Henry Bessemer, who first saw the light in England in 1813, may be said to have been born an inventor, for his father was one before him—a Frenchman employed in the royal mint at Paris, afterwards appointed by the Revolutionary authorities to superintend a public bakery; on an accusation of giving short weight, thrown into prison, from which, and probably from the guillotine, he escaped, and found employment in the English mint. Subsequently he devised some notable improvements in the art of producing letterpress type, and for many years carried on a prosperous business as a typefounder. The son developed inventive faculties at a very early age: in lathe engraving, dies, dating stamps, etc. His name became familiar to everyone by his production of the metallic powder long known as “Bessemer’s Gold Paint.” It became known to Bessemer that the raw material of this substance, which was then sold at £5, 10_s._ per lb., really cost only about one shilling per lb., and he set himself to discover its composition and mode of manufacture. He succeeded in this so well that he could produce the article at the insignificant cost of four shillings a pound, and his first order for a supply of it was at the rate of £4 per lb., and the business was continued, realising profits of something like 1,000 per cent. at first. For this article no patent was taken out, but Bessemer himself, assisted by two trustworthy workmen, carried on the manufacture in secret, and he some time afterwards rewarded the fidelity of his men by handing over the business to them as a free gift. Then he took out patents for improvements in the manufacture of oils, varnishes, sugar, plate glass, etc. Several of his machines for these purposes were shown at the London Exhibition of 1851. Bessemer is said to have obtained altogether some 150 patents, including those granted for inventions connected with our subject. He may be regarded as the type of the very fortunate inventor, since on the patents of the one process we are going to describe he ultimately obtained royalties to the value of more than £1,057,000, and this irrespective of profits derived from commercially working it himself.