Chapter 0
preface to james watt preface when the publishers asked me to write the life of watt i declined stating that my thoughts were upon other matters this settled the question as i supposed but in this i was mistaken why shouldn't i write the life of the maker of the steam-engine out of which i had made fortune besides i knew little of the history of the steam-engine and of watt himself and the surest way to obtain knowledge was to comply with the publisher's highly complimentary request in short the subject would not down and finally i was compelled to write again telling them that the idea haunted me and if they still desired me to undertake it i should do so with my heart in the task i now know about the steam-engine and have also had revealed to me one of the finest characters that ever graced the earth for all this i am deeply grateful to the publishers
i am indebted to friends messrs angus sinclair and edward r cooper for editing my notes upon scientific and mechanical points the result is this volume if the public in reading have one tithe of the pleasure i have had in writing it i shall be amply rewarded the author
