Henry Bessemer Quotations

It is true I had been successful on a small scale in overcoming one of the main difficulties in the new process, but there was still much to invent, and much that at that period I necessarily knew nothing about.

On March 4th, 1830, I arrived in London, where a new world seemed opened to me.

We fixed on No. 4, Queen Street Place, for our City offices, and it was from there that so many of my patented inventions were dated.

I had an immense advantage over many others dealing with the problem inasmuch as I had no fixed ideas derived from long-established practice to control and bias my mind, and did not suffer from the general belief that whatever is, is right.

I fear this little episode does not speak very favourably for my business capacity in those early days, for I certainly ought to have made much more than I did by this really important invention.

I was quite unable to make any white metal alloy hard enough to be made into powder by my machinery

I had now arrived at my seventeenth year, and had attained my full height, a fraction over six feet. I was well endowed with youthful energy, and was of an extremely sanguine temperament.

The bronze powder business, however, no longer required my personal attention, and was well managed by those I had chosen as the guardians of a secret, which was long and honourably kept.

At this period the enthusiasm of the amateur was fast giving way to a more steady commercial instinct, and I let no opportunity slip of improving my position, but I felt that I was still labouring under the disadvantage of not having acquired some technical profession.

In such a case secrecy must be absolute to be effective, and although mere vague curiosity induced many persons of my intimate acquaintance to ask to be allowed to just go in and have a peep, I never admitted anyone.

My life at this time was pretty much one of hard work and steady attention to business, from which I could only snatch short intervals.

Nevertheless, several of my friends have from time to time tried to induce me to write a concise account of my steel invention in my own quiet way.

The ordinary bronze powder is, as before mentioned, made from an exceedingly thin leaf of beaten metal, resembling an ordinary leaf of gold.

The new bronze caused quite a stir in the trade. The locality of its origin and its mode of manufacture were kept a profound secret.

I had been working pretty hard up to the time of the trials of the cane press, and felt that I was entitled to a little relaxation.

I had an immense advantage over many others dealing with the problem in as much as I had no fixed ideas derived from long-established practice to control and bias my mind, and did not suffer from the general belief that whatever is, is right.

The ground for the factory having been chosen, and a long lease of the premises obtained, I had next to plan the necessary buildings.