strikes；　and　they　were　frequently　accustomed　to　turn　out　in　times
  when　trade　was　brisk；　thereby　bringing　the　whole　operations　of　the
  manufactories　to　a　standstill；　and　throwing　all　the　other　operatives
  out　of　employment。　　A　long…continued　strike　of　this　sort　took　place　in
  1824；　when　the　idea　occurred　to　the　masters　that　it　might　be　possible
  to　make　the　spinning…mules　run　out　and　in　at　the　proper　speed　by
  means　of　self…acting　machinery；　and　thus　render　them　in　some　measure
  independent　of　the　more　refractory　class　of　their　workmen。　　It　seemed；
  however；　to　be　so　very　difficult　a　problem；　that　they　were　by　no
  means　sanguine　of　success　in　its　solution。　　Some　time　passed　before
  they　could　find　any　mechanic　willing　so　much　as　to　consider　the
  subject。　　Mr。　Ashton　of　Staley…bridge　made　every　effort　with　this
  object；　but　the　answer　he　got　was　uniformly　the　same。　　The　thing　was
  declared　to　be　impracticable　and　impossible。　　Mr。　Ashton；　accompanied
  by　two　other　leading　spinners；　called　on　Sharp；　Roberts；　and　Co。；　to
  seek　an　interview　with　Mr。　Roberts。　　They　introduced　the　subject　to
  him；　but　he　would　scarcely　listen　to　their　explanations；　cutting　them
  short　with　the　remark　that　he　knew　nothing　whatever　about
  cotton…spinning。　　They　insisted；　nevertheless；　on　explaining　to　him
  what　they　required；　but　they　went　away　without　being　able　to　obtain
  from　him　any　promise　of　assistance　in　bringing　out　the　required
  machine。
  The　strike　continued；　and　the　manufacturers　again　called　upon　Mr。
  Roberts；　but　with　no　better　result。　　A　third　time　they　called　and
  appealed　to　Mr。　Sharp；　the　capitalist　of　the　firm；　who　promised　to
  use　his　best　endeavours　to　induce　his　mechanical　partner　to　take　the
  matter　in　hand。　　But　Mr。　Roberts；　notwithstanding　his　reticence；　had
  been　occupied　in　carefully　pondering　the　subject　since　Mr。　Ashton's
  first　interview　with　him。　　The　very　difficulty　of　the　problem　to　be
  solved　had　tempted　him　boldly　to　grapple　with　it；　though　he　would　not
  hold　out　the　slightest　expectation　to　the　cotton…spinners　of　his
  being　able　to　help　them　in　their　emergency　until　he　saw　his　way
  perfectly　clear。　　That　time　had　now　come；　and　when　Mr。　Sharp
  introduced　the　subject；　he　said　he　had　turned　the　matter　over　and
  thought　he　could　construct　the　required　self…acting　machinery。　　It　was
  arranged　that　he　should　proceed　with　it　at　once；　and　after　a　close
  study　of　four　months　he　brought　out　the　machine　now　so　extensively
  known　as　the　self…acting　mule。　　The　invention　was　patented　in　1825；
  and　was　perfected　by　subsequent　additions；　which　were　also　patented。
  Like　so　many　other　inventions；　the　idea　of　the　self…acting　mule　was
  not　new。　　Thus　Mr。　William　Strutt　of　Derby；　the　father　of　Lord　Belper；
  invented　a　machine　of　this　sort　at　an　early　period；　Mr。　William
  Belly；　of　the　New　Lanark　Mills；　invented　a　second；　and　various　other
  projectors　tried　their　skill　in　the　same　direction；　but　none　of　these
  inventions　came　into　practical　use。　　In　such　cases　it　has　become
  generally　admitted　that　the　real　inventor　is　not　the　person　who
  suggests　the　idea　of　the　invention；　but　he　who　first　works　it　out
  into　a　practicable　process；　and　so　makes　it　of　practical　and
  commercial　value。　　This　was　accomplished　by　Mr。　Roberts；　who；　working
  out　the　idea　after　his　own　independent　methods；　succeeded　in　making
  the　first　self…acting　mule　that　would　really　act　as　such；　and　he　is
  therefore　fairly　entitled　to　be　regarded　as　its　inventor。
  By　means　of　this　beautiful　contrivance；　spindle…carriages；　bearing
  hundreds　of　spindles；　run　themselves　out　and　in　by　means　of　automatic
  machinery；　at　the　proper　speed；　without　a　hand　touching　them；　the
  only　labour　required　being　that　of　a　few　boys　and　girls　to　watch　them
  and　mend　the　broken　threads　when　the　carriage　recedes　from　the　roller
  beam；　and　to　stop　it　when　the　cop　is　completely　formed；　as　is
  indicated　by　the　bell　of　the　counter　attached　to　the　working　gear。
  Mr。　Baines　describes　the　self…acting　mule　while　at　work　as　〃drawing
  out；　twisting；　and　winding　up　many　thousand　threads；　with　unfailing
  precision　and　indefatigable　patience　and　strengtha　scene　as　magical
  to　the　eye　which　is　not　familiarized　with　it；　as　the　effects　have
  been　marvellous　in　augmenting　the　wealth　and　population　of　the
  country。〃*
  ＇footnote。。。
  EDWARD　BAINES；　Esq。；　M。P。；　History　of　the　Cotton　Manufacture；　212。
  。。。＇
  Mr。　Roberts's　great　success　with　the　self…acting　mule　led　to　his
  being　often　appealed　to　for　help　in　the　mechanics　of　manufacturing。
  In　1826；　the　year　after　his　patent　was　taken　out；　he　was　sent　for　to
  Mulhouse；　in　Alsace；　to　design　and　arrange　the　machine　establishment
  of　Andre　Koechlin　and　Co。；　and　in　that　and　the　two　subsequent　years
  he　fairly　set　the　works　a…going；　instructing　the　workmen　in　the
  manufacture　of　spinning…machinery；　and　thus　contributing　largely　to
  the　success　of　the　French　cotton　manufacture。　　In　1832　he　patented　his
  invention　of　the　Radial　Arm　for　〃winding　on〃　in　the　self…acting　mule；
  now　in　general　use；　and　in　future　years　he　took　out　sundry　patents
  for　roving；　slubbing；　spinning；　and　doubling　cotton　and　other　fibrous
  materials；　and　for　weaving；　beetling；　and　mangling　fabrics　of　various
  sorts。
  A　considerable　branch　of　business　carried　on　by　the　firm　of　Sharp；
  Roberts；　and　Co。　　was　the　manufacture　of　iron　billiard…tables；　which
  were　constructed　with　almost　perfect　truth　by　means　of　Mr。　Roberts's
  planing…machine；　and　became　a　large　article　of　export。　　But　a　much
  more　important　and　remunerative　department　was　the　manufacture　of
  locomotives；　which　was　begun　by　the　firm　shortly　after　the　opening　of
  the　Liverpool　and　Manchester　Railway　had　marked　this　as　one　of　the
  chief　branches　of　future　mechanical　engineering。　　Mr。　Roberts　adroitly
  seized　the　opportunity　presented　by　this　new　field　of　invention　and
  enterprise；　and　devoted　himself　for　a　time　to　the　careful　study　of
  the　locomotive　and　its　powers。　　As　early　as　the　year　1829　we　find　him
  presenting　to　the　Manchester　Mechanics'　Institute　a　machine
  exhibiting　the　nature　of　friction　upon　railroads；　in　solution　of　the
  problem　then　under　discussion　in　the　scientific　journals。　　In　the
  following　year　he　patented　an　arrangement　for　communicating　power　to
  both　driving…wheels　of　the　locomotive；　at　all　times　in　the　exact
  proportions　required　when　turning　to　the　right　or　left；an
  arrangement　which　has　since　been　adopted　in　many　road　locomotives　and
  agricultural　engines。　　In　the　same　patent　will　be　found　embodied　his
  invention　of　the　steam…brake；　which　was　also　a　favourite　idea　of
  George　Stephenson；　since　elaborated　by　Mr。　MacConnell　of　the　London
  and　North…Western　Railway。　　In　1834；　Sharp；　Roberts；　and　Co。　　began　the
  manufacture　of　locomotives　on　a　large　scale；　and　the　compactness　of
  their　engines；　the　excellence　of　their　workmanship；　and　the　numerous
  original　improvements　introduced　in　them；　speedily　secured　for　the
  engines　of　the　Atlas　firm　a　high　reputation　and　a　very　large　demand。
  Among　Mr。　Roberts's　improvements　may　be　mentioned　his　method　of
  manufacturing　the　crank　axle；　of　welding　the　rim　and　tyres　of　the
  wheels；　and　his　arrangement　and　form　of　the　wrought…iron　framing　and
  axle…guards。　　His　system　of　templets　and　gauges；　by　means　of　which
  every　part　of　an　engine　or　tender　corresponded　with　that　of　every
  other　engine　or　tender　of　the　same　class；　was　as　great　an　improvement
  as　Maudslay's　system　of　uniformity　of　parts　in　other　descriptions　of
  machinery。
  In　connection　with　the　subject　of　railways；　we　may　allude　in　passing
  to　Mr。　Roberts's　invention　of　the　Jacquard　punching　machinea
  self…acting　tool　of　great　power；　used　for　punching　any　required
  number　of　holes；　of　any　pitch　and　to　any　pattern；　with　mathematical
  accuracy；　in　bridge　or　boiler　plates。　　The　origin　of　this　invention
  was　somewhat　similar　to　that　of　the　self…acting　mule。　　The　contractors
  for　the　Conway　Tubular　Bridge　while　under　construction；　in　1848；　were
  greatly　hampered　by　combinations　amongst　the　workmen；　and　they
  despaired　of　being　able　to　finish　the　girders　within　the　time
  specified　in　the　contract。　　The　punching　of　the　iron　plates　by　hand
  was　a　tedious　and　expensive　as　well　as　an　inaccurate　process；　and　the
  work　was　proceeding　so　slowly　that　the　contractors　found　it
  absolutely　necessary　to　adopt　some　new　method　of　punching　if　they
  were　to　finish　the　work　in　time。　　In　their　emergency　they　appealed　to
  Mr。　Roberts；　and　endeavoured　to　persuade　him　to　take　the　matter　up。
  He　at　length　consented　to　do　so；　and　evolved　the　machine　in　question
  during　his　evening's　leisurefor　the　most　part　while　quietly　sipping
  his　tea。　　The　machine　was　produced；　the　contractors　were　enabled　to
  proceed　with　the　punching　of　the　plates　independent　of　the　refractory
  men；　and　the　work　was　executed　with　a　despatch；　accuracy；　and
  excellence　that　would　not　otherwise　have　been　possible。　　Only　a　few
  years　since　Mr。　Roberts　added　a　useful　companion　to　the　Jacquard
  punching　machine；