SAMUEL CROMPTON. 18:; 



realise a more perfect principle of spinning ; and tho'agli often 

 baffled, I as often renewed the attempt, and at length suc- 

 ceeded to my utmost desire, at the expense of every shilling I 

 had in the world." He was, of course, only able to work at the 

 mule in the leisure left after each day's task of spinning, and 

 often in hours stolen from sleep. The purchase of tools and 

 materials absorbed all his spare cash, and when the Bolton 

 Theatre was open, he was glad to earn eighteenpcnce a-night 

 by playing the violin in the orchestra. The first mule was 

 made, for the most part, of wood ; and to a small roadside 

 smithy he used to resort, " to file his bits o' things." 



Crompton proceeded very silently with his invention. Even 

 the family at Hall-in-the-Wood knew httle of what he was about, 

 until his lights and noise, while at work in the night time, 

 excited their curiosity. Besides, inventors of machinery stood 

 in great danger from popular indignation. The Blackburn 

 spinners ■ and weavers had driven Hargreaves from his home, 

 and destroyed every jenny of more than twenty spindles for 

 miles round. 



When this storm was raging, Crompton took his mule to 

 pieces, and hid the various parts in a loft or garret near the 

 clock in the old Hall. Meanwhile, he excited much surprise 

 in the market by the production of yarn, which, alike in fine- 

 ness and firmness, surpassed any that had ever been seen. It 

 immediately became the imiversal question in the trade. How 

 does Crompton make that yarn? It was at once perceived 

 that the greatly-desired muslins, brought all the way from the 

 East Indies, might be woven at home, if only such yarn could 

 be had in abundance. 



At this time Crompton married, and commenced house- 

 keeping in a cottage near the Hall, but still retained his work- 



