Produced by V. L. Simpson and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This file was produced from images generously made available by The Internet Archive/American Libraries.) JAMES WATT By Andrew Carnegie Author of "The Empire of Business," "Gospel of Wealth," "Triumphant Democracy," "American Four-in-Hand in Britain," "Round the World," Etc. New York Doubleday, Page & Company 1905 Copyright, 1905, by Doubleday, Page & Company Published, May, 1905 _All rights reserved, including that of translation--also right of translation into the Scandinavian languages._ PREFACE When the publishers asked me to write the Life of Watt, I declined, stating that my thoughts were upon other matters. This settled the question, as I supposed, but in this I was mistaken. Why shouldn't I write the Life of the maker of the steam-engine, out of which I had made fortune? Besides, I knew little of the history of the Steam Engine and of Watt himself, and the surest way to obtain knowledge was to comply with the publisher's highly complimentary request. In short, the subject would not down, and finally, I was compelled to write again, telling them that the idea haunted me, and if they still desired me to undertake it, I should do so with my heart in the task. I now know about the steam-engine, and have also had revealed to me one of the finest characters that ever graced the earth. For all this I am deeply grateful to the publishers. I am indebted to friends, Messrs. Angus Sinclair and Edward R. Cooper, for editing my notes upon Scientific and Mechanical points. The result is this volume. If the public, in reading, have one tithe of the pleasure I have had in writing it, I shall be amply rewarded. THE AUTHOR. CONTENTS Authors Preface v CHAPTER PAGE I. Childhood and Youth 3 II. Glasgow to London--Return to Glasgow. 23 III. Captured by Steam 45 IV. Partnership with Roebuck 67 V. Boulton Partnership 87 VI. Removal to Birmingham 121 VII. Second Patent 157 VIII. The Record of the Steam Engine 195 IX. Watt in Old Age 213 X. Watt, the Inventor and Discoverer 223 XI. Watt, the Man 233 CHAPTER I CHILDHOOD AND YOUTH