[ [149] Boulton to Watt, 15th July, 1776. Boulton MSS.
[ [150] During his Scotch visit, Watt spent much of his time in arranging his father’s affairs, which had got into confusion. He was now seventy-five years old, and grown very infirm. “He is perfectly incapable,” wrote his son, “of giving himself the least help, and the seeing him in such a situation has much hurt my spirits.”—Watt to Boulton, 28th July, 1766. Boulton MSS.
[ [151] Boulton to Watt (without date), 1776. Boulton MSS. In this letter, Boulton throws out a suggestion for Watt’s consideration—“When,” he says, “we have got our two-foot pumps up, I think it would be right to try our Soho engine with a steam strong enough to work the pumps with the axis in the centre of the beam, which will be almost 19 lb. upon the inch.”
[ [152] Boulton to Watt, 3rd November, 1776. In the same letter Boulton informs Watt that Perrins, another fireman, had returned from Bedworth, and had not a stroke to do, the fittings for the second engine not having arrived. The first engine was working twenty-four hours a day, but the pit was so full of water that the owners feared they would before long be drowned out; and if the work was stopped, the loss would be far greater than the whole value of the engine. But the sales of coal, though large, were but “a small consideration in comparison with the starving to death of the poor ribbon-weavers of Coventry and a great part of Oxfordshire.... Coals are 9d. and 10d. per cwt., and ’tis said they will be a shilling at Birmingham on Monday.”
[ [153] Watt to Boulton, 3rd December, 1776. Boulton MSS.
[ [154] Fire-engines at work were objects of curiosity in those days, and had many visitors. The engineman at the York Buildings reminded those who went to see his engine that something was expected, placing over the entrance to the engine room the following distich:—
“Whoever wants to see the engine here,
Must give the engine-man a drop of beer.”
[ [155] “Mr. White told me this morning as a great secret,” wrote Boulton’s London agent, “that he has reason to believe that Carless and Webb were going beyond sea, for Carless had told him he had 1000l. offered for six years, and he overheard Webb say that he was ready at an hour’s warning.” Carless and Webb were immediately ordered back to Soho, and the firm obtained warrants for the apprehension of the men as well as of the person who had bribed them, if they attempted to abscond “even though,” said Watt to Boulton, “Carless be a drunken and comparatively useless fellow.” Later he wrote, “I think there is no risk of Webb’s leaving us soon, and he offers to re-engage. Carless has been working very diligently this week, and is well on with his nozzle patterns. I mentioned to William the story of Sir John Fielding’s warrant, to show him that we are determined to act with spirit in case of interlopers.”—Watt to Boulton, May 3, 1777.
[ [156] Robert Hart’s ‘Reminiscences of James Watt,’ cited above.