the Refining and CoEverting Cast Iron,' vol. iv. 227. * Metallurgical Text-books,' ibid. Heat without Coals,' ibid. 482. ' A New Philosophy,' ibid. 642. ' Current Thermics,' ibid. 674. * Kinetics of the Future,' ibid. 802. ' A Budget of Heterodoxies,' v. 2. ' Oil Fuel,' ibid. 98. ' Coins and Coining,' ibid. 290, 355. * Patent Cotton Gunpowder,' ibid. 162. * Gun Cotton,' ibid. 259. * Some Recent Developments in the Technology of Iron,' v. 290, 354, 418, 547 ; vi. 66, 418, 482, 578,674, 771; vii. 67, 322. 'The Zinc Process for Lead Desilverising,' v. 424. 'Manufacture of Silesian Muf- fles,' ibid. 643. Percy's Metallurgy,' ibid. 706. ' Spectroscopic Estimation of Phosphorus in Iron and Steel,' ibid. 709. ' Historical Blast Furnaces,' vi. 4, 162, 323. ' A Gold Quest,' ibid. 194. ' Magnetism of Electricity,' i bid. 714. ' Charcoal-burning,' ibid. 802. ' A New Safety Tuyere,' ibid. 803. ' A Plea for Air Lines,' vii. 1. 'The Coming Air Lines,' ibid. 67. 'The Complete Bessemer Pro- cess,' ibid. 407. ' The Loan Collection of Scien- tific Apparatus,' ibid. 610. ' Recent Mining Literature, ibid. 770. ' Class-books of Chemistry,' viii. 34 ' A Furnace of the Future ' (first signed article), ibid. 364, 386, 419. 1 Presidential Science,' ibid. 802. ' Technical Travel Talk,' vol. ix. 2, 66, 162, 258, 355, 451, 675 ; x. 2, 259, 451, 546, 674. 'The Swedish School of Mines ' (qu. ?), xi. 98. 'A Policy for the Iron Trade,' ibid. 321. 'New Light on Steel-making' ibid. 804. This list alone would show Sidney Thomas's mental activity. CH. v YEARS OF EQUIPMENT 41 his cousin had noticed above had, however, by this time become firmly fixed, and he felt that he could not con- scientiously accept such a berth. Thus influenced, he declined what in itself would have been to him a most agreeable occupation, and continued his drudgery at the Thames Police Court. Early in 1874 we begin to be assisted in our narrative by a series of letters (fortunately preserved) from Sidney to his cousin Miss Burton, already spoken of. Miss Bur- ton was now settled at Wiesbaden. We give here some of these epistles belonging to this period : To Miss Burton ' 64 Camberwell Grove : March 20, 1874. 1 Dear Bess, . . . You don't say if that wonderful Kursaal supplies books as well as everything else, I mean looks as apart from periodicals. By-the-bye, I should not go in for the Leben Jesu sort of literature. It will do you no good, and unless you take up the whole question earnestly and studiously, the impressions you derive from it are valueless as conclusions, and to you particularly only mischievous in their results. I don't send Latin Dic- tionary; why waste your time on Latin? Far better [spend it] on German and Science. If you really want a Dic- tionary, you could get it better where you are, say in the Tauchnitz edition. . . . For myself, since you ask it, I jog on as usual. ... I find more and more I cannot work as I would, and doubt the wisdom of not giving self up to the reverse. I certainly shall after June, if not before. It is still drawing and struggling with pencils which no longer have sharp points or any points at all. I wrote to " Iron " to say I could not do anything in that line but had after all. ... I have no taste for the pen. . . . Have just spent an evening with W. . . . We talked at a great rate on in- 42 SIDNEY GILCHKIST THOMAS CH. v numerable topics ; disagreed on all, and he only resorted to flat contradictions half-a-dozen times . . . Have been en- joying Huxley's " Lay Sermons," one at a time, enormously. They bear a second reading ; the ultimate test of a book. Paget 3 has just published a volume of Essays, contributed mostly to " Black wood "... One on Ruskin and one on Rubens at Antwerp particularly good.' ' 64 Camberwell Grove : April 15, 1874. 1 Dear Bess, Went to a lecture at Society of Arts on Friday, on a manufacturing subject ; very interesting. If we were in town, I think I should go in for the Society. ' Nothing more suspicious about going to South Ken- sington than a wish to consult some books. I find the library there as good for many purposes as the British. c I think of going in for examination in drawing next week. Though I fail, I shall have worked at a subject I hate, in itself the best of educational processes.' This examination was at the School of Mines in Applied Mechanics and Mechanical Drawing and was successfully passed. In May 1874 he passed two further examinations at the Science and Art Department: on May 1, in Steam, ' second class advanced,' and on the 25th, in Applied Mechanics, ' first class advanced.' The following short extracts from letters belong to April and May of this year : To Miss Burton ( A re-reading of Trollope's "Australia" convinces me that Tasmania is after all the ideal country, conjointly with the South Sea Islands, and California perhaps. 3 Mr. Paget, the Metropolitan Magistrate, who then presided at Thames Police Court. CH. v YEAES OF EQUIPMENT 43 Everyone seems to concur in saying it is the most charm- ing place for climate and productions in the world. Everyone seems to make his fortune in Ceylon. ' My friends the magistrates are exceedingly happy just now, having secured a long-sought extra 300Z. a year. I am doing nothing now but a review of scientific basis &c. of iron-smelting, which means a great deal of voluminous reading with little result. Your account of your bird-pet delightful. Caged birds are an abomination, and the cat gets at uncaged.' 1 For ten days I have absolutely and entirely been idle, and feel correspondingly despondent. All the rest of our small world lively in the extreme. A tempting offer came across me the other day of going to the South of France, but I could not afford it, as the salary but trifling. I long for change.* In the summer of this year the household transferred itself to Sussex Place, South Kensington, where for the next three years the family dwelt. The next letter is dated from the new abode : ' 18 Sussex Place, Onslow Square, S.W. : 1874. ' Dear Bess, I returned just in time to go [up] for the last examination I have in view before settling down to a peaceful and indolent old age, with what result I know not, but will not post this till I do. ' Since then we have been in a whirl of move, move, packing and packing, than which nothing can be more abominable. Heaven defend me from being possessed of any chattels of my own. ' As- 1 have been pretty regularly tied to the Thames till 6.30 or 7, I am beginning again to consider how ex- cellent a thing is rest. My chief solace has been Mill's " Autobiography ; " it is quite a pearl amongst books, 44 SIDNEY GILCHKIST THOMAS CH, v earnest, thoughtful, and carrying a conviction of entire candour. Our present nearness to the [South Kensing- ton] Museum Library will be a great boon, though one cannot take books out. 4 Your life at Baden seems a very bright one. I suppose it is, as you say, just the life to suit you. I myself some- times feel quite a desire for foreign scenes and manners. * Lil and I went to a spiritualistic seance at V 's shortly since ; two lady cousins of his, a mutual friend and ourselves, forming with the medium the " circle." Though it was not considered a satisfactory perform- ance, I saw several matters which I have as yet failed to find an explanation of. V himself is a red-hot con- vert, and is now firmly convinced of immortality, having been previously a gross materialist. 1 Was at the " Throat and Ear " last night. The infir- mities of humanity, as seen at any hospital, form anything but a cheering spectacle, and I came away depressed ; though Llewe 4 was very nice, and anxious to display foul depths of his patients' throats and ears with the most picturesque light of healing science. i I start on August 3 for South Wales.' His usual holiday this year was spent partly with his cousin, Mr. Percy Gilchrist, then chemist to the Cwm Avon works in Glamorganshire, partly at the British Association meeting in Belfast, and partly at Bradford. The following extracts from letters describe it sufficiently : To Miss Burton 'Glamorganshire: August 3, 1874. < Dear Bess, I have at last started fair on my holiday- making, though I feel it rather selfish to leave the mother 4 The late Dr. Llewellyn Thomas, Sidney's elder brother. CH. v YEARS OF EQUIPMENT 45 and Lil at home. I [am] so glad to get away. My last month not overworked and worried. By-the-bye, I did fall through both the final examinations I went [in] for, though I have no particular gratification thereat now that it is done. I had rather an amusing occupation lately the correction of a translation of a French pamphlet ! The idea of my correcting any translation I regard as rich in the extreme. However, as it was a technical subject, I was able to earn quite a reputation as a French scholar.' To Ms Mother My only excurse has been to Siemens's Works, 5 where I spent five hours ; came out looking like a stoker, and was thrice drowned coming back, all of which I enjoyed. ' When I go to works we generally go up in a superb passenger car which tails on to the trucks always in transit 'twixt harbour and works. c I shall probably go to Belfast on Monday or Tuesday, but will let you know before I start. I feel it dreadfully selfish for me to be down here ; should so enjoy having you and Lil with me. Affectionately yours, < S. G. T.' Belfast, 1874. c Dearest Mother, I have just got your letter ; very glad to do so. Chaloner is here in great force. I am with him a good deal, as he knows several amusing characters, an Hour man . . . great fun, several other pressmen, and others. Went with him yesterday to Giant's Causeway, a dreadful railway journey, but magnificent cliff scenery ; not quite up to one's expectations possibly ; but that is human 5 Thomas had been given by Mr. letter of introduction to Sir W. Walter White (the late Assistant Siemens. Secretary to the Royal Society) a 46 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CH. v nature, or my nature at all events. We walked half way from the nearest station, and then had a boat along the coast, which I enjoyed immensely. On Saturday Odling's lecture was a treat. ' I quite look forward to seeing you.* To Miss Burton c You will have read of the sayings and doings of the associated savants. The two lectures of Huxley and Lubbock you should not miss on any account. They were reported in the Times, which I understand you see. Tyndall's address, eloquent though it was, was hardly to my mind satisfactory.' Back in town, and now at Sussex Place, the routine of his 'double life' was little changed. Only, instead of walking the whole way to the court, as had been his practice in Camber well, he would take train to the City and thence tramp to Arbour Square. He was now sys- tematically working at dephosphorisation and gradually feeling his way to a solution. The following letter tells something of Thomas's not too numerous recreations : To Miss Burton 'November 21, 1874. < Dear Bess, I was taken to an Albert Hall concert last night and heard Yon Bulow play marvellous tricks with the piano ; tours de force they seemed to my unenlightened mind. (How is your music going ?) The Hall looks magnificent, but it is not half filled. They are trying concerts every night, and the Briton soon wearies. 1 1 have done a few articles for " Iron " lately, but only regard it as education. It is not my forte, (if I have any), CH. v YEAKS OF EQUIPMENT 47 and takes up too much time to pay. I am obliged to husband my health resources, I find, after all. ( I had a pleasant little dinner at V 's shortly since. He had what I regard as the infinite good taste and sense to ask three or four men only and provide an entirely simple meal, such as he would have by himself. An old assistant of his has recently returned from Servia, which appears a virgin country, ripe for the most profitable ex- ploitation. It costs about 201. a year to live en prince, with gold and silver and lead and forests of finest timber to work on. Three English capitalists have gone out to found a little state, starting with a few hundred square miles. V is quite a pet of the mother's. His spiritualism is a little coming down. 4 You will have heard of the immense success of Farrar's " Life of Christ." Some one has insisted on lending it me. I like the preface. You should read it if you can. What is wanted now is an answer to " Supernatural Eeligion " by a man at once able, erudite and wide-viewed, answer- ing it on its own ground and not on quite another plat- form ; and then the world may decide on adequate grounds on the most momentous of all questions. Does " Nature " penetrate to Wiesbaden ? It boasts an European circula- tion and gives shortly a sketch of current science, I have a dreadful budget of things from Chaloner 6 he wants me to make something of. ... I have only seen abstracts of Gladstone's pamphlets. He has, at all events, brought out a latent Old Catholic party in England. Yours, ' S. G. T. J Early in the following year of 1875 we find Thomas again writing to his Wiesbaden correspondent : See A Budget of Heterodoxies,' Iron, v. 2. 48 SIDNEY GILCHEIST THOMAS CH. v To Miss Burton * 18 Sussex Place, Queen's Gate, Kensington : ' March 18, 1875. 'Your note just received starts me on my epistolary labours, which I should otherwise have attacked very shortly. It is pleasant to hear of your being in high spirits. ' I shall certainly try to look you up this summer, but, if the mountain will not come to Mahomet, Mahomet must come to the mountain, which is at present located at South Kensington ; where its site will be in the autumn I know not ; we have to settle shortly whether we stay here. ' I am over ears in a technical experimental investiga- tion on Iron which is likely to last me considerably, and then perhaps to have no result ; but, after all, life is very little else but the pursuit of crotchets, the pursuit being the best part of it. I recreated myself after a long spell at references by a rink yesterday. I had not been for some time, and found the wheels more popular than ever. The elaboration of costuming it has developed is quite a phenomenon. Do you read the English papers ? I under- stand you have access to them. You ought not to allow yourself to become behindhand in the manners and customs and literature of your native land. I shall submit you to an examination thereon when we meet. Yours, < S. G. T.' Of course the 'crotchet,' so lightly spoken of, was dephosphorisation, the solution of which question was now beginning to assume shape and consistency in Thomas's brain. The next letter is one of thanks for some birthday present, and incidentally expresses certain humorously distorted views of the German language and people : CH . T YEARS OF EQUIPMENT 49 To Miss Burton Sussex Place : April 17, 1875. ' Dear Bess, Your good wishes, which reached me yesterday, pleasant to receive and appreciated ; though my theoretic objections to presents are, you know, profound, I also appreciate and thank you very much for the pleasant and practical and most useful token of remembrance you caused to be conveyed to me. I was, in fact, only waiting till after the 16th was past to ask you to get me a techno- logical dictionary. Your idea of my German scholarship is delightful. Do you know it took me half an hour to translate the first ten lines of the cutting you sent me, and then I was not clear about them ? I consider, if I don't have to look out more than two words in a line, it is a special providence. As for the Germans, I consider that their existence on this earth, taken in connection with their barbarous, unintelligible, cumbrous, inelegant and never to-be-sufficiently-deprecated so-called language, is a blot and stain on the fair reputation of this continent. I have pleasure in observing similar sentiments pervade the appreciative periodical writers to whom you allude. Your views appear to have been slightly modified by your pleasant surroundings, but you will doubtless agree that the independent and impartial opinion of the insular observer is most calculated to come to a correct conclusion. 1 1 have some idea of getting up a little elementary Spanish.' The next letter seems written under the impression of some temporary check to the dephosphorisation investiga- tion. To Miss Burton Thames Police Court: May 15 [1875]. 1 Dear Bess, My blunder shows the difficulty of com- bining the inconsistent occupations of note-taking, with the 50 SIDNEY GILCHKIST THOMAS CH. v innumerable distractions under which it is performed, and letter-writing. I am afraid my " Iron " contributions would be hopelessly uninviting to you, or I should send them, but mere " iron," " heat," " furnaces " and so on would be an im- position on you. I went the other day to private view of the Scientific Apparatus Exhibition at South Kensington, and was greatly surprised at its extent and interest ; it is one of the best strokes for science that an English department has yet achieved. You are to be envied if it were only for adjacent woods. It is pleasant to think of your being so happily located. As for London, bah ! 4 1 am all behindhand with work both here and at home, with a pile of books to review. I have been spending much time and labour over an investigation which has not resulted in anything useful, and am considerably knocked up, not to say ultra seedy. Yours, 1 S. G. T.' The holiday this year was spent in Wales, and not in Germany, as had been hoped ; visits to ' Works ' alternating with long tramps. The following letter tells us something of Thomas's movements : To Miss Burton ' B : Sunday. { Dear Bess, I walked over here from Neath. Have been here since Tuesday, and am off again to-morrow. I am with a man I have some slight acquaintance with who is engaged at some works at B ; not a very lively place, though on the sea ; and with a small dock, about a mile of sandy flats 'twixt hills and sea. Three large metal works and that is all. I amuse myself as best I can 'twixt hills and sea. I have some idea of a two days' ramble in the interior, then looking in on Percy's home. It doesn't CH. v YEARS OF EQUIPMENT 51 come up by a long way to my anticipated German holiday, but is the best I can manage. ' Now I have some assistance to ask of you. It is this : Would you get Stumner's " Ingenieur " (published Vienna) for June 18, 1875, through a bookseller or direct ? In it is the continuation of an article " Hochofen, Anlage auf, &c. Gleiwitz." I would send the paper, but it is mislaid. I am making a summarised translation of the set; arid it would be of great service to me if you could give me a literal transla- tion of that number (leaving out any words that are quite unknown to you) and send it with original to me, " Care of P. C. G., Cwm Avon." 4 If it would weary or trouble you don't think more of it.' It is right to mention that these letters to Miss Burton are filled with information and advice about investments and finance, advice which it has not been thought necessary to reproduce. As we have said above, Thomas, amid all his numerous and engrossing occupations, found time in some mysterious way to conduct the affairs of more than one lady relative. Here are two letters written about this time to his sister Lilian (then at school at Richmond) which show something of what may be called the domestic side of the character of Thomas. To his Sister. { Dearest Little Woman, Sentiments of the most pro- found satisfaction inspire the fraternal breast at the tidings of the moral and intellectual reformation which has taken place since you left me, dissolved in tears, on the South Kensington platform. All hail ! O taciturn, virtuously at 6 A.M. arising, and much fasting sister ! 52 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CH. v Fail not in thy praiseworthy career, and receive a double first class Local Cam., Oxford and London University degree, with accumulated honours in the natural sciences, notably in your favourite pursuit of chemistry. 1 To return to things sublunary. Grind muchly at German. I have undertaken to do (or get done) another German translation of prodigious dimensions and unutter- able obscurity, solely with a view to keep up my imaginary reputation for translatory capacity, so that I may shift it to your juvenile and competent shoulders, as a step to- wards a pleasanter independence than the scholastic. 4 Needless to say that mother's bulletin chronicles minutely everything that does or does not occur chez No. 18. The only event is Llewe's doctorate at Brussels, which seems to have been gained with brilliant distinction and with compliments on his facility in French. I shall be off holiday-making on Saturday fortnight. I may possibly look you up the Thursday before I start, and if so, and you are very good, you shall have a row (you row and I steer). We won't dine at the " Star and Garter," it might make the rest jealous; but we will discourse sweet Chemistry instead. Respectfully and affectionately, ( YOUR BROTHER.' 1 The Eve of the Birthday : September 11, 1875. 1 Dearest Little Maid, Let me, with due submission and humility of mind, offer my fraternal felicitations to one who has reached the dizzy altitudes of antiquity to which your ladyship has scrambled. May the eventful 12th always pleasantly mark a step (or several) towards that culminating day on which I may see you as good and nice a little woman as I could wish you to be (which is equivalent to wishing you a few centuries of progressive existence). Enclosed a pair of prodigious wash-leather CH. v YEARS OF EQUIPMENT 53 gauntlets, selected by the mother as suitable to your age (and destructive habits). I had contemplated a daintier pair ; but the perplexing question as to whether seventeen or one was the proper size hindered my venture. ... In haste, and with love, your brother, ' SID.' ' So sorry you will not be with us, but you are quite right not to come. Work ! ' Later in the year come some more letters to Miss Burton : To Miss Burton 1 October 5, 1875. DearBess, I, like you, not feeling remarkably brilliant ; still send a technical paper to "Iron" every few weeks, though I have no enthusiasm for that species of employment. I have been seeing something of a rarity a student bond fide who learns languages pour passer le temps, and lives in a very pleasant studious retirement with that intent. I have been reading Matt. Arnold on Prussian education system, which certainly reads as approaching perfection, a view which our Teuton professor endorses. The Times in recent articles on their awny, exhibits well the causes of their military superiority. The " Turkish question " not long since promised to afford an opportunity for a general European squabble. Chesney in c ' Macmillan " has proved to his satisfaction that Prussia and Russia are to be the next pair in the cockpit.' In the next letter, already in 1875, and not then for the first time, a warning note is struck as to health : To Miss Burton ' November 1875. 1 Dear Bess, I hope to make sure of seeing you chez vous in the summer, unless any unforeseen event should 54 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CH. v intervene. I feel, however, slightly dubious as to my suc- cessful progress, as I have absolutely no German, my good resolutions in that direction having been interrupted. " Iron " now offers me as much work as I can do, but as the subjects I select require much reading, it is not re- munerative. I am constantly " knocking up," a weakness to which I imagine I shall some day " cave in," unless I throw England up altogether. ' I should have sent you some " Irons " for criticism, but as my last eight or nine articles have been on Blast Furnaces I am not merciless enough to ask you to read them. What do you think of the World? It has made a great hit. Sells 39,000 a week. It started with a trifling capital, on which it pays a few 100 per cent. . . . A propos of art, of course you know Henschel's sketches in the photos ; some are delicious. If I get time I will write more, but I have a book on charcoal, another on electricity, and two articles which I ought to be attacking.' 'December 15, 1875. 4 Dear Bess, . . . An American girl-student pretty, too has been visiting London hospitals, and to the dis- grace of the students thereat has been insultingly warned off. She called at Llewe's hospital, where, of course, she was received politely. 'The Suez question is the great subject of discussion ; all enthusiasm at first, but now a growing feeling of hesitancy about its benefits has supervened. The idle world is frantic on skating-rinks ; they are springing up everywhere, and are crowded at all times. Have you one about Wiesbaden ? Among a skating people like the Germans it would be a great success, both with natives and foreigners. CH. v YEAKS OF EQUIPMENT 55 ' December 22. ' I have kept this back so as to make it a Xmas letter. To my great comfort we are not going to have any Xmas festivities or visitors of any kind. My namesake of Bremerhaven is the most interesting problem that has ever been presented to the analytical moralist. In every relation of life he appears to have been perfect in amiability and savoir faire, exceptionally so, and yet throughout planning and carrying out the most infernal, deliberate, wholesale murder. A magnificent hero for a morbid psychological novelist. The man who wrote a startling book on New Guinea, which you mentioned was discredited in Germany, is by no means accepted here except as a modern Munchausen. I have asked you repeatedly what you do all day and every day. ' I send a new version of " Faust," the sketches in which may amuse you. With all good wishes for Xmas, and above all for 1876 and its successors, which I trust may bring you all happiness, Yours, 4 SIDNEY. 56 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CH. vi CHAPTER VI THE PROBLEM THEORETICALLY SOLVED A GERMAN TOUR IN the latter end of 1875 the great problem was approach- ing to, at any rate, provisional and theoretic solution in the mind of Thomas. He had gathered together all avail- able analytical and technical data. The first question to be answered was obviously (as we have said above) the fundamental one why was phosphorus retained in the Bessemer converter? That preliminary difficulty sur- mounted, the path might or might not be clear to cheap elimination ; at any rate it would at least be visible. Thomas came to the conclusion that the reason of the non-elimination of the phosphorus was to be sought in the chemical nature of the lining of the Bessemer converter. This lining has been described above in Sir Henry Bessemer's own words ; it varied in material, but the material, whatever it might be, was acid in chemical essence. The phosphorus in the iron was rapidly oxidised during the process, or, in other words, formed phosphoric acid. With an acid lining that phosphoric acid would not combine, the two acids having no i chemical affinity ' or liking for each other. If this were the cause of non-elimination, the path to be followed was visible indeed. Not by any addition or mixture of substances after the converter *had been charged was solution to be found, but rather by a change in the constitution of the lining. For the acid lining in use a CH, vi THE PKOBLEM THEORETICALLY SOLVED 57 basic one must be substituted. A base is a term used by chemists to signify a substance which will combine with an acid, a substance for which an acid has c affinity.' Some strong base then must be employed for the lining. Thomas entered upon a series of experiments for the purpose of investigating the material and duration of various linings. Durability was essential to cheapness and, therefore, to commercial success, and a substance which would long survive the intense heat of the Bessemer process was by no means easy to find. Thomas at this time came to the conclusion that the required material must be either lime or its congeners, magnesia, magnesian limestone, &c. It must be remembered always that the aim to be attained was twofold, as will be seen by the quotation from Lowthian Bell, ante, p. 34. Perhaps the more im- portant object was to separate the phosphorus from the iron ; but it was also of great importance to preserve the phosphorus, which (noxious as it was when combined with iron) was in itself a most valuable product, at least in the form of phosphoric acid. This could be done by creating a basic f slag.' So far, then, had theorising and experiment led Thomas at the end of 1875. He was convinced that his conclu- sions were chemically correct, but he found it impossible to finally verify them under such conditions as were open to him in his rough little laboratory. He attempted in his top room at Sussex Place to obtain a Bessemer blow by means of an improvised converter in the ordinary domestic firegrate, which was alone at his disposal ; but he naturally found it impossible to obtain the necessary blast. Thomas thought, however, that he saw his way to more satisfactory trial of his theories. A cousin, Mr. P. C. Gilchrist, already mentioned, was, as we have seen, then 58 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CH. vi chemist to certain Works at Cwm Avon, in South Wales. It might be that Gilchrist, although, of course, he had no unlimited command of the works and appliances, might at least be in a position to experimentalise more satisfac- torily than was possible in Sussex Place. Early in 1876 Thomas wrote to him communicating his theory in detail, as well as the lines on which he thought it could be proved or disproved. Gilchrist at first deemed the whole thing a chimera, but undertook, nevertheless, to make some experiments. The business, however, slumbered for long months ; Thomas on his side still working at his idea in the evenings at home and devising the best method and the best materials to make the experiments a success. In the summer of this year we find him writing to Gilchrist under date of August 7, 1876, from the Thames Police Court : c My impression is, a biggish wrought-iron crucible would be as good for experimental converter as anything, and would be easy to try various linings in. The tuyeres, 1 subject to your emendations, might be pieces of wrought- iron gas-pipe covered with fire-clay and with fire-clay stopper perforated thus or laterally. I have not time enough to do. I only go home to sleep and eat. Most unsatisfactory.' For some months yet, however, Sidney had to continue to chafe at delay. Meanwhile he had found time for a July holiday in Germany, a holiday mainly spent in visiting Works. The following letters to his Wiesbaden correspondent were written before, during and after this time : 1 These, it will be remembered, (See Sir H. Bessemer 's description are the air-holes of the converter. of his process, ante, p. 32). CH. vi A GERMAN TOUR 59 To Miss Burton ' 18 Sussex Place : June 1876. c Dear Bess, Plunged over head and ears in work. I look forward to starting to your beloved Germany on Monday night, the 3rd prox., if I can find time before then to address myself to the necessary consultations of Brad- shaw, &c., provided always that the mother is well enough to get away to the sea without me. Now, though my bourne is the Hartz, I need hardly say I contemplate being in Wiesbaden, if not en route at least on my homeward voyage, that is, if you care to see me. So I want you to write when you will prefer my going, begin- ning or end of July. I have a man who talks of accom- panying me, but I shall probably be alone. All news such as there is may be best delivered orally. I mean to travel without any luggage but a pen and an umbrella, a hat and a dictionary. Will you be shocked at the intro- duction of so uncouth a traveller amid the refinements of Wiesbaden ? Yours, ' S. G. T.' 1 Dear Bess, I formulated three conclusions before my arrival at Frankfort : * That I am very sorry I have come to you first and not last, as I had intended, on the principle of keeping the pleasantest of everything to the last. ' That I would try to bring my holiday in your direc- tion next year. c That if I had stayed a day longer the Hartz Bergwerke &c. would have been shelved altogether. From which reflections (added to one that I had not said half I in- tended), I was aroused by arrival at Frankfort, which I proceeded to do in the time I had to spare. I will not trouble you with any hasty observations thereon. The 60 SIDNEY GILCHKIST THOMAS CH. vi seven hours to Eisenach were tedious, though the country somewhat interesting ; more so my fellow-travellers, especi- ally a young soldier and an artist, the latter just returned from a sketching excursion in Schweitz. These with two others kept up a lively interchange of jokes and information. I, a silent spectator, could only catch one- fifth of the points. 'At Eisenach we parted; the soldier gave us all his name and address, and we him our cards. Hope he won't call and borrow. 4 At Eisenach to a good hotel, and was off by 6 A.M. to Wartburg, which I accomplished with a party of students. Then through rain " fahrers " to Austhal, which I happily stumbled on at one. Both Burg and Thai sehr romantisch and so on. Dann hat ein teuflich Fahrer mir misdirected, und habe ich zwei Stunde aus von mein Weg gegangen. Then through forest to Rluhla, a curious miniature Bad with Curhaus, and so on in a hill valley ; on again through woods and over hills to a primitive Dorf, where I put up at a primitive hostel with a getrunken Wirth wer zu mir Deutsch sprechen insisted. My bedroom, shared with a Fuhrmann, though deficient in some elegancies, was ziem- lich bequem. Morgens friih iiber Friedrichroda another Bad, nach Oberhof, on the way picking up a student. The infamous Schurke had on me his infamous fraud perpet- rated ; he said he Englisch konnte, aber Englisch kann er kein Wort verstehen. Through a beautiful rocky valley, up a series of hills, and then twelve miles of continuous wood, brought us to a Gasthaus, wo ich ein wunderbar Milchkur habe gemacht. ' Morgen friih nach Ilmenau by Berliners frequented Wasser-Kur und Austall wo ich mit meiner Student with much vergniigen parted. Then to Konigsee ; curious old town, excessively hot, so I in a hasty Augenblick der Post genommen habe. Der Post a wicked snare and vile delu- CH. vi A GERMAN TOUR 61 sion, kann ein Meile in ein Stunde ; and as for the horses Donner Blitz ! 1 A postman entered into conversation with me, and gave me a commission to execute in London with mystic names and so on, on paper. I don't know what it was I undertook, but we parted great friends. Half way to Eudolstadt my post got emptied, and Kutscher wanted me to ansteigen, which I declined to do, having my billet further genommen. I argued the question in my native tongue, and utterly routed Herr geehrter Kutscher. An appalling nine hours' train to Chemnitz, where I got at 10.30. Asked a young person with a brilliant cap to direct me to a Gasthaus, and after er hat das gethan, he insisted on drinking beer and talking German to me till 12.30. Oh, horrors! what I suffered with him ! also exchanged cards, swore eternal friendship, and so on. I wondered what he said all those two hours. I said 80? Ja ! Ja ! So ? which satisfied him. ' Morgen friih nach Freiberg, wo ich bin, got a fair on ; queer place. I have been much longer getting here than I calculated. In Thiiringen Wald, to get five miles in a straight line, you had to go eighteen. 1 1 shall not go to Essen now. It is quite possible that Herr F. may also not care to have strangers on his works. I should like to know if this be so early. Would you write me a card both to Mansfeld and Thale Hartz as to this, and send my bag to Kreimsen ? Shall be in Dresden Tuesday ; no time for Saxon Schweitz. 1 The only German who can speak English, I believe, lives on the Ehine. We must push on the universal tongue.' 13 Sussex Place: Tuesday. 1 Dear Bess, Here I am at the end of my tether, and preparing for stringent harness. I received yours and 62 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CH. vi cards (for wliicli many thanks to both of you) at Clausthal and Goslar. In case you interest yourself in my remain- ing travels, here they are. From Mansfeld, whence I wrote you, and where I accomplished some works, I pere- grinated to Hartz Gerode. Uninteresting works, hot and dusty. H e nothing to boast of, but so-called castle sleepy and primitive. Thence to Alexisbon, another miniature Bad, buried in a valley, woods all round, a dirty stream, said to be irony, and salubrious Band Curhaus, and frequent refreshments. So over a hill through a wood to a schoenes Aussicht. Had to climb up a tower my tenth where a ruffian persisted in showing off his topo- graphical lore by pointing out to me every village within the horizon. Again to Rosstroppe and Tanzplatz really a fine view where all the cits of North Germania were drinking and singing to their great content ; sleeping at Thale; on again by Blankenberg, striking the Bodathal again at Rubeland last again pretty and halting at Elbingerode. Hence a lovely walk in early morn through woods up Brocken, whence I gazed my fill and lighted on a delightful little sylvan inn by Andreasberg. Going down a mine and over works at Andreasberg, which is also now frequented by "fir needle " bathers, occupied most of next day. My next stage Clausthal, where I stumbled on a Londoner University student with whom I did the "Lione," escorted by two German students. So round Ochretal and on again to quaint old Goslar, and on again to Kreimsen, where I picked up my bag. By train to Mulham near Ruhrort, and by seven on Monday morn- ing I had the audacity to call on Herr Dr. F., whom I found at breakfast with Mrs. F. and an amusing young lady of two. Was received most courteously, and taken to Phoenix, where I was left to satisfy my curiosity, which I did at length, finding the works well constructed and CH . vi A GERMAN TOUR 63 worked. I was to see Herr F. again, but unfortunately he did not return to his office before I was obliged to leave to catch the only train to Kotterdam. I left a card ex- pressing my thanks. There are several points on which I may possibly write to him for information. Does the director read English I wonder ? Yours ever, < S. G. T. 4 P.S. My opinion of German scenery is is reserved ; of the folk I can say I have a much better opinion than I started with. If they would only learn English they would be civilised.' 'Dear Bess, Here everything going much as usual. My editorial acquaintance just back from America; speaking well of things American, particularly of their extraordinary capacity for work and rapidity in executing it. Awaiting my return I found a letter from my friend in the "Western States saying that he was relinquishing the Professorship he has hitherto held, and suggesting I should take his place. It was a temptation ; but, of course, in my mother's state of health it would have been out of the question. ' I find so much to engage me that it is doubtful whether I shall have time to turn my German visit to any literary account, particularly as a great part of my notes got lost in hurry to catch a train for Ruhrort. ' By the way, as to " hurry," you seem to think my time is unlimited ; I had twenty-six days for all. * I enclose a number of queries, of which the director may answer some in German or English possibly, if you would kindly undertake their transmission. They are simply what I had jotted down at the time to ask the director before I left. Of course it is a considerable trespass, on the strength of your introduction ; but I find 64 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CH. vi German scientists so courteous in giving information that I have become a hardened interrogator.' ' Dear Bess, I am intensely obliged to all of you, the Doctor, Fraulein N. and yourself, for the trouble you have taken over my troublesome interrogatories, which I cer- tainly did not expect to get so answered. You say that Phoenix had forty-eight furnaces at work in 1872-73, now only eighteen. Does that mean blast furnaces (Hohofen)? for if so, Phoenix is larger than I imagined ; few English works have more than twenty in all. By asking the name of the hot-blast stoves I meant this : I observed in par- ticular one new hot-blast stove (i.e. an apparatus for heat- ing the blast before it enters the Hohofen) of a construction new to me. I know the Whitwell stove, the Cowper, the Pistop pipe stove and so on. This appeared to be filled with circular discs of iron (?), so I asked by what name it is known that I might find a description of it. In einzeln etc. means " is more tenacious." Hartenummern I should translate as " scale of hardness " I fancy, but I am not quite clear ; what is your idea ? The director's answers are admirably clear and to the point. ' I will send " Iron " to Herr Dr. F. as you suggest. It is simply appallingly hot, and I find Thames has effectually taken all the good I derived from my trip to itself. The amount of work accumulated is quite a feature, and I have a new magistrate. Wish I could exchange Kensington for Wiesbaden for a week or two. Yours, CH. vii ' TECHNICAL TEAVEL TALK ' 65 CHAPTER VII ' TECHNICAL TRAVEL TALK ' THOMAS did * turn his German tour to literary account ' by the contribution of a series of articles (under the heading of ' Technical Travel Talk ' ) to the columns of ' Iron/ We reproduce some extracts from these articles (published in the course of 1877) here. Much of them is, of course, too technical for these pages. The opening paragraph is very characteristic of the writer : ' Freiberg. 4 There is a curious delusion very prevalent among vacation-tourists, that it is inconsistent with the purpose of true holiday-making, and indicative of a certain poverty of spirit, to concern oneself about aught else than the picturesque and artistic features of one's holiday-ground. By such a limited interpretation of the available resources of pleasure-travel, not a few are condemned to hours of ennui, which they would escape effectually if they would only recognise that the industries and institutions of a strange locality are as legitimate objects of interest as its scenery, buildings and pictures. Of course there are those who are so profoundly convinced that instruction and amusement are hopelessly incompatible, that they are consistent in refusing to desert the beaten tourist track, lest perchance they should fall into the pitfall of instruc- tion. It cannot, however, be believed that, of the thou- Y #6 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CH. vn sands of Englishmen who sojourn in or pass through Dresden yearly, all labour under this singular prejudice, and believe that it is incumbent on a true holiday-maker to utterly bury and forget all the interests which constitute the chief concern of his everyday life. Yet it is sur- prising how few of our practical countrymen find their way from the art-capital of Germany to the old mine-city of Freiberg, the birthplace of technical education, and of the systematic application of scientific methods to the conduct of industrial enterprise, though the two places are barely an hour's ride apart. 1 The district of the Saxon Erzgebirge (Ore-mountains), of which Freiberg is the centre, would, indeed, be well worth a visit, even though its only attractions were the quaint and picturesque architecture of its towns and the primitive customs of its people, among whom the eerie superstitions and legends, which filled so important a part in the lives of the old miners, still linger. ' Freiberg itself has seen fluctuations of fortune beyond the experience of ordinary cities. To have been the scene of many sieges, the cradle of the Saxon Reformation, and the seat and city of refuge of the royal family of Saxony are only a few incidents in its chequered political career. Its real prosperity, however, fluctuated with that of the mines of the district, and the depreciation and apprecia- tion of silver was a question of deep moment to its burghers long before the dwellers in Lombard Street had begun to dabble in the intricacies of finance. In the sixteenth century, when its mines were at their best, the population of the city is said to have been five times as great as it was at the beginning of the present century, and considerably larger than it is at present. ' The contrast between the mediaeval streets and fan- tastic buildings of the old town, and the costumes and CH. vii ' TECHNICAL TKAVEL TALK ' 67 manners of the crowds that thronged them was particu- larly striking as I made niy way from the station and found the Jahrzeit, or semi-annual fair, in full swing, with all the accompaniments of bands, shows, jugglers and vociferous cheap-jacks. Strolling through the good- humoured multitude I came on a little group of American academy students, who were laughingly engaged in showing the heathens (as they designated the non-English- speaking portion of the community), in some trials of strength, that transatlantic skill could prevail over Saxon muscle. High over the busiest part of the fair loomed a mining engine-house, perched on the inevitable rubbish mound, requiring no great stretch of the imagination to picture it as the genius of the place. The monotonous periodical clang of the engine-bell, which throughout the mining region serves to indicate that the pumping machinery is in order and at work, readily lends itself to this fancy, by giving to the stranger an almost painful consciousness of automatic, never-tiring watchfulness. ' As some salt carriers from Halle were making their way across the Freiberg heights with their salt, on their way to Bohemia, it chanced that one of them picked up by the roadside a lump of lead ore. Being evidently shrewd and enterprising men, they abandoned their Bohemian journey and betook themselves with their find to an emi- nent assayer at Goslar. A certificate having been obtained that their specimen assayed much richer in silver than the ordinary Ramrnelsberg ores, the fortunes of Freiberg were made, for divers Gosla rites emigrated forthwith, and speedily opened up the rich silver deposits which soon rendered Freiberg one of the most prosperous cities of Central Europe. What became of the original enterprising prospectors, Agricola, who is the authority for this account, F 2 68 SIDNEY GILCHKIST THOMAS CH. vn does not chronicle. The author of a curious little work on " The Origin of the Saxon Mines," published at Chemnitz in 1764, discusses the question of the exact date of this discovery in great detail, but if we follow Agricola again in fixing it in 1164 we shall not be far wrong. Between the years 1164 and 1824 the Saxon mines are said to have produced 4,100 tons of silver, valued at thirty-six millions sterling. Their greatest productiveness appears to have been reached in the fourteenth and fifteenth centuries, when there can be no doubt that some of the richest veins were struck and almost exhausted, large masses of ore, yielding sixty and seventy per cent, of silver, being found. 'In 1810 the product of the Saxon silver mines was estimated at 53,000 marks, or, say, one-eighth of a million sterling. In 1817 it had sunk to a considerably lower value. In 1850 we find it still at about the same figure, though the total value of the mineral products of Saxony had doubled in the interval. In 1856, however, the pro- duction amounted to 55,000 Ib. of metal, and in 1865 to 80,000 lb., while by the last returns from the Freiberg smelting works the value of the silver produced has again declined. * At the date of the last official return there were in ex- istence, in the four Reviere into which the ore-mining district of Saxony is divided, 344 mines. In this numera- tion, however, are included drainage and extraction adits, and over 150 mines which are not in work at all. Of the balance, only nine were in the dividend list, while sixty- four of those reckoned as " going concerns " were raising no ore, The total ore raised in 1874 amounted to about 50,000 tons, representing a cash value of something over 250,OOOZ. sterling. Of the 76,OOOZ., which was the value of the ore raised from Himmelfahrt, the most prosperous CH. vii ' TECHNICAL TKAVEL TALK ' 69 of all the mines, only 11,OOOZ. went into the pockets of the shareholders. ' The Himmelfurst mine at Brand, some two miles or more from Freiberg, is one of the most important in the district after Himmelfahrt, which is the show-mine to which visitors are usually directed, and where there is accordingly less opportunity of seeing the normal course of mining operations than elsewhere. Soon after five on a rainy morning I met, by appointment, in the Freiberg market-place, a figure clad in coarse miner's dress, patched from top to toe with earth stains, and duly adorned with leathern apron and belt, a knife and a lamp. This costume is the regular mining costume of Saxony, where miners dress, not, as is the wont at home, as individual taste or convenience suggests, but just as their fathers and fore- fathers did before them. The wearer, however, is an English student, a chance acquaintance, to whose courtesy and intelligence I was much indebted. After a wet trudge along an elevated highroad, bordered by a monotonous country, which, hedgeless and almost treeless, looked bleak enough even in summer-time, and recalled the fact that agriculture in the Saxon uplands is a precarious pursuit, we arrived at our destination. At intervals along the road we had exchanged a friendly " Gliick auf," the universal salutation for all times and occasions in mining Germany, with individuals accoutred like my companion, hurrying to their respective mines ; but as we entered the group of offices " Gliick auf" is heard on all sides. My friend having interviewed the presiding official and shown his academical voucher, and the usual preliminary of entering our names, domiciles, and the whence and whither of my journeying being duly performed, I changed my clothes for a miner's suit, and, lamp in hand, we proceeded to descend one of the several shafts by which the mine is 70 SIDNEY GILCHKIST THOMAS CH. vn worked. That " we," however, now included a Steiger, to whose care we had been confided. There are Steiger and Obersteiger, and (I believe) Untersteiger, their functions being to overlook the works and generally superintend the conduct of mining operations ; their position varying be- tween that of mining captains and of foremen or gangers. Though their pay is very scanty, averaging considerably under thirty shillings, and often not exceeding a pound a week, they have nearly all received an excellent technical training at the mining school, and possess an acquaintance with the theoretical principles of mining which it would be hard to find a parallel for among English miners of far greater pretensions. We spent some four or five hours underground, our conductor taking care that no instructive or interesting feature should be passed over, or be unap- preciated for want of a commentary, and never tiring of explanations. The mine, of which the set contains five rich veins, produces zinc ores and pyrites, besides the argentiferous galena and silver ores, which are its main support. But though it employs over 1,000 men, it only turns out about 3,000 tons of ore a year, valued, according to the last return at hand, at some 45,000?. The sale of SOL worth of " specimens " is one of the items which makes up this total. A generation ago, when only one-fifth of the present output was realised, it appears that the returns of ore sold were over 18,OOOL, which indicated that the richest veins have been exhausted. 1 As in most German mines, dead work bears here a much larger proportion to paying work than would be long tolerated by English adventurers. We find, by a recent return, that while only 1,000 metres were driven in the Freiberg Revier in rich ore ground, 1,800 were driven in poor though ore-carrying ground, and no less than 7,000 metres in perfectly barren ground. In other words, 70 CH. vii ' TECHNICAL TEAVEL TALK ' 71 per cent, of the total year's work done was of an unremu- nerative character. This mode of working, not for the present alone, but with a view to maintaining the existence of the mine for the longest possible period, has many and solid advantages, which are not to be obtained on the " quick return " system. Nothing gives a better idea of the strong hold this desire for permanency has on those who have the ultimate direction of mining works than the extraordinary solidity and finish of the masonry which is so largely used in the lining of the shafts, and the support of the roof and sides of the working levels. The regular thickness for the arches protecting the junction of galleries with the shaft, or supporting the masonry of a few fathoms of lined shaft, is one metre. ' It is the custom to inscribe the date on which any im- portant sinking or driving was finished in situ, so that the mine itself bears its own chronology graven on its walls, and we have a clue to the exact course the works have taken for a century or two. Thus, it will often happen that at one stage in the descent of a shaft you will find the date of say A.D. 1760 ; on getting still lower you will be surprised to find you have got back to 1700, and then, at the lowest depth of all, you are confronted with a freshly carved or painted " 1876." This, of course, indicates that in 1760 a shaft was sunk upon an old gallery from another shaft (possibly only by accident, as it was not continued down to the level), and that subsequently, the original ore bodies being probably exhausted, the shaft has been continued to its present depth, or a shaft driven upwards. ' The shaft by which we descended was a rectangular one, measuring two metres by six, and is to be carried to a depth of some 500 metres. The main drawing and pumping shaft, by which we ascended, was driven on the 72 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CH. vn veins, and follows its inclination, and is of very much larger dimensions. The greater part of the ore is got out by overhead stoping, though the underhand system is also in use. There is one tool which is very much used by the miners, which is not, I believe, common in England. It is almost exactly the shape of the ordinary miner's poltpick on a small scale (weighing only two or three pounds), and being held in position by the handle, is driven into the rock by a sledge ; the handle enables the gad or wedge, which is what the tool really is, to be used in positions which it would be hard to get at otherwise. 1 The Saxon mining lamp, though not unknown in Eng- land, seems such an obvious improvement on the naked candle, so largely used, that it is worth description. It con- sists of a flat box of wood, about eight or ten inches high, with a rounded top and the front open. The interior is lined with polished metal, and the open side may be closed with a glass sliding in a groove. This glass, when not in place, clips into a recess at the back of the lamp. Either a candle or oil-lamp can be used, and the whole is swung by a string round the miner's neck. The hands are left free, the flame protected from draughts and wet, and the light reflected on the work in hand. All these advantages are obtained at an insignificant cost. 1 The miner's cap, common to all Germany, is of the shape once known in England as the " porkpie " hat, made of stiff felt, and is an admirable protection to the head, which, as every novice in mining knows, is exposed to grievous attacks in underground life. Gunpowder is alone used in blasting, and all the holes are put in by hand. As far as I could learn, Himmelfahrt is the only mine in the district in which machine drills had been fairly tried, nor do modern explosives seem much in favour. The miners are, by general testimony, as steady and industrious a CH. vii ' TECHNICAL TEAVEL TALK ' 73 class of men as could be desired. Of late years Italian (probably Piedmontese) hewers have been employed in the Saxony collieries, and in driving adits and other heavy work, and it is said that they can turn out more work than the native miner. I was informed that a heading through moderately hard rock, which we watched being driven, was paid for by piecework at a rate which would give the miner, a first-class workman, something less than 15s. per week. The ordinary rate of payment appears to be a mark (or shilling) for a six-hours' shift, and two marks for a ten-hours' shift. Low as these wages are, they probably do not represent a less purchasing power than the average English mining wage. Indeed, they are even absolutely but very little lower than the regular Cornish rates of a few years ago. 'An excellent system of miners' unions, or friendly societies, to which nearly all the men belong, contributes largely to improve the position of their members. The contributions of the men are supplemented by a propor- tionate subscription from the various mining companies and the income derived from various charitable endow- ments. The distribution and management of the funds are mainly undertaken, I was informed, by a committee of the oldest members of the union. The objects on which they are expended are : the relief, by allowances, pensions and medical attendance, of sick members ; pensions to widows of deceased members; the maintenance of co-operative stores, and the education of orphans and the children of indigent members. The annual expenditure of the com- bined Saxon societies and foundations amounts to between 60,OOOZ. and 70,OOOZ. The whole body of ore-miners is bound together by the Bergknappschaften, or unions which are of great antiquity into a body corporate, with elaborate regulations and ceremonies. To be expelled 74 SIDNEY GILCHEIST THOMAS CH. vn from the association is the greatest social ignominy, and its established customs have the force almost of law. One of the periodical musters, or reviews of the Freiberg miners, was due a few days after I left Freiberg. On these occa- sions they are grouped into companies and brigades under their officers, adorned with the insignia of their craft, and, after attending church, spend the balance of the day in certain traditional exercises and festivities. Of late years a considerable tide of emigration of miners from Saxony to America has set in, and so relieved the pressure which the decrease of mining activity would have caused. ' Saxon Mining ' Neither women nor boys are employed in the metal mines of Saxony, and comparatively few in the coal dis- tricts. The Saxons, though rather a stolid race, are, as a rule, well educated, and believe in educating their children rather than sending them prematurely to work, a view in which the law supports them. The total number of miners employed in the ore mines is only about 8,000, but about twice that number are engaged in the bituminous collieries, and over 3,000 in the brown-coal mines. The colliers are a very different class of men to the ore- miners, whose morale and judiciously recognised esprit de corps , combined with a traditional good understanding with their employers, render labour troubles among them of very rare occurrence. I think there could hardly be a better indication of the old-world flavour which pervades Saxon ore-mining than the nomenclature of the mines themselves. A singular contrast to the matter-of-fact names which figure in our mining-share lists, and the ambitious and often grotesquely humorous labels which the Californian and Comstock miner delights in attaching to his workings, is afforded by a list, in which capital and dividends, and pro- CH. vii ' TECHNICAL TKAYEL TALK * 75 fit and loss seem incongruous items, when connected with undertakings trading under such pious blazons as God's Blessing, God's Hope, Good God, Trust in the Lord, God with us, God trusted Daniel, the Green Twig and the Grace of God; sometimes lapsing into such mundane though comprehensive appellations as the Morning Star and Noonday Sun. Does not this seem to take us back to a far-off age, when work or, perhaps, speculation and religion were on intimate terms, though no one had yet formulated the " Gospel of Work " ? 1 Saxon Metallurgy 1 The Fiscal Metallurgical Works of the Freiberg district consist of two great smelting establishments, one known as the Muldener Hiitte and the once celebrated but now less important works at Halsbruck. In connection with these there are certain subsidiary industries of consider- able local importance, notably the Cobalt Blue Works at Oberschlema and Pfannenstiel (the latter of which is a semi-private undertaking). The manufacture of shot and leadwork generally, of whitelead and pottery are the most flourishing of these subsidiary industries ; but they do not possess any features of special interest. At the several Fiscal Works about 1,400 men are employed. Tin-smelt- ing is still carried on at six or seven small furnaces in close proximity to the mines, of which the most important are situated in the Altenberg district, but this branch of metal- lurgy is now labouring under considerable depression, owing to the fall in the value of tin. The Mulden and Halsbruck Works (which may be practically regarded as one), how- ever, have certainly done more for the advancement of metallurgical science than any other establishment of the kind in the world, and possess many features of the 76 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CH. vn greatest technical interest. The prominent position they have taken may be traced to a combination of several causes. ' In the first place, the intimate connection which has existed between the Academy and the Hiitte since the foundation of the former, and the fact that for at least a century the direction of the works has been carried on under what, having reference to the current state of metallurgical knowledge, was unquestionably the best scientific advice, were alone sufficient to elevate the conduct of these works far above the dead level of empiricism which so long prevailed in metallurgy. The joint reputation of the Academy and the Works also brought to Freiberg a constant succession of intelligent visitors, whose sugges- tions for modifications of any process or accounts of the modes adopted for like ends in other countries were always attentively considered by experts, whom an academy training had freed from local prejudice, which so often prevents the adoption of improvements. The remarkable complexity of composition, which is a characteristic of the Freiberg ores, also calls for the exercise of an unusual amount of skill in devising processes by which the largest number of metals may be profitably isolated from each other and turned out in a marketable condition. The absence of those restraints upon the pursuit of investiga- tions of which the immediate pecuniary result is doubtful, more or less inseparable from private enterprise, has also had a most happy effect on Saxon metallurgy. ' During the most prosperous period of the Saxon mines the ores were smelted at a number of private works in a very rude fashion. Towards the commencement of the eighteenth century, when the succession of rich bonanzas which had astonished Europe and enriched Saxony had been about worked out, and the effects of the vast importa- CH. vii ' TECHNICAL TRAVEL TALK ' 77 tion of silver from Mexico and Peru in depreciating the value of the metal had not been recovered from, the Saxon Government came to the rescue of the impoverished mining industry by founding metallurgical works, under the administration of a special department, with the object of utilising to the utmost the mineral treasures of the Erzgebirge, by bringing the advantages of capital, concen- tration and skilled management to bear upon the extraction of the metals from their containing ores. The results of this direct Government interference with private enterprise, repugnant as it is to English ideas of the limits of the functions of the State, have been certainly more favourable than could have been anticipated. Aided by the economical Jesuits achieved by the Government works, of which the miner shares the advantage, not only in receiving originally a better price for his ore than private smelters would or could give, but by a subsequent participation in the profits of the undertaking, many mines have struggled through periods of adversity to which they must have otherwise succumbed. In looking over the visitors' book at the Muldener Hiitte, one is struck by the cosmopolitan character of those who (as indicated by their names) avail themselves of the unreserved liberality with which the direction permits access to all the Government establish- ments. My own visit was paid in company of two Greeks, our predecessors being Germans, Spaniards and Americans. 1 Of the 130 ironworks of Saxony of which only some half-dozen have blast furnaces located for the most part in the neighbourhood of Zwickau, Chemnitz, and Plauen, with a gross production valued at about one million sterling, I have no personal knowledge. I was informed, however, from several sources, that, notwithstanding journalistic denials, the engine and machine makers of 78 'SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS en. vn Chemnitz and Leipzig always use English metal, especially steel, for any purpose in which the highest quality is re- quired. ' From Freiberg to Dresden the railway passes through decidedly attractive scenery, while, for the technical tourist, the attractions of the picturesque valley which the line traverses are not diminished by its being the seat of a thriving brown-coal mining and iron-working industry at Potschappel, and the celebrated forest nursery and forestry academy of Tharandt. On the many attractions of Dresden, the most charming of German cities, this is not the place to expatiate. It may be suggested, however, that the geological and mineralogical collections which form, perhaps, the least frequented section of the magnifi- cent series of museums of which the Saxons are justly proud, are worthy of their reputation, their strength lying in the completeness of their sets of Saxon ores and fossils. The Saxon Switzerland, which commences a few miles south of Dresden, originally an elevated tableland of sandstone, has been chiselled, by fluvial and aerial agency, into a series of fantastically-shaped peaks and pinnacles, and isolated and precipitous rock fortresses, while those portions which have suffered least are penetrated in every direction by deep ravines. As it is given only to few to visit the Colorado canyons, an excursion to the Sachsische Schweiz may be taken to be, perhaps, the most favour- able accessible illustration, on a great scale, of the power of water as a geological tool, since the cause and effect are here seen in close juxtaposition, and under the most striking conditions. ' Bohemia, a country which lies somewhat out of the regular tourist track, holds out many inducements to the student of metallurgy or mining who has got so far as Freiberg or Dresden to extend his explorations thither. CH. vii ' TECHNICAL TRAVEL TALK ' 79 Amid scenery often in the highest degree wild and picturesque, mining has been carried on in Bohemia for considerably over a thousand years. c In the narrow gorge of Joachimthal, where the first thalers were coined, and whence their name is derived, maybe seen mines still in active work, producing silver, lead, cobalt, bismuth and uranium, in which some forty successive generations of miners have laboured. Near the fine old city of Prague, one of the most interesting in Germany, are the wonderfully rich silver-lead deposits of Przibram, which have been worked continuously for eleven centuries. Large deposits of lead, and smaller ones of copper, tin, and cobalt, are also mined in many other districts of Bohemia, the systems of exploitation and dressings being hardly, if at all, inferior to those adopted in Saxony and the Hartz. Indeed, much of the most approved modern dressing machinery has its origin in Bohemia and Schemnitz. ' The iron industry of Bohemia is of hardly less anti- quity than its silver mining. Great deposits of haematite and other iron ores are spread over the country, the ore being smelted chiefly in charcoal furnaces close to where it is raised. In no district in Europe is the charcoal blast-furnace seen to greater advantage than in Bohemia and the adjacent Austrian States. At Kladno, however, and elsewhere, coke furnaces have been recently erected on a considerable scale. Though both bituminous and anthracite coal is worked to some extent, the chief fuel resources of Bohemia are found in the enormous supply of brown coal which it possesses, much of it consisting of deposits considerably exceeding ten yards in thickness. It is now about eleven centuries since the Bohemian gold-fever broke out, and the washing and digging of that day appsar to have been pretty thorough, since nothing 80 SIDNEY GTLCHRIST THOMAS CH. vn has been left for their successors but heaps of washed sand and gravel. In short, the metalliferous industries of Bohemia are hardly less varied and interesting than those of Saxony ; while by extending one's excursion to Hungary on the one side and Styria and Illyria on the other, one would have a tour in which an absolutely complete acquain- tance with all that is remarkable in Continental mining and metallurgy might be gained, in conjunction with an ex- ploration of the almost unique beauties of the Austrian Alps and the Hungarian forests and highlands. 4 But there is another region of Germany, very much more accessible from England, almost, indeed, at our doors, which possesses within a very limited area many very diverse claims on the attention of the sober holiday- seeker. The Hartz offer a rich harvest to the geologist, mineralogist, metallurgist and miner, and have no mean attractions for the artist and antiquarian. Till some twenty years ago a region almost entirely primitive and out of the world the summer hordes of Berliners, Ham- burgers, and other denizens of the plain, who have since been induced by railway facilities to invade its more accessible districts, have not yet succeeded in changing entirely its former character, though the simplicity of the inhabitants and quaint picturesqueness of its towns will probably soon be things of the past. ' Eisleben, of which the principal claims to distinction are that it is the birthplace of Luther, and the seat of administration of the Mansfeld'sche Kupferschieferbauende Gewerkschaft, fairly illustrates the close juxtaposition of things new and old, so apparent to a traveller in the byways of Germany. In the architecture of the town, the Luther period is the most prominent ; in its life, nineteenth- century industrialism. The Mansfeld Copper Company, which now carries on the mining and smelting of the CH. vii ' TECHNICAL TKAVEL TALK ' 81 copper schists, which were first attacked in Hesse in the tenth century, and at Eisleben in the sixteenth century, by the Counts of Mansfeld, is a consolidation of five companies, united under one management some nve-and- twenty years ago, which now, under the direction of Bergrath Leuschner, has the reputation of being one of the best managed, as it is one of the most prosperous, industrial corporations in Germany. In 1876 the com- pany managed to earn the very respectable sum of 126,0002., giving a dividend of 37s. on each of the 69,120 shares into which it is divided. ' Over a considerable area of Central Germany there is found a fossiliferous and bituminous marl-slate, covered by the Zechstein or magnesian limestone, and overlying first the WeissliegendeSj a sandstone containing in places small quantities of copper, and under this again the Bothliegendes, a red sandstone mixed with conglomerate, basalt, &c. These deposits lie in a great basin, and at various points on the rim, where the marl-slate crops out, attempts have been made to work it for the copper which it contains, mainly as pyrites. It is only, however, in the neighbourhood of Mansfeld and Eisleben, where an undu- lation in the strata brings a large quantity of this slate within a short distance of the surface, the dip being only about 6, that it has proved permanently to pay for extraction. Indeed, even here it is only by working on the largest scale the Mansfeld Company raising last year 235,000 tons of cupriferous schist and sandstone by which the standing charges are spread over an enormous output, that remunerative results are obtained. c The works and mines together give employment to 8,000 men. The system by which this army of employes and their families is supplied with the necessaries of life G 82 SIDNEY GILCHKIST THOMAS CH. vn by the company is well worthy of attention. Throughout the Hartz district the mine-owner, who is for the most part the Government itself, is looked to to supply the necessaries of life, or at least the chief of them, to those he employs. The reason of this custom, which has pre- vailed for centuries, is to be found in the fact that the forest-clad hills and bleak tablelands of the country are scarcely capable of bearing corn enough to supply the wants of the sparse population which cultivates them, leaving no surplus for the mining population and its tributary industrials. Thus, imports of grain on a large scale have always been necessary. So we find the Mans- feld Company distributing annually nearly 4,000 tons of rye-meal to its workpeople, or at the rate of over a hundredweight per man per month. Rye-meal at Mans- feld costs nearly 91 a ton. It does not appear that this peculiar modification of the " truck " system, by which the employer undertakes the duty of feeding his men as well as paying them wages, has been accompanied by any of the abuses which seem inseparable from it in England. 1 A. benevolent, or friendly society, not less admirable in its provisions than that which exists at Freiberg, is in active operation here also. To its funds the company contributes largely, no less a sum than 8,OOOL a year being at present devoted to this purpose, besides a considerable sum spent in special gratuities and allowances in cases outside the regular operations of the society. The amount of the in- vested funds of the society at the beginning of 1877 reached the satisfactory sum of 27,000?., while the disbursements during the year 1876, in pensions, sick-pay, medical relief, &c., amounted to over 16,000?. Thrift is fostered by a savings bank, in which the men are encouraged to deposit. It appears, however, that only some 800 of the 8,000 employed are depositors, the average deposit being about 61. CH. vir ' TECHNICAL TRAVEL TALK ' 83 ( From whatsoever point of view it is regarded, the Mansfeld Copper Company may fairly be considered one of the most interesting of the great industrial establishments of the Continent. Having successfully solved, thanks to the persevering and unassisted investigations of its own officers, some of the most difficult problems of metallurgy, no one can deny that it deserves to enjoy the prosperity to which it has attained, while its management continues to be marked by the same technical skill and energy, and care for the welfare of the employed, which now characterises it. ' From Mansfeld it is a four hours' walk, through a not very attractive region, to Harzgerode, where the beauties of the Hartz really begin. In the vicinity are several silver-lead mines, which changed hands at high prices during the company mania which raged so fiercely after the war, but have not proved much of an acquisition to the Berliners into whtfse hands they finally passed. A beautiful walk through a hilly and richly wooded country brings one to the old established ironworks of Madesprung ; and after traversing a long stretch of closely wooded hills, we arrive at the flourishing little town of Thale. Thale occupies a very advantageous position on the extreme border of the great plain which stretches away to Berlin and Hamburg, at the point where the river Bode emerges from the wild and singularly picturesque gorge which it has cut through the mountains, which at this point rise almost perpendicularly from the plain. It is the terminus of a railway which brings every summer a yearly increas- ing crowd of visitors, attracted by the beauties of the Rosstrappe and Bodenthal, and which by placing it in direct communication with Hamburg, Magdeburg, Berlin, and the Prussian coalfields, puts this little town in a position to develop the industrial position to which it has G 2 84 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CH. vn already begun to aspire. An abundance of water from streams which by a slight diversion of their course might be made to yield considerably more water-power than is at present utilised ; enormous supplies of wood and charcoal from the adjacent hills, which also contain large deposits of iron ore ; these, with cheap labour and comparatively cheap land, make Thale a place worthy the attention of manufacturers. 6 Last summer the Thale ironworks, which are in the hands of a company, were in brisk work, turning out bar iron and rods, light rails and plates, and, I fancy, wire, and a large variety of small forgings. A small establish- ment adjacent to the ironworks, occupying itself apparently chiefly with agricultural implements, and remarkably well supplied for so small a place with machine tools, was also well occupied, being engaged in turning out in large numbers a very convenient kind of light iron wheelbarrow of very convenient shape and easy to handle. ' A mile or two on the road to Blankenberg I found a small brown coal pit being vigorously worked ; a powerful portable engine was engaged in hauling the trucks of coal up an incline and at the same time driving a centri- fugal pump by which the pit, which was an open working, was drained. Indications are not wanting of the presence of a brown coal not many degrees removed from peat, in many localities hereabouts, and if worked in the inexpensive but effective fashion I saw in operation it must be a cheap and useful source of fuel. 1 Blankenberg, a quaint old town with steep streets and a picturesquely-dominating chateau, is another border- town of the Hartz which is being rapidly invaded by the new ideas that follow in the wake of railways. Some three or four miles from the town, among the hills, are great beds of ironstone, in a situation almost inaccessible from tha CH. vii ' TECHNICAL TKAVEL TALK ' 85 steepness of the roads leading to them. By means, how- ever, of a tramway carried through the hill by an expensive tunnel, these have been reached, and two first-class blast- furnaces erected on the edge of the plain to melt the ores raised from them. Projected during the epoch of inflated prices and feverish prosperity in the iron trade, it seems that these furnaces have had a hard struggle to secure even an entry into the arena of competition. Last summer there was every indication of a shortness of funds having been encountered even before their completion. As there was, at the time of my visit, no one on the works in a position to give any reliable information, I could only get a general impression of the intended arrangement of the furnaces. The furnaces appeared to be designed as cupolas of good modern design, with four tuyeres, a slag-hearth at the back, a water balance hoist, a central gas- tube, and excellent blast-stoves. The blowing engines, of the hori- zontal type so popular on the Continent, are particularly fine ones, and there is abundance of room for dumping the ore, which appears to be of excellent quality, storing coke, and forming slag tips. A branch railway has been con- structed to the furnaces, by which they will receive fuel and send away their iron. i Leaving behind this infant establishment, designed on the most modern and approved principles, and representing an enormous expenditure of money, but having, it is probable, far from bright prospects of success, it was curious to find in the midst of the hills, not many miles away, another ironworks, ancient, primitive, with no expensive plant or modern facilities for carriage, and yet busily occupied and flourishing exceedingly. The Riibeland Hiitte, in a beautiful situation in the valley of the Bode, almost confines itself to the manufacture of castings, for which it has a great reputation. The ore, 86 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CH. vn partly haematite and partly brown ore, containing from 30 to 40 per cent, of metal, is brought in carts from work- ings in the vicinity, and smelted in low and old-fashioned blast furnaces, of which one is now worked with coke, the other with charcoal. The blast cylinder, a very ancient- looking machine, is worked by a water-wheel, though this sometimes fails in dry summers and severe winters. The charcoal, of which large quantities are used, is made in iron retorts, the tar and other products of distillation being collected and sold. This mode of preparation is found considerably more economical than the ordinary system of burning the wood in heaps. I was informed that an average yield of twenty to twenty-five per cent, of charcoal is obtained in the retorts, against only fifteen or sixteen per cent, in the meiler, but this latter yield seems unusually low. The manager, a Freiberg graduate, stated that it required something over twenty hundred-weight of charcoal to produce a ton of pig-iron ; with good blast- stoves and improved furnaces, probably a fourth of this consumption might be saved. c There is an enormous demand throughout Germany for cast-iron stoves, and the Riibeland Foundry is largely occupied in supplying these. The design of the ornamental open-work castings of which the sides and fronts of these stoves are constructed, offers a good opportunity for the exhibition of taste and skill, and some of those I saw in the storehouse were really fine specimens of art workman- ship, and the perfection to which castings in iron (which is, perhaps, of all metals the most suitable for taking accurate reproductions of intricate patterns) may be carried. The moulds are made in a material which seems intermediate between our own loam and the celebrated casting sand used in Berlin. Some of the castings are made with the metal run direct from the blast-furnace, CH. vii 'TECHNICAL TEAVEL TALK' 87 others after remelting in cupolas in the ordinary way. The ores here contain a considerable amount of phosphorus, which may probably contribute to render the iron suitable for fine castings. c Clausthal, now the most busy of the seven mining towns of the Hartz, having in its recent technical activity far outstripped the venerable imperial city of Goslar, possesses no ordinary interest for the student of mining science and advocate of organised technical education. The Mining Academy, with its museum, the Aufbereitungs- Werke, or dressing-floors, the mines and their drainage adits, and finally, the smelting works, are each among the most instructive of their kind. Of these various institu- tions the Mining Academy is perhaps the most worthy study, as offering an example of what such an establish- ment should be, not less instructive than that of its more celebrated rival at Freiberg.' The articles close with an elaborate comparison between German, Belgian, French, and English metallurgical schools. 88 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CH, vm CHAPTER VIII EXPEBIMENTS A DASH INTO SWITZERLAND UPON his return from Germany, Thomas again pressed Mr. Gilchrist to undertake experiments. A little later in the year he spent a few days of his remaining leave at Bradford (in view of the autumnal meeting of the Iron and Steel Institute in Leeds) ; there he met Mr. Gilchrist. The projected experiments are spoken of in the following letter. Thames Police Court, 1876. Dear Bess, Last week I had five days at Bradford, which I found a pleasant break. The Iron and Steel Institute were holding their meeting at Leeds, and I went over every day nearly. One day a picnic at Kirkstall Abbey, and so on, the ironmasters of the neighbourhood coming out strong in hospitality. . . . Percy also at Brad- ford for the meeting. ... I go down to him for a few days if I can get away, to try some experiments which are at present engrossing all my attention. c I have just finished some rather elaborate technical articles for " Iron," and am going to take a rest. . . . Yours, Yours, dears, both, The extremely favourable view Thomas here, as usual, gives his family of his health is hardly borne out by his faithful physician's letter from Colombo. f We started from Calcutta,' Mr. Honman writes, ' under rather unfavourable circumstances ; for Sidney had caught a cold at a dinner-party at Mr. H.'s on Sunday night, and the next three or four days was suffering from a feverish '238 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CH. xvn attack of bronchial catarrh. However, that has dis- appeared again. The symptoms of overwork have dis- appeared to a great extent. He sleeps better . . . and looks less worried. The only thing that I am not satisfied about is the condition of his lungs. The left has improved considerably . . . but his right lung is still unsatisfactory. ... he has still a cough in the mornings, and (only occasionally) during the day. Keep as much as possible all work at home. This is most important. Especially any bearing upon Australian questions. It will end in interviews, negotiations, and business never ending other- wise.' Mr. Honman might well dread adventitious spurs to energy. His patient, who draws above his own fancy pictures of his pleasant f loafing ' existence, was in truth constantly more than occupied with problems and questions old and new, quite apart from pressure of the actual busi- ness and commercial affairs upon which he had embarked. This latter class of work was, indeed, kept from him as much as possible by his sister, who devoted herself to the task of representing him, so far as she could, in his absence ; but there were of course some matters which it was absolutely necessary to submit to the decision of Thomas himself. A source of anxious care at this period was the nascent North-Eastern Steel Company' at Middles- brough mainly founded by Thomas. Unfortunately, about this time a heavy depression set in in the iron trade, and the new venture had to bear all the brunt. ' Sidney,' says his mother, ' always had perfect faith in its future especially -managed as it was by Mr. Cooper. His faith was amply justified in the result.' The new problems he was perpetually engaged upon were probably not so hurtful to his health, since in thei$ CH. xvri. CEYLON, AND THE VOYAGE TO AUSTRALIA 239 the element of anxiety was comparatively wanting. Some patents date from this time one particularly for special steel sleepers for India. The utilisation of the slag formed in the Thomas-Gilchrist process was a matter which now and always occupied his mind. 240 SIDNEY GILCHKIST THOMAS CH. xvin CHAPTER XVIII AUSTRALIA ON resuming the correspondence, we find Thomas on Australian soil. To his Mother and Sister 1 March 6, '83: Melbourne; St. Kilda, West M.I wrote and cabled you on Saturday from Adelaide, where I landed and spent three hours on shore making several calls and picking up some information. The city covers much ground, and is backed by hills about a mile behind it being itself two or three miles from the sea. Every- thing, however, was baked brown, and an indescribable glowing sunshine pervaded all. There is every evidence of prosperity; but the place is not attractive, and one understands how great a refreshment the shadiness and dirt and air of long habitation of an old city must be- come to the dwellers in a new one. Arriving in the morning at nine, we left at five P.M., our passengers being diminished by twenty-four old ones, less a half-dozen new folk. l. an acre on average. You hear constantly of English farm labourers now farming 500 or 1,000 acres of their own. Wages for agricultural labourer 20s. a week and board, but said to be hard to get. ' At 11 A.M. Wednesday started by train back through Wangaratta to Wodonga ; then three miles coaching and through Albury by train through Wagga, Macdonald's nearest station, to Mittogovey, seventy miles from Sydney, and on top of hills 2,000 feet high. Got there late; knocked up landlord ; got in. 1 Next morning found it a curious big public, with (as usual here) several boarders. We all mealed together. We sat down to dinner, host, hostess, two daughters of about twenty (to whom I devoted myself) ; a Chinaman ; an Irish shopman ; a railway porter ; a storekeeper (ex-gold- digger in Transvaal, bit of a carpenter and doctor also, and quite a character, became quite a chum of mine) ; a hawker and itinerant quack. This last been all over world ; entertained me with account of a trip from 'Frisco to New York knife and scissor grinding. Three or four odd lots, diggers, labourers, &c., and an aboriginal. In my two days I conversed more or less with all. Spent morning in talking to landlord, an ex-policeman, ex-auctioneer, ex-storekeeper, &c., and going over the abandoned Fitzroy Ironworks, which I enjoyed. Afternoon went for a walk ; was introduced to leading citizens and storekeepers. They CH. xviii AUSTRALIA 255 had a general idea that I was either emissary of Rothschilds', an impecunious digger, or a lunatic. ' Next morning at 7 an intelligent quarryman came with two horses to take me to see a geological phenomenon which they told me I couldn't find by myself. After a time we struck into bush and rode for some way up and down hills, among the forest. . . . My horse shied at the first Australian bear I have seen, not bigger than a big poodle, climbing up a tree. My guide then began riding down'a precipice, and I made my will, strapped myself on to my horse, and requested that animal to do with me what he would. The result was the quadruped proceeded to walk up and down vertical walls of a few hundred feet high (with superb trees growing at the bottom) for some four miles, occasionally having a quiet jump across a mountain or river, and I enjoyed it very much. I think, however, my guide did not think I was such a good talker as he had been led to expect, as I found fastening myself on required considerable attention. ' The scenery in those precipitous rock gorges really very fine and enjoyable. The phenomena, which were of a carboniferous character, proved very interesting, and I rehoved and restrapped myself on to my charger and trotted gaily back, leaving it as before to my friend the horse to say whether he should proceed on his hind legs, or his forelegs, or his tail, exclusively -or otherwise. Generally speaking, he would coil his tail round a tree and then drop down on his hind legs to the next valley. Any- how, he understood the country, and we got up a showy gallop when we got within sight of the hotel. The young women removed my remains from the saddle, and I felt good for dinner. My companion was very intelligent, and I collected mines of notes which my executors will believe are mutilated cuneiform inscriptions. 256 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CH. xvni 'Left Mittogovey by 2 P.M., not a whit the worse for my ride, which I had actually enjoyed immensely. Found two men in carriage, the one a colliery owner, the other a merchant ; plunged into discussions. Lots more informa- tion, exchanged cards, spread myself out. * Got to Sydney 6 P.M. ; came here (better than other hotel) ; found here P. (my Newcastle " Paramatta " friend) and Mr. W. and his sister (of Liverpool), who came out in " Paramatta " for their health, intending to stop here only a few weeks. They both look worlds better, and are going to New Zealand and Tasmania before they return. He talks of settling here. After dinner chat with Miss W., and joined by Miss T., who also here with her people. They also from " Paramatta." Find two others from P. also here. Weather bright and pleasant. Next day get my delicious big budget of letters ; revel in it. Call on big firm [of] merchants here. G.'s step-son pleasant, sharp Scotchman; gives me some information I want. . . . Called also yesterday on Watson, ex-Colonial Treasurer, pleasant bright man, Scotch ; interesting short talk ; had some trouble to avoid invitation to dinner, which I do not want. Bead some time at Royal Society's library. To-day (Saturday) have made some calls, had a photo taken (which is hideous in the extreme), to please you. ... Land here at present is at a fabulous price ; had gone up five-fold in five years. . . . Went to the Picture Gallery, a small good collection, and Botanical Gardens and Domain Park, coming down to harbour, hilly ground very well laid out, making a lovely park. . . .' 'April 18. ' Dearest Mother, I have little to add to my hugely long letter posted on the 16th per Orient S.S. Monday I called on one of the ex-Ministers, a Jewish merchant. . . CH. xvm AUSTEALIA 257 I spent some time at Library, wrote letters, &c. Yester- day called on one of my fellow-passengers ; then drove to University, saw Professor S. (another shipmate) ; his class as yet only five ; very busy. They have allowed him to spend over 1,OOOZ. in specimens and apparatus, and give him all in buildings &c. that he wants. They intend to have a first-class Medical School. Then called again on professor of chemistry, who showed me round and thawed. . . . Called on Sydney Jones yesterday. He has big practice ; very pleasant. He examined me, recommended me not to stop in England next winter. Honman says same. . . . S. Jones comes home same time as I do for a two years' holiday. He advises me to go on hills, so I go up to Lithgow to-morrow. I may then go up to Brisbane, which he also recommends me to do. We had heavy showers yesterday and to-day, but bright sun mean- time. ' Thursday, 19#i, Noon. Just got yours of 9th. I wish I were worth one- third of the thought you give me. Your letters make me feel quite ashamed always of not being worthy of your goodness. Lovely weather. Sitting writing in verandah. Honman goes with me to-morrow into the hills. Ever yours.' ' Sydney : Saturday Night, April 21, 1883. 'Dearest Mother, On Wednesday afternoon took a trip up the Paramatta River for the greater part of its course, and round the harbour to Paramatta, one of the oldest towns. Started at 1 P.M. ; arrived at 3 ; back here by 5. The whole way a panorama of pretty scenes, wooded knolls, and bold rocks. For first three or four miles from Sydney large numbers of suburban villas and villages ; these grow fewer as you go further. The harbour lovely to a degree ; sites overlooking it now selling at enormous rates* s 258 SIDNEY GLLCHEIST THOMAS CH. xvm * Had pleasant chat with old boy who had been twenty- eight years in Melbourne ; was an official on Victorian Rails. Being now entitled to retire, was speculating if he could live in Europe without the sun. Evening, chat on balcony with various hotel acquaintance. By the way, my first appearance in antipodean journalism (a short editorial article) was an anonymous letter of mine to " Sydney Morning Herald" on behalf of the caged monkeys of Botanical Gardens, which I had to interfere with roughs for ill-using on Sunday. ' Thursday got your letters of 9th in morning ; had to scurry to reply by mail leaving two hours after. In after- noon went on board the " 'Frisco " mail boat to see Mrs. W* and her brother off on their way to New Zealand. I was tempted to go down to New Zealand too ; but they say it is too cold at present, so I have resigned the hope of see- ing New Zealand . . . this time. Archbishop Vaughan (Catholic Metropolitan of Australia) sailed for Europe by same boat. The Catholics had been holding farewell meet- ings and addresses for several days, and had given him 3,OOOZ. for pocket money, and now crowded steamer, and had lines to small steamers which were thronged with people (some thousands) to accompany him down harbour. It was a curious sight. He (a fine-looking man six feet high) stood on top deck, with gold chain and eccentric (Archbishop's) costume, waving hand as they cheered, and waved handkerchiefs, till ship out of sight. A splendid vessel. I hope to sail by the next month's boat, if we can get cabins. 1 Did I tell you of going over ironmongery store of L., one of our " Paramatta " fellow-passengers ? . . . A vast place, steam engines, tools, machinery, ironmongery, china, glass, furnishing, natural gems, wire plates, &c. &c. Turns over 500,000. a year, and (I suppose) nets 40,000. or so. CH. xvin AUSTRALIA 259 * Friday at 9 oft by train to Lithgow, crossing on way the Blue Mountains, 3,000 feet high, by zigzags. Superb views for three hours ; highest point Mount Victoria, a great tourist's place. Talked with Scotch clergyman now in Sydney ; very intelligent ; says no poverty here, except from drink or improvidence. We talked much together on poverty, its remedies, workmen, &c. Very liberal, enlightened man. Asked me to call and see him. ' At 3 got to Lithgow, in valley, 600 feet below Mount Victoria-; pretty, but collieries and an Ironworks. Hotel moderate ; hobnobbed with other guests a com. traveller from Belfast, Ireland intelligent; came here partly for health ; much better. 1 This morning went over Works, formed opinion, got lots of information. Manager bad lungs; says Sydney suits him best ; says labour costs twice that of English labour ; interested, became great friends. ' Left at 3 P.M. for here ; at station chatted with man of sixty-five, a selector in hills, born here, brought up thirteen children, who are well educated ; '.' is ,not lern't himself, but knows things." Has house and bit of land ; still has to work, " but has his victuals and his bed, and don't see he'd be better off if he was Lord Chief Justice of New South Wales, as his school-mate, Sir F. Martin, is." (N.B. Find he has iron ore on or near his bit of land.) " Has been a pioneer; rough times, seen men speared by blacks, may have shot some blacks; opines he has; but won't be sure if you saw a man who might spear you, you would [not] think it safest to shoot him. Father lived to be ninety-six ; expects to do the same." Had difficulty in getting into hotel, being all full ; at last got half a room with my sick com. friend from Lithgow. Have been talking Irish politics to him. Bathurst big place ; lots of 8 2 260 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CH. xvm churches, bishops, and institutions ; is on the high-lying plain at foot of Blue Mountains. ' Sunday. Vile wet day ; fortunately comfortably lodged, bar bedroom. Had fire last night and this morning, and quite enjoy it, half wood half coal. I am quite childishly looking forward to seeing you both ; am wearying of wandering, though there is much I enjoy. I have not yet got any papers by last Suez mail, so do not know anything about time of I. and S.I. spring meeting. I hope to get Suez papers when I return to Sydney. Fear there is no chance of picking up a lovely girl ! . . . I am pretty clear they won't come out to be picked up by me. I hope to get more letters here ; and a budget at Palace Hotel, 'Frisco, if I cable you I return that way. ... I am still inclined to think that London for next winter would be injudicious. I have no desire to run risks, to entail more banishment. If I. & S. Meeting in Middles- brough, you must make your long promised trip to York with me, staying there or going on as you prefer. I know Lil will prefer staying at York, so we will leave her there anyhow. , , 'I go to a place thirty miles from here by rail to-mor- row ; said to be very pleasant ; stop there a few days, then back to Sydney for a few days ; then probably to Brisbane, as it is getting hot here ; back to Sydney and so home- wards. Hurrah ! Lovingly yours.' Sydney. ' Dearest, Just starting with Honman for Brisbane by his advice, so as to get a spell of warm weather before leaving by 17th May, on which berths booked. Shall cable you if nothing occurs to change plans. It is rather ruinous dashing about so much ; but I am become reckless, in Colonial fashion, of expeditions. , . .' cn r xviii AUSTRALIA 261 '^Brisbane : May 1, 1883. 1 Dearest Ones, Here I am in a new colony and new life again. . . . Brisbane boat close quarters after the P. and 0. Enjoyed much the steaming up the harbour, in praise of which one can't say too much. Had beautiful passage, close to high rocky coast all the time. A coast range of hills, unfortunately, between coast and inland. The line of coast far prettier than the line of English coast on an average ; but very little settled, land not being good ; several good harbours. Passengers uninteresting as a whole. One had been ten years on cattle station; well educated ; said he began with too little capital, and has always regretted it. Says you ought to have at least 3,000?. to 4,OOOZ., and that if you have 8,OOOZ. or more, you ought to make 18 to 20 per cent. In this all agree. Cattle worth SI. each, fat sheep 10s. to 13s. Got much warmer weather on Sunday. On Monday at 2 got into Moreton Bay, and soon entered river ; fine winding stream, banks high one side, generally low on other ; luxuriant vegetation, pretty houses, mills, &c. at intervals. 1 Brisbane, about thirty miles up, looks like a compromise between a huge country village and a big city. Fine build- ings everywhere, with trees and gardens sprinkled about. Landed at 6 P.M. ; nice hotel, all on ground floor, somewhat Indian; found our fellow-passenger whom we met at Sydney at hotel; chat, dinner, to bed betimes as usual. To-day like a hot English summer day, everything bright and pleasant. Going out for a walk. We have taken passage by New York route; start for 'Frisco on 17th, arrive at 'Frisco 14th June. I feel like a schoolboy at prospect of getting home and seeing you. Got your two birthday charming letters on Saturday, just as leaving for here. ... I grieve at not being able to stop at New York, but Honman, I think, advises not. 262 SIDNEY G-ILCHKIST THOMAS C ' Tuesday morning, May 2. Spent yesterday loafing in reading-room, Botanic Gardens, and about. Weather delicious, though perhaps air a trifle too moist. Land in Brisbane has increased four times in value in last six years. Best frontages now sell for over 2661. a foot, i.e. for a frontage of 100 feet the price is over 20,000?. Thirty years ago you could have bought the whole city for a fourth of this sum. There is a vast inland country, say as big as England, France, and Spain, which is now found to be rich cattle and sheep land, and coast land is already enormously used for sugar. One " squatter " here, worth three millions, is said to live as he did when he had a few hundreds, spending much of his time passing from one of his stations to another, sleeping on ground, feeding on " dampers " &c., never having new clothes, and never spending on anything beyond necessaries. Millionaires are absurdly abundant here, and men talk of square miles as we do of acres. I have had many offers of leases of 1,000 square miles, the rents of which are often only 10s. a mile, while good-will fetches scores of thousands. One station recently (but this freehold) sold for over 300,OOOZ. . . . The more I see of Brisbane the finer does its situation seem ... on the bend of a fine river with high rocky banks, and wooded hills as a background. Hurrah ! Shall see you in ten weeks. Love to all. Yours ever. * Friday, May 4. Dearest Ones, Though I only posted to you on Tuesday I will send this line as an Orient S.S. is leaving. Tuesday, reading-room and gardens ; the latter very pretty, on a peninsula, surrounded by river, to which they slope. Cricket and lawn tennis in full force, notwithstanding the heat. Hotel very comfortable. Made acquaintance with a Scotchman who has recently come out to look after business of a great Glasgow thread house. He gets 1 ; OOOZ. a year and expenses, all out of reels of CH. XVIII AUSTEALIA 263 cotton &c. Yesterday same routine ; Honman spent evening with leading doctor here ; there are twenty-three doctors here for 30,000 people. Is no opening except up country. Read Sullivan's " New Zealand ; " very good. Still lovely weather. Go down to Sydney in a few days. Start on 17th. Hurrah!!' We have now for a long time been following Thomas's admirable letters from Australia. We will presently give Mr. Honman's health report, which, as usual, corrects Sidney's own too optimistic view : but let us interrupt the Australian letters at this point, to relate what the Iron and Steel Institute was contemporaneously doing in Eng- land, to pay honour to the young inventor. In 1873 Sir Henry Bessemer had founded, under the auspices of the Institute, a gold medal, to be awarded annually by that body, to persons distinguished by their inventions or services in promoting the manufacture of iron or steel. The Council of the Institute in this year, 1883, resolved to award two Bessemer gold medals one to Thomas, and the other to Mr. Snelus, whose connection with the basic process we have noticed above. 1 The Institute held its spring meeting on May 9 in London. Thomas was, of course, in Australia, and, at his mother's request, the actual presentation of his medal was deferred to the autumn meeting. Thomas, it will be remembered, had during the preceding year been elected a member of the Council of the Institute succeeding Sir James Ramsden, who himself succeeded the ill-fated Lord Frederick Cavendish, as one of the vice-presidents. A day or two before this meeting Thomas was begin- ning the following last letter home from Australia. 1 Ante, p. 135, 264 SIDNEY GILCHKIST THOMAS To his Mother and Sister. * Bellevue Family & Squatters' Hotel, George Street, Brisbane (opposite Botanical Gardens and Parliament House, Brisbane) : * May 7, 1883. * Dearest Ones, I hope to follow within a fortnight of this, but I certainly shan't get home before July 15, possibly not till 20th. ... I wrote you on Friday last. Friday afternoon I spent in Gardens, and calling on the Clerk of Executive Council, who showed us over Parlia- ment Houses ; fine buildings, but Parliament not now sitting. Rather a rowdy lot, I gather, have got in lately. ' Saturday. Calls, reading-room, Gardens, &c. 1 Sunday. Dined with a merchant to whom I had an introduction from a business friend ; bachelor, new house on river, two miles out, pretty view. Banker dined with us ; pleasant talk ; they had both been round trip by America, Japan, &c. All say New Zealand has finest scenery in the world. We go down to Sydney to-morrow; raining to-day. 1 May 12, '83. Got yours of February 24 only to-day, as it was not addressed by Brindisi. . . . Revenons a notre diary. On Tuesday last we started for Sydney per steamer, my merchant friend seeing us off. Had a beauti- ful sail down the river and along the coast ; chatted with passengers on Northern Queensland and Queensland politics (on which I am proficient), land laws, &c., wool, and beef, and democracy. We sail within half a mile to a mile of the coast nearly all the way, there being a range of hills twice, coast and good inland country. Next day at noon wind began freshening till it got so fresh that at teatime I and Honmaii felt that eating was a morbid carnal craving of unregenerate man, which ought to be suppressed. It finally got so remarkably fresh that we concluded to CH. XVIII AUSTKALIA 265 seek the retirement which a small cabin with closed ports and all the hatches battened down gives so sweetly, and I began offering fabulous rewards to anyone who would drown me out of hand. As everyone, however, was occupied in a private service of groaning on his own account (H. included), no volunteer handy. We finally got to Sydney on Thursday evening, slightly the worse for wear. One lady passenger was delirious, and very ill. Honman stopped with her on board for some hours. ' Friday, went and talked to the Premier about some ideas of mine. It was, unfortunately, deputation day, and (as the Premier is now holding two offices, Colonial Secre- taryship, and Minister of Works) I had the opportunity of seeing the poor man chevied about all over the building by hungry packs of subsidy seekers. ' Sunday, May 13. Yesterday made a call or two in the morning. Met Professor S., who made me promise to go up to his house to-day. In afternoon young S. came to hotel ; interviewed me at great length on European politics, literature, &c. . . Honman and I go along lovingly. He proposes to come back with me to see America, though of course there is no necessity for it. I am quite rejoiced at the prospect of getting nearer home from Thursday next. ' To-day Club in afternoon ; then with Prof. L. to tea at Prof. S. Latter just got into eight-roomed, single-storey house, rent 150Z. . , . ' Monday. Called about; raining all day. Evening dined at Club with Professor L. Old School of Mines man ; had next bench to Percy. Has 1,OOOZ. a year as professor. Lives at Club, where it costs he says 250/. a year. Is an F.R.S. and clever . . . was . . . very nice to me. Sydney merchant dined with us told us many things. . . . Says miners of a concern he is director of earn 50s. to 70s. a 266 SIDNEY GILCHEIST THOMAS CH, xvm week. Were earning 20s. to 25s. at home. This morn- ing, Tuesday, saw Railway Commissioner. Profitable chat. . . ' Thursday, 17, Noon. Been interviewing Premier and Treasurer. Very busy, having great fun bullying ministers. Lovely day ; feel very well, as I could for next five years. Honman and I go on board at 2. Been farewell visiting. Flourish of trumpets. Hurrah ! Shall see you in two months. Take care of yourselves. Mind, I am first class in health.' ' First class in health ! ' Such is Thomas's last message from Australian soil to his ' dearest ones ' at home. Let us turn to Mr. Honman's reports, sent from time to time, during the two months' sojourn in the Southern Conti- nent. From the ' Paramatta,' Mr. Honman had written : ' I am sorry I cannot say that his lungs have improved much.' From Adelaide on March 4, 1883, he wrote : ' I have examined Sidney's lungs this morning ; the left is greatly improved, the right has improved sufficiently to give satisfaction.' From Wangaratta, the stay at which up-country place Thomas has described above, comes- really the first reassuring news. On March 14 Mr. Honman writes : 1 Sidney has been improving gradually since my last letter, and I can at last report some decided improvements. His left lung is better and his right is improved to a great extent. His general health is also better. I have been stopping here and at Melbourne for the last three or four CH. XVIII AUSTEALIA 267 days, and to-morrow Sidney joins me again. It is a very good place, and more suitable for him than any we have yet been at/ When Thomas himself gets to Wangaratta the in- telligence is still better. On March 26 Mr. Honman writes to Mrs. Thomas : 1 1 have had Sidney here again, and am so far satis- fied with his condition. Our climate here is perfec- tion. ' . . . He will still persist in working out some scheme of an Ironworks here. ... It seems impossible either to prevent him working or talking. ... I have been able to take him some long rides in the buggy through the bush, and he is always ready to act as a Jehu and pilot the horses along. The drives are delicious here, in fresh wajm air, through miles of bush the " bush " consisting of big red gum trees and other aromatic smell- ing trees. The air is so clear that hills that are ten miles away appear to be but half-an-hour's walk. . . . This seems to me the best climate we have yet reached, and the healthiest, I fancy. . . . Sidney's chest has not improved much ; but his general health has improved. ... I don't think we can do better than here/ Thomas's mother and sister were so much struck with the good reports of Wangaratta that they wrote entreat- ing Sidney to remain there, and offering to wind up affairs in England and join him in Australia. Thomas talked sometimes, as we shall see immediately, of reverting to his early love medicine, and qualifying for a physician's career. Knowing that he would never consent to a life of idleness, and that a strong counter-attraction would be required to distract him from metallurgical problems re- 268 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CH. xvm maining to be solved, the solutions of which could only be satisfactorily procured in Europe, it was suggested that he might, in partnership with Mr. Honman or otherwise, become a doctor in Australia. Unhappily, the letter con- taining these proposals only reached the antipodes after Sidney's departure therefrom. Perhaps, despite the little improvement ever really manifest in the lung, his life might yet have been saved had he received this letter, acted upon it, and settled at Wangaratta. It is sufficiently useless to speculate upon such might-have-beens. As it was, the letter was returned to the senders months afterwards, when the dear doomed one was already entering into the Valley of the Shadow. On April 10, 1883, Mr. Honman wrote from Mel- bourne : I Sidney has been stopping with me at Wangaratta, and it has done him a great deal of good. Your letter to him arrived very opportunely ; he had determined to go to Tasmania against my wish or permission. . . . How- ever ... I have sent him North, where we shall be con- stantly heading for now. I 1 wish I could tell you his lungs were highly satis- factory. I cannot indeed do this. His right still remains the same ; his left is better, but for the emphysema. I have endeavoured to persuade him, although it would be painful to you, that he should not go back till the next summer ; but I am afraid he will not consent to this. I said I should be no tie to him, because I should set up here, and he could enter into partnership with me ; he always declares that he is the best doctor of the two ; and I have proposed another plan that he remain here, and I go home/ The effect of all Mr. Honman's letters is the same. The CH. xviii AUSTRALIA 269 general health improves, but the lung trouble never dis- appears. He writes from Sydney on May 16, at the very moment almost that Thomas is describing his ' first-class health.' ' Cough a little troublesome . . . The months on board ship ought to improve him more/ 270 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CM. xix CHAPTER XIX HOMEWARD BOUND LET us quit for a little the slow process of measurement of the advancing steps of Death, and revert to Thomas's own correspondence, brimful as it is of life. To his Mother and Sister. ' SS. " Zealandia "off New Zealand : May 21, '83. ' Dearest Ones, As I wrote you per P. and 0., mail left Sydney Thursday at 3 P.M. Tuesday and Wednesday spent in interviewing Premier and Treasurer, who mildly complained that I treated them in a most unceremonious " stand-and-deliver " fashion, but showed by their action that it was the right line. They had a Cabinet Council on me, and were greatly disturbed at my audacity, and wound up with saying that they were favourably impressed, but wanted time to consider. All this showed much of the interior working of colonial politics, and kept me quite amused. . . . Sydney Harbour looked its best in the bright sun as we steamed out. We had had a week's rainy and cold weather, so appreciated the bright sun the more. 4 The vessel a good one, with admirable arrangements for the passengers, the saloon and stateroom being forward of the engines. There are eighty or ninety passengers in the saloon ; thirty more join at Auckland. I have chatted with twenty or thirty of the crew. Among them are our CH. xix HOMEWAED BOUND 271 South American shipmate from Calcutta to Australia : a pressman and ex-Victorian M.P., going to report for his paper on the United States, with whom I chat much : Speaker of Victorian Assembly, who lost his arm in heading miners' revolt against authorities thirty years ago : a Brisbane doctor ; a Queensland sugar-grower : a South Australian wine-grower: two or three health travellers: two young squatters : four girls, and eight or nine married women : two Roman Catholic priests, and a Victorian Anglican cleric. ' May 28, '83. We arrived at Auckland late at night this day week. I went on shore before breakfast next morning and took train across the island, to see the only Ironworks in New Zealand. Particularly interesting, as being trial of a new process. Saw manager &c. Returned to Auckland. Made a call ; got some useful information on several subjects. It was by this time raining hard, so took a cab back to ship, and we steamed away at 2 P.M. with twenty new passengers. The glimpse of New Zealand I had was pleasant. It is greener even than England. Abundant vegetation and picturesque rocky coasts and hills ' There are three doctors among passengers. . . . There is also a Belfast man, who has for some years been wintering in Australia, who has ideas, and with whom I discuss politics sometimes ; and a Sydney man from Canada, who is bright and intelligent. I am making him read " Progress and Poverty." Gambling on the " run " occupies two-thirds of the time of two-thirds of the passengers. I, of course, keep out of it. ... They have had a dance and a concert and games. P. (my South American acquaintance) is very popular. The other night he ordered champagne all round to drink to Argentine Republic, on anniversary of its formation He came to 272 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CH. xix me to write an English version of the French speech he proposed to make. I rewrote an English version of a gorgeous description, and coached him how to deliver it ; but at the last moment his courage failed him, and he asked me to read it, which I did ; so finding I have not quite lost my voice. It amused me to hear P. con- gratulated on the English of his speech and its periods congratulations which he received with great modesty and satisfaction, and an occasional smile and bow. . . . ' June 4, '83. I feel good, when I think I am now only six weeks from home, at most. Our voyage to Honolulu, where we arrived at noon on Sunday last, quite uneventful. . . . Have discovered another bright fellow, a young Cornishman, who is partner in a large New Zealand business [of] the London house which he entered as a clerk nine years ago. He is not only clear-headed on business, but has read, can talk, has thought, speaks French and German, plays the piano, and draws clever carica- tures. * We were at Honolulu from noon to midnight on Sun- day, June 3. The Island, of which Honolulu is the chief town, is volcanic and rather picturesque; vegeta- tion nearly tropical, sugar-cane chief crop. The natives rather fine-looking, identical with Maoris of New Zealand ; women, however, get stout and coarse-looking early. We landed at one, and I sent Honman for a drive. I (strolling round) picked up a young fellow, a cabinet- maker from San 'Frisco, who showed me round till 6 P.M., all over the town and surrounding country. My guide proved very conversable and well-informed, and posted me thoroughly in Hawaian matters. He (though only twenty- one) was making about 71. a week. The country is particularly " run " by Americans, who control the chief political posts and the bulk of the business. The half-* CH. xix HOMEWARD BOUND 27B caste girls are singularly good-looking, with clear, brilliant olive to white complexions. The King is given to drink,' but is otherwise a good constitutional sovereign, that is, does nothing, draws an enormous salary, and gets into debt. There is a large Chinese population living entirely to itself. I went through and through the Chinese quarter, which is densely crowded. Here, as elsewhere, they propose shutting the Chinese out. Labourers there now get 65. to 12s. a day: artisans 12s. to 20s. Rent is dear 20s. a week for a four-room house ; but food cheap enough. We took fifty passengers on board for 'Frisco, so are crowded to a degree. i Sunday, June 10. Thank Heaven, we have but one day more before we see shore and get letters. I am more tired of this trip than of any of the others, and weary for the land. The past week has been coldish, and sufficiently rough to prevent being on deck, so we have been nearly confined to the smoking-room and saloon, both of which stuffy. ... I hope to see you all before July 17. Have been very well all trip, though still obliged to be careful. Honman seems to be for coming home. . . . Don't be making engagements for July or August. I want to see as much of you as I can. ' Tuesday morninq, June 12, '83. We arrived in 'Frisco last night. Just on shore : all well.' To his Sister Palace Hotel, San Francisco : June 13, 1883. * Dearest Lil, The Palace Hotel is truly palatial. ' Like city well enough. Weather bright and sunny ; coldish winds. We leave to-morrow [for] Laramie City. I hate delaying a day, but at same time want to gather any information that may be useful to N.E.S. Co. on way. I don't see way to getting home before 15th. I got T 274 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS CH. xix " Ironmonger," and of course much interested in report of meeting. ... I walked several miles yesterday with- out being tired. ... If any of my fellow-travellers call before I return, you will, of course, do the right thing, and tell them when I return. ' Lovingly yours, dears, ' SID.' But while Thomas was writing thus cheerfully home of * walking several miles,' Mr. Honman was describing the true state of affairs, viz., that he was in a ' dangerous ' condition, and quite unfit to remain in England. On June 14, 1883, the latter writes from the Palace Hotel : 1 1 have had the opportunity of examining Sidney off ship and in a quiet place. His right lung is still dangerous and gives me a great deal of anxiety. It is absolutely imperative that he should leave England immediately the more important business matters have been settled, or else entirely drop business matters for the autumn and winter months (and this latter, I presume, would be an impossi- bility if he were to remain in England). I wish that his condition had been free from everything to cause anxiety. Had it been so, I should have remained in Australia. . . . Sidney has been walking about all day in great spirits. We have lovely weather, but with a fearfully cold wind at night. . . .' Here this long correspondence practically ceases. Thomas, now nearing England, no longer writes voluminous epistles, but confines himself to short letters and post-cards. We give some of these in their order : CH. xix HOMEWAKD BOUND 275 To his Mother and Sister 1 Laramie City, June 17. Arrived here all right. . . . All way very comfortable ; had ten of " Zealandia " pas- sengers with us. Some very fine scenery, but most monotonous plains. . . . Get to New York about July 1. ' S. G. T.' Pittsburg : June 24, Tuesday. f Dearest Folk, Arrived here last night and got your letters (with delight as usual) of 31st and 5th. ... I haven't so far found United States at all too hot. In fact, I can stand any heat. ... I was kindly received at Cleveland; driven about, taken over Works &c. Saw G., who sent messages to you. He is earnest and innocent as ever. At Chicago saw M. ; had F. to dinner, who drove us about and took us to Club &c. Taken to Cleveland in state in Dunlow car. Had rather hot ride here, starting at three and arriving nine. Had G. and his chief to early dinner with me before I left. This American part is proving very costly ; have been twelve days in United States, and have spent over 60Z., besides railway tickets. Have just met two Liverpool men who are stopping here, going round the world the other way. Am going to call on Mr. Tom Carnegie. Will now only write you post- cards, or shall have nothing left to tell you when I come back. I must be in London till the end of August, or nearly so ; can't be back now till 18th or 19th. I wish we could have got earlier passage. Love to all. Tell A. I expect him to be M.R.C.S. when I return. Ever yours, best ones, ' SID.' ' Pittsburg^ June 26, '83. Spent very pleasant evening on Sunday with Tom Carnegie. . . . This morning been to Works, quite leisurely and easily, declining to exert myself T 2 276 SIDNEY GILCHEIST THOMAS CH. xix any. Pleasant reception everywhere, much kindness. Get on to Philadelphia to-morrow ; easy travelling. Shall have a week in New York, which I worry over ; am so anxious for return. ' Philadelphia, June 28, '83. Left Pittsburg Tuesday, after seeing a little more quietly. Yesterday drove down to Steel Works at Harrisburg, where working Basic. Very kindly received. Came on to-day to Philadelphia ; lovely day ; taking it very easily. Get to New York on Monday. I wish I could sail at once. ' New York, July 6, '83. Just another line to say all well. Weather still very hot ; shall be glad to be on ocean again. Everything improving since last here; colossal buildings everywhere, both office-blocks, hotels, and apart- ment houses. This hotel has been beautified enormously, less high, art restaurant and ultra high art Bar, with good oil paintings, statues, bridges, antiques, &c., painted windows and iced drinks. ' Honman and I spent 4th July, when New York is shut and deserted (except by youthful fiends letting off crackers), mostly in Central Park. In evening to theatre. ' Yesterday, calls ; dined at seaside. We go on board to-night. Sail to-morrow. Unfortunately I shan't get home till three days after this [arrives], as our " Nevada " is a very slow boat.' CH. xx A SAD HOME COMING 277 CHAPTER XX A SAD HOME COMING AND A FLIGHT SOUTH :< His voyage from the States,' says his sister, ' was not made under satisfactory conditions. In his haste to get home he had wired to a friend in New York to secure berths in the first ship. This happened to be the "Nevada," a vessel chiefly used to convey Mormon parties to the States. It was old, slow, and badly ventilated. ' Letters calculated to worry him reached him at Queenstown. The very day of his arrival at Tedworth Square visitors, requests for appointments, business of all kinds, began to pour in upon him. It was quite evident to us at once that his health could not withstand the strain, and we made despairing attempts to keep work from him, attempts mostly made in vain. It was well nigh impossible to check his activity and eagerness.' Not alone had he to deal with the many questions con- stantly arising in connection with his various patents, with the development of the basic process, and with the progress of the North Eastern Steel Co.'s Works some of which questions had necessarily been reserved for his considera- tion upon his return but the very travels primarily under- taken in search of health had produced a new crop of plans and problems to be worked out. From every country he had visited, he had brought back a mass of figures and economic statistics, together with general information of all kinds. He had occupied himself with the special 278 SIDNEY GILCHRIST THOMAS GH. xx circumstances affecting iron and steel in South Africa. He had entered into lengthy negotiations with the Govern- ment of India, with a view to purchasing from them certain ironworks, collieries, &c., his object being to establish (or rather to re-establish) steel manufacture in the peninsula. This was a matter which he had very much at heart, not only from a commercial standpoint, but also as a right and proper effort to give back to Hindostan an ancient industry which the British Raj had destroyed. As will have been seen, he constantly dwells upon the subject in his letters. For Australia there were schemes for the foundation of fresh colonial steel works. These were no idle phantasies of an imaginative inventor. It must be remembered that, from the first ' blast,' Thomas had had the sole legal and financial conduct of all matters connected with the basic process. The rapid and absolute success of that process is the best possible tribute to his practical ability and clear grasp of realities. That success was not won without some sharp legal contests ; above all, many delicate and difficult nego- tiations were needed to secure the fruits of discovery. The very important North Eastern Steel Works, started at Middlesbrough to work the process, owe their existence chiefly to Sidney's initiative. Beyond all these things, the question of the utilisation of the * slag ' produced in the basic process was a problem which from this time, for the few remaining months of his short life, more and more dominated Thomas's never quiescent mind. Of that problem and its thoroughly successful solution we will speak presently. The pressure of work and the harassing business inter- views, soon destroyed whatever good the voyage round the world had wrought, and after a fortnight of London, it CH. xx A SAD HOME COMING 279 became very clear that town must be quitted at once, and England itself at the first opportunity. In the first days of August, Thomas and his sister went down to stay at the White Hart, Sevenoaks Common, leaving their mother to wind up matters in Tedworth Square in preparation for a long absence from British soil. * He and I,' says his sister, * thus set out once more on the health quest, this time together. Our month at Sevenoaks was happy in its way (happy since we were once more together), although it gave me too many grievous proofs of his frailty of health, and too much of that anxiety of heart which seems most overwhelming when one realises that cherished hopes have been dis- appointed. We worked together, and in the intervals of work sauntered along the country lanes or sat in the old- fashioned inn garden. Many kind friends came down to see us. The last Directors' Meeting of the North Eastern Steel Company which Sidney was ever able to attend was held specially at the White Hart, the other Directors thoughtfully travelling south to meet my brother, inasmuch as he was quite unable to go to Middlesbrough to meet them.' Thomas wrote a letter from Sevenoaks to his old chemical teacher, part of which we reproduce : To Mr. Chaloner 1 Sevenoaks : August 28, 1883. ' Dear Chaloner, I should have answered yours of Saturday before but for a tremendous influx of business (from which I still suffer) keeping me hard at it all day, while we have two Directors' Meetings for to-morrow. . . . ' The fact is I have thrown my health and everything else into the basic business, and it is possible I may not see the harvest myself. But we shall see. Thanks very 280 SIDNEY GILCHKIST THOMAS CH. x* much for taking so much trouble about Algiers. We shall be able to do with Murray, which I have ordered. I shudder to think of the ten volumes. ' . . . We shall sleep at Dover; probably spend Sunday there. ' We have almost, not quite, settled to go Saturday, if I can finish off business by then, so can hardly hope to see you. ... In haste, yours very truly, S. G. THOMAS/ So long as any physical power remained, even reason- able rest was impossible to Thomas. ' Sidney,' says his mother, i instead of resting, was interviewing at the White Hart his cousin Mr. Gilchrist, his secretary and chemical clerk Mr. Twynam, numerous friends, anxious to say good- bye. His brother, Dr. Llewellyn Thomas, was quite overcome at discovering the rapid change for the worse which had set in since Sidney's return to England. The change made little difference in my boy's ardour for work. " Mother," he would constantly tell me, " I have so much to do." Much time was necessarily occupied by writing business instructions to those he left behind him in London and Middlesbrough. He had a long day with his lawyer, arranging all his affairs. ' I joined my children at Sevenoaks on August 25. Sidney, although unfit for it, insisted on driving to meet me at the station. I saw at once that the two or three weeks which had passed had left him weaker even than he had been in London. We drove the two miles to the White Hart sadly and almost in silence.' After some anxious days of waiting, the little party began to journey southwards, taking advantage (on September 8) of the first fine day to cross the Channel and gain Paris* After much study of the advantages and CH. xx A. FLIGHT SOUTH 281 disadvantages of various Mediterranean health resorts, Algiers had been pitched upon as upon the whole the best place to winter in, Cairo (whither Thomas had wished to go) being shut to him by the cholera, which was then raging there. ' We stayed only long enough in Paris,' says Sidney's sister, ' to make some necessary financial arrangements and travelled on to Marseilles, breaking our journey at Lyons. Boats do not go every day to Algiers, and some days had to be spent in hot, dusty, noisy Marseilles.' The turmoil characteristic of the great southern sea- port tried Thomas (now, in truth, an invalid) much, and he became alarmingly worse. He was removed to an hotel some three miles along the seashore, at the end of the Prado, and grew better again. ' We waited here,' says his sister, ' happily enough, save perhaps for the mosquitoes, out of which, even, Sid managed to extract fun, describing his skirmishes with them in grandiloquent and Homeric terms, and trying various languages in which to summon me to aid in a conflict with them, finally declaring that, though they understood French and English, German was too much for them, so that they did not know when we plotted their extermination in that tongue/ 282 SIDNEY GILCHEIST THOMAS CH. xxi CHAPTER XXI A WINTER IN ALGIERS ON September 22 the little family got themselves on board the Algiers packet. ' We were two nights at sea,' says his mother ; ' Sidney better, as he always was at sea. We landed at 6 A.M. on the 24th. The juxtaposition of Eastern and French civilisation much impressed my son, as it impresses everyone. Before 7 A.M. we had driven into the courtyard of the Hotel Kirsch, where we were received by sleepy servants, evidently surprised at European health- seekers coming to Africa so early in the autumn. We soon discovered that we were the very first guests of the season, full three weeks too early. The ground was still parched from the summer heats and all vegetation had withered away. The sun shone with a constant hard glare and the deep blue sky remained from morning till night without the shadow of a cloud to veil its brightness. Sidney became very ill from the fatigue of the journey and from the prostrating heat. The English physician had not yet arrived for the winter, and we sent for a kind French doctor (an Alsatian, whose own excellent health had been built up by the Algerian climate). He evidently thought my poor boy in a very bad way ; but after one or two visits he said that his courage and mental force gave him a chance. On this foundation we raised great hopes. ' I even now think that, if we could have kept hia CH. xxi A WINTER IN ALGIERS 283 mind quite at rest, he might have rallied, but this was impossible. Letters poured in, causes for anxiety arose, and no effort or persuasion could induce Sidney to " let the world slide as they did in the golden days." Even during the three weeks of summer heat, he would insist on driving out almost daily to look for a house. Fortunately we consulted the excellent British Consul, Colonel Playfair, and he pointed out to us that most of the pretty houses we saw, and were pleased with, were badly drained. So for the present we stayed on at the Hotel Kirsch.' A part of Thomas's correspondence with England referred to the presentation of the Bessemer Medal, a presentation which had been, as we have seen, postponed from the spring meeting of the Iron and Steel Institute. Thomas was quite unable, of course, to be at Middlesbrough to receive the honour. He wrote, however, a letter of thanks to the President, as characteristic, in its generous tribute to others and in its self-effacement, as anything he ever penned. ' It would be difficult,' he says, ' for me to insist too strongly on how greatly we are indebted for the success the basic process has now attained to the unwearied exertions, the conspicuous energy and ability, of my colleague, Mr. Gilchrist, whom I regard as no less my associate in the acceptance of this medal than he was in the sometimes anxious days of which this is the outcome. I am sure, too, that he and I are agreed in saying that the present position of dephosphorisation has been only rendered possible by the frank, generous, and unreserved co-operation of Mr. Richards. As an instance of the effect of free discussion of metallurgical theories and experience which this Institute especially promotes, it may be interesting to note that, while in the autumn of 1877 there was, so far as I know, no public record of even any 284 SIDNEY OILCHRIST THOMAS CH. xxi successful experiment tending to show that phosphorus could be removed in the Bessemer or Siemens process, for the present month of September 1883 the make of dephosphorised Bessemer and Siemens steel is between 60,000 and 70,000 tons.' l By a happy departure from usage, the actual ceremony of ' presentation ' of the medal was, in this instance, performed by Sir Henry Bessemer himself. We resume Thomas's mother's narrative : ' After our three weeks of drought, clouds suddenly gathered, and we had such a downpour of rain as two of ^s, at least, had never seen before. After that the weather was perfect and everything grew into delicious life. About this time an invalid Irish gentleman arrived at the hotel, who became a great friend of Sidney's. He had lived many years in Paris, and had come thence to Algiers seeking renewed health. Many discussions did he and Sidney have on Ireland and her needs, politics in general, or on the prospects of the Algerian colony. We spent four months and a half in the Hotel Kirsch, Sidney fluctuating much, but always steadily working, and fighting against his disease. We passed our time entirely together, he, his sister, and myself. ' Friends gradually gathered round us (Sidney made friends wherever he went), and, as we were still buoyed up by hope, the time passed not unhappily, in spite of terrible dreads. Sidney was always cheerful and even vivacious, save when unusually weak. He would eagerly join in the conversation at our end of the table d'hote, bringing his varied knowledge and acquired experience to bear on current topics. Once a week or so, when Sidney felt well enough, we would drive into Algiers and sit in 1 For the present output of Basic steel seepost, ' Conclusion ' ; cf. ante, p. 159. CH. xxi A WINTEK IN ALGIERS 285 the great place, watching the different nationalities and gaming peeps at Arab life.' In the following letters Thomas gives some glimpse of his Algerian impressions : To Mr. Chaloner l ' Hotel Kirsch, Mustapha, Alger : October 4, 1883. ' My dear C., After seeing you when you last so kindly enlivened me at Sevenoaks, I had some days of being very much indeed under the weather. Lil said I talked to you too much, which I denied as the causa mali. Once started, took very slow stages, sleeping one night at Dover, two Paris, three Lyons (which is bright interesting town), and stopping ten days at Marseilles (where at last I found it decently warm). The last town looks very flourishing and busy, is well-ordered, and from the sea looks magnificent ; but for smells it beats Paris at 2 A.M. ' Crossed here. The town of Algiers looks well from the sea, with high green trees all round it ; it is built on slopes and steeps. Here, we are two miles from the town and some 700 feet or more above it, looking on the bay. We came here direct, and shall stop for some months anyhow. Town very interesting ; mixture of new French town and slip of Arabia and the Patriarchs. Camels and tramcars ; mosques and chapels ; Arabs and Parisians ; steam-engine and hand-pounding of wheat. The natives and immigrants are unanimous only in fleecing the stranger. Hope to benefit. At present find it too cold at 70. < Yours,