of those works early applied to me for information regarding my steel process, and, as I had no patent, they desired to know under what terms I would supply all such plans as would enable them to put it in operation. I offered them detailed drawings of all the apparatus, a written description of the process, and a trial of their pig iron at the Sheffield Works, in the presence of one of their own employes, for which I asked a fee of £1000. This offer was at once accepted, and the agreement thus entered into was carried out to our mutual satisfaction; in due time, the works at Neuberg were got into active operation, and were entirely successful. In fact, with their splendid pig iron, it would have been difficult to have made a failure. Prince Demidoff inspected the works, and gave such a favourable report to the Emperor that His Majesty conferred on me the honour of "Knight Commander of the Order of His Imperial Majesty Francis Joseph," which, with the scarlet collar and gold and enamelled cross of the Order, was presented to me by His Excellency the Austrian Ambassador in London. This decoration I highly prize, and I have worn it on many public occasions.⁴

"The first honorary recognition of the importance of the Bessemer process in this country was made by the Institution of Civil Engineers about 1858, when that body awarded Mr. Bessemer the Gold Telford Medal, for a paper read by him before them on the subject. A knowledge of the new process soon spread to Sweden, Germany, Austria, France and America, and the inventor has received from these countries many honours and marks of distinction. In the early days of the invention, Prince Oscar of Sweden travelled many miles to witness the process in operation, and, as a mark of his approval, made the inventor a member of the Iron Board of Sweden. In Austria, the honour of the Knight Commander of the Order of his Imperial Majesty Francis Joseph was presented to him by the Emperor, together with the gold and enamelled cross and ribbon of the Order. The Emperor Napoleon desired to present him with the Grand Cross of the Legion of Honour, but the British Government would not allow him to accept it. The Emperor in person presented him with a superb gold medal instead. He also received the Albert Gold Medal, which was awarded by the Council of the Society of Arts, presented to him by the Prince of Wales at Marlborough House. The King of Wurtemburg also presented to the inventor a handsome gold medal, accompanied by a complimentary testimonial. His Majesty the King of the Belgians, who has always taken a deep interest in the Bessemer process, has on several occasions honoured the inventor by personally visiting him at his residence on Denmark Hill. The Freedom of the City of Hamburg was also presented to him in due form. He was also made a member of the Royal Academy of Trade in Berlin, and a Member of the Society for the Encouragement of National Industry of Paris; and in England he was made a member of the Royal Society of British Architects, and a member of the University College, London, a member of the Society of Mechanical Engineers of England and America. He succeeded the late Duke of Devonshire as President of the Iron and Steel Institute of Great Britain, and during his presidency he instituted the Bessemer Gold Medal, which has since been awarded annually for the most important improvement in the iron and steel manufacture made during the year. He also instituted the Bessemer Bronze Medal and five-guinea prize of books, annually presented to the most successful student at the Royal School of Mines at South Kensington. The Institution of Civil Engineers awarded him a splendid Gold Cup, being the Howard Quinquennial Prize. He was also presented with the Freedom of the Cutlers' Company of London, and the Freedom of the Turners' Company; and, at a specially-convened meeting at the Guildhall, on May 13th, 1880, Sir Henry Bessemer was presented with the Freedom of the City of London, beautifully illuminated, and contained in a massive gold casket, "in recognition of his valuable discoveries, which have so largely benefited the iron industry of this country, and his scientific attainments, which are so well known and appreciated throughout the world;" the same evening he was entertained at a banquet given in his honour, at the Mansion House, by the then Lord Mayor, Sir Francis Wyatt Truscott. But it may be truly said that in no part of the world has the Bessemer process been developed to the extent and with the energy that has marked its progress in America. In several different parts of the United States, where nature has richly endowed them with those aids to civilisation, coal and iron, manufacturing cities have been established, to which, by common consent, they have given the name of Bessemer. Thus we have the rapidly-increasing and important City of Bessemer, Gogebec County, Michigan; the City of Bessemer, chief town of the County of Bessemer, Alabama, with its Mayor and Corporation, its street tramways and electric lighting, and its large manufacturing works, public schools, and numerous churches. There is also the City of Bessemer, Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, the seat of the great