s most intimate friend of youthful years in
Glasgow University, Professor Robison, was Professor of mathematics in
the Government Naval School, Kronstadt. He secured for Watt an
appointment at $5,000 per annum, a fortune to the poor inventor; but
although this would have relieved him from dependence upon Boulton, and
meant future affluence, he declined, alleging that "Boulton's favours
were so gracefully conferred that dependence on him was not felt." He
made Watt feel "that the obligation was entirely upon the side of the
giver." Truly we must canonise Boulton. He was not only the first
"Captain of Industry," but also a model for all others to follow.

The bill extending the patent was introduced in Parliament February,
1775. Opposition soon developed. The mining interest was in serious
trouble owing to the deepening of the mines and the unbearable expense
of pumping the water. They had looked forward to the Watt engine soon to
be free of patent rights to relieve them. "No monopoly," was their cry,
nor were they without strong support, for Edmund Burke pleaded the cause
of his mining constituents near Bristol.[2]

We need not follow the discussion that ensued upon the propriety of
granting the patent extension. Suffice to say it was finally granted for
a term of twenty-four years, and the path was clear at last. Britain was
to have probably for the first time great works and new tools specially
designed for a specialty to be produced upon a large scale. Boulton had
arranged to pay Roebuck $5,000 out of the first profits from the patent
in addition to the $6,000 of debt cancelled. He now anticipated payment
of the thousand, at the urgent request of Roebuck's assignees, giving
in so doing pretty good evidence of his faith in prompt returns from the
engines, for which orders came pouring in. New mechanical facilities
followed, as well as a supply of skilled mechanics.

The celebrated Wilkinson now appears upon the scene, first builder of
iron boats, and a leading iron-founder of his day, an original Captain
of Industry of the embryonic type, who began working in a forge for
three dollars a week. He cast a cylinder eighteen inches in diameter,
and invented a boring machine which bored it accurately, thus remedying
one of Watt's principal difficulties. This cylinder was substituted for
the tin-lined cylinder of the triumphant Kinneil engine. Satisfactory as
were the results of the engine before, the new cylinder improved u