heroes of the telegraph-第26部分

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apply　the　absolute　methods　of　measurement　introduced　by　Gauss　and　Weber。　　He　also　investigated　there　the　laws　of　electric　signals　in　submarine　cables。　　As　Secretary　to　the　British　Association　Committee　on　Electrical　Standards　he　played　a　leading　part　in　providing　electricians　with　practical　standards　of　measurement。　　His　Cantor　lectures　on　submarine　cables；　and　his　treatise　on　ELECTRICITY　AND　MAGNETISM；　published　in　1873；　were　notable　works　at　the　time；　and　contained　the　latest　development　of　their　subjects。　　He　was　associated　with　Sir　William　Thomson　in　an　ingenious　'curb…key'　for　sending　signals　automatically　through　a　long　cable；　but　although　tried；　it　was　not　adopted。　　His　most　important　invention　was　Telpherage；　a　means　of　transporting　goods　and　passengers　to　a　distance　by　electric　panniers　supported　on　a　wire　or　conductor；　which　supplied　them　with　electricity。　It　was　first　patented　in　1882；　and　Jenkin　spent　his　last　years　on　this　work；　expecting　great　results　from　it；　but　ere　the　first　public　line　was　opened　for　traffic　at　Glynde；　in　Sussex；　he　was　dead。

In　mechanical　engineering　his　graphical　methods　of　calculating　strains　in　bridges；　and　determining　the　efficiency　of　mechanism；　are　of　much　value。　　The　latter；　which　is　based　on　Reulaux's　prior　work；　　procured　him　the　honour　of　the　Keith　Gold　Medal　from　the　Royal　Society　of　Edinburgh。　　Another　successful　　work　of　his　was　the　founding　of　the　Sanitary　Protection　Association；　for　the　supervision　of　houses　with　regard　to　health。

In　his　leisure　hours　Jenkin　wrote　papers　on　a　wide　variety　of　subjects。　To　the　question；　'Is　one　man's　gain　another　man's　loss？'　he　answered　'Not　in　every　case。'　He　attacked　Darwin's　theory　of　development；　and　showed　its　inadequacy；　especially　in　demanding　more　time　than　the　physicist　could　grant　for　the　age　of　the　habitable　world。　　Darwin　himself　confessed　that　some　of　his　arguments　were　convincing；　and　Munro；　the　scholar；　complimented　him　for　his　paper　on　Lucretius　and　the　Atomic　Theory。'　In　1878　he　constructed　a　phonograph　from　the　newspaper　reports　of　this　new　invention；　and　lectured　on　it　at　a　bazaar　in　Edinburgh；　then　employed　it　to　study　the　nature　of　vowel　and　consonantal　sounds。　　An　interesting　paper　on　Rhythm　in　English　Verse；'　was　also　published　by　him　in　the　SATURDAY　REVIEW　for　1883。

He　was　clever　with　his　pencil；　and　could　seize　a　likeness　with　astonishing　rapidity。　　He　has　been　known　while　on　a　cable　expedition　to　stop　a　peasant　woman　in　a　shop　for　a　few　minutes　and　sketch　her　on　the　spot。　　His　artistic　side　also　shows　itself　in　a　paper　on　'Artist　and　Critic；'　in　which　he　defines　the　difference　between　the　mechanical　and　fine　arts。　　'In　mechanical　arts；'　he　says；　'the　craftsman　uses　his　skill　to　produce　something　　useful；　but　（except　in　the　rare　case　when　he　is　at　liberty　to　choose　what　he　shall　produce）　his　sole　merit　lies　in　skill。　In　the　fine　arts　the　student　uses　skill　to　produce　something　beautiful。　He　is　free　to　choose　what　that　something　shall　be；　and　the　layman　claims　that　he　may　and　must　judge　the　artist　chiefly　by　the　value　in　beauty　of　the　thing　done。　　Artistic　skill　contributes　to　beauty；　or　it　would　not　be　skill；　but　beauty　is　the　result　of　many　elements；　and　the　nobler　the　art　the　lower　is　the　rank　which　skill　takes　among　them。'

A　clear　and　matter…of…fact　thinker；　Jenkin　was　an　equally　clear　and　graphic　writer。　　He　read　the　best　literature；　preferring；　among　other　things；　the　story　of　David；　the　ODYSSEY；　the　ARCADIA；　the　saga　of　Burnt　Njal；　and　the　GRAND　CYRUS。　　Aeschylus；　Sophocles；　Shakespeare；　Ariosto；　Boccaccio；　Scott；　Dumas；　Dickens；　Thackeray；　and　George　Eliot；　were　some　of　his　favourite　authors。　　He　once　began　a　review　of　George　Eliot's　biography；　but　left　it　unfinished。　　Latterly　he　had　ceased　to　admire　her　work　as　much　as　before。　　He　was　a　rapid；　fluent　talker；　with　excited　utterance　at　times。　　Some　of　his　sayings　were　shrewd　and　sharp；　but　he　was　sometimes　aggressive。　　'People　admire　what　is　pretty　in　an　ugly　thing；'　he　used　to　say　'not　the　ugly　thing。'　A　lady　once　said　to　him　she　would　never　be　happy　again。　　'What　does　that　signify？'　cried　Jenkin　；　'we　are　not　here　to　be　happy；　but　to　be　good。'　On　a　friend　remarking　that　Salvini's　acting　in　OTHELLO　made　him　want　to　pray；　Jenkin　answered；　'That　is　prayer。'

Though　admired　and　liked　by　his　intimates；　Jenkin　was　never　popular　with　associates。　　His　manner　was　hard；　rasping；　and　unsympathetic。　　'Whatever　virtues　he　possessed；'　says　Mr。　Stevenson；　'he　could　never　count　on　being　civil。'　He　showed　so　much　courtesy　to　his　wife；　however；　that　a　Styrian　peasant　who　observed　it　spread　a　report　in　the　village　that　Mrs。　Jenkin；　a　great　lady；　had　married　beneath　her。　　At　the　Saville　Club；　in　London；　he　was　known　as　the　'man　who　dines　here　and　goes　up　to　Scotland。'　Jenkin　was　conscious　of　this　churlishness；　and　latterly　improved。　　'All　my　life；'　he　wrote；'I　have　talked　a　good　deal；　with　the　almost　unfailing　result　of　making　people　sick　of　the　sound　of　my　tongue。　It　appeared　to　me　that　I　had　various　things　to　say；　and　I　had　no　malevolent　feelings；　but；　nevertheless；　the　result　was　that　expressed　above。　　Well；　lately　some　change　has　happened。　　If　I　talk　to　a　person　one　day　they　must　have　me　the　next。　　Faces　light　up　when　they　see　me。　〃Ah！　I　say；　come　here。〃　〃　Come　and　dine　with　me。〃　It's　the　most　preposterous　thing　I　ever　experienced。　　It　is　curiously　pleasant。'

Jenkin　was　a　good　father；　joining　in　his　children's　play　as　well　as　directing　their　studies。　　The　boys　used　to　wait　outside　his　office　for　him　at　the　close　of　business　hours；　and　a　story　is　told　of　little　Frewen；　the　second　son；　entering　in　to　him　one　day；　while　he　was　at　work；　and　holding　out　a　toy　crane　he　was　making；　with　the　request；　'Papa　you　might　finiss　windin'　this　for　me；　I'm　so　very　busy　to…day。'　He　was　fond　of　animals　too；　and　his　dog　Plate　regularly　accompanied　him　to　the　University。　　But；　as　he　used　to　say；　'It's　a　cold　home　where　a　dog　is　the　only　representative　of　a　child。'

In　summer　his　holidays　were　usually　spent　in　the　Highlands；　where　Jenkin　learned　to　love　the　Highland　character　and　ways　of　life。　　He　was　a　good　shot；　rode　and　swam　well；　and　taught　his　boys　athletic　exercises；　boating；　salmon　fishing；　and　such　like。　　He　learned　to　dance　a　Highland　reel；　and　began　the　study　of　Gaelic；　but　that　speech　proved　too　stubborn；　craggy；　and　impregnable　even　for　Jenkin。　　Once　he　took　his　family　to　Alt　Aussee；　in　the　Stiermark；　Styria；　where　he　hunted　chamois；　won　a　prize　for　shooting　at　the　Schutzen…fest；　learned　the　dialect　of　the　country；　sketched　the　neighbourhood；　and　danced　the　STEIERISCH　and　LANDLER　with　the　peasants。　　He　never　seemed　to　be　happy　unless　he　was　doing；　and　what　he　did　was　well　done。

Above　all；　he　was　clear…headed　and　practical；　mastering　many　things；　no　dreamer；　but　an　active；　business　man。　　Had　he　confined　himself　to　engineering　　he　might　have　adorned　his　profession　more；　for　he　liked　and　fitted　it；　but　with　his　impulses　on　other　lines　repressed；　he　might　have　been　less　happy。　　Moreover；　he　was　one　who　believed；　with　the　sage；　that　all　good　work　is　profitable；　having　its　value；　if　only　in　exercise　and　skill。

His　own　parents　and　those　of　his　wife　had　come　to　live　in　Edinburgh　；　but　he　lost　them　all　within　ten　months　of　each　other。　　Jenkin　had　showed　great　devotion　to　them　in　their　illnesses；　and　was　worn　out　with　grief　and　watching。　　His　telpherage；　too；　had　given　him　considerable　anxiety　to　perfect；　and　his　mother's　illness；　which　affected　her　mind；　had　caused　himself　to　fear。

He　was　meditating　a　holiday　to　Italy　with　his　wife　in　order　to　recuperate；　and　had　a　trifling　operation　performed　on　his　foot；　which　resulted；　it　is　believed；　in　blood　poisoning。　　There　seemed　to　be　no　danger；　and　his　wife　was　reading　aloud　to　him　as　he　lay　in　bed；　when　his　intellect　began　to　wander。　　It　is　doubtful　whether　he　regained　his　senses　before　he　died；　on　June　12；　1885。

At　one　period　of　his　life　Jenkin　was　a　Freethinker；　holding；　as　Mr。　Stevenson　says；　all　dogmas　as　'mere　blind　struggles　to　express　the　inexpressible。'　　Nevertheless；　as　time　went　on　he　came　back　to　a　belief　in　Christianity。　　'The　longer　I　live；'　he　wrote；　'the　more　convinced　I　become　of　a　direct　care　by　Godwhich　is　reasonably　impossiblebut　there　it　is。'　In　his　last　year　he　took　the　Communion。



CHAPTER　VII。

JOHANN　PHILIPP　REIS。

Johann　Philipp　Reis；　the　first　inventor　of　an　electric　telephone；　was　born　on　January　7；　1834；　at　the　little　town　of　Gelnhausen；　in　Cassel；　where　his　father　was　a　master　baker　and　petty　farmer。　　The　boy　lost　his　mother　during　his　infancy；　and　was　brought　up　by　his　paternal　grandmother；　a　well…read；　intelligent　woman；　of　a　religious　turn。　　While　his　father　taught　him　to　observe　the　material　world；　his　grandmother　opened　his　mind　to　the　Unseen。

At　the　age　of　six　he　was　sent　to　the　common　school　of　the　town；　where　his　talents　attracted　the　notice　of　his　instructors；　who　advised　his　father　to　extend　his　education　at　a　higher　college。　　Mr。　Reis　died　before　his　son　was　ten　years　old；　but　his　grandmother　and　guardians　afterwards　placed　him　at　Garnier's　Institute；　in　Friedrichsdorf；　where　he　showed　a　taste　for　languages；　and　acquired　both　French　and　English；　as　well　as　a　stock　of　miscellaneous　information　from　the　library。　　At　the　end　of　his　fourteenth　year　he　passed　to　Hassel's　Institute；　at　Frankfort…on…the…Main；　where　he　picked　up　Latin　and　Italian。　　A　love　of　science　now　began　to　show　itself；　and　his　guardians　were　recommended　to　send　him　to　the　Polytechnic　School　of　Carlsruhe　；　but　one　of　them；　his　uncle；　wished　him　to　become　a　merchant；　and　on　March　1；　1850；　Reis　was　apprenticed　to　the　colour　trade　in　the　establishment　　of　Mr。　J。　F　Beyerbach；　of　Frankfort；　against　his　own　will。　　He　told　his　uncle　that　he　would　learn　the　business　chosen　for　him；　but　should　continue　his　proper　studies　by…and…by。

By　diligent　service　he　won　the　esteem　of　Mr。　Beyerbach；　　and　devoted　his　leisure　to　self…improvement；　taking　private　lessons　in　mathematics　and　physics；　and　attending　the　lectures　of　Professor　R。　Bottger　on　mechanics　at　the　Trade　School。　　When　his　apprenticeship　ended　he　attended　the　Institute　of　Dr。　Poppe；　in　Frankfort；　and　as　neither　history　nor　geography　was　taught　there；　several　of　the　students　a