the life of thomas telford-第24章

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disastrous　to　the　poor　Highlanders；　shortly　followed；　after　which

Captain　Thornton；　Metcalf；　and　the　Yorkshire　Volunteer　Company；

proceeded　homewards。　　Metcalf's　young　wife　had　been　in　great　fears

for　the　safety　of　her　blind；　fearless；　and　almost　reckless　partner；

but　she　received　him　with　open　arms；　and　his　spirit　of　adventure

being　now　considerably　allayed；　he　determined　to　settle　quietly

down　to　the　steady　pursuit　of　business。



During　his　stay　in　Aberdeen；　Metcalf　had　made　himself　familiar　with

the　articles　of　clothing　manufactured　at　that　place；　and　he　came　to

the　conclusion　that　a　profitable　trade　might　be　carried　on　by

buying　them　on　the　spot；　and　selling　them　by　retail　to　customers　in

Yorkshire。　　He　accordingly　proceeded　to　Aberdeen　in　the　following

spring；　and　bought　a　considerable　stock　of　cotton　and　worsted

stockings；　which　he　found　he　could　readily　dispose　of　on　his　return

home。　　His　knowledge　of　horsefleshin　which　he　was；　of　course；

mainly　guided　by　his　acute　sense　of　feelingalso　proved　highly

serviceable　to　him；　and　he　bought　considerable　numbers　of　horses　in

Yorkshire　for　sale　in　Scotland；　bringing　back　galloways　in　return。

It　is　supposed　that　at　the　same　time　he　carried　on　a　profitable

contraband　trade　in　tea　and　such　like　articles。



After　this；　Metcalf　began　a　new　line　of　business；　that　of　common

carrier　between　York　and　Knaresborough；　plying　the　first

stage…waggon　on　that　road。　　He　made　the　journey　twice　a　week　in

summer　and　once　a　week　in　winter。　　He　also　undertook　the　conveyance

of　army　baggage；　most　other　owners　of　carts　at　that　time　being

afraid　of　soldiers；　regarding　them　as　a　wild　rough　set；　with　whom

it　was　dangerous　to　have　any　dealings。　　But　the　blind　man　knew　them

better；　and　while　he　drove　a　profitable　trade　in　carrying　their

baggage　from　town　to　town；　they　never　did　him　any　harm。　　By　these

means；　he　very　shortly　succeeded　in　realising　a　considerable　store

of　savings；　besides　being　able　to　maintain　his　family　in

respectability　and　comfort。



Metcalf；　however；　had　not　yet　entered　upon　the　main　business　of　his

life。　　The　reader　will　already　have　observed　how　strong　of　heart

and　　resolute　of　purpose　he　was。　　During　his　adventurous　career　he

had　　acquired　a　more　than　ordinary　share　of　experience　of　the

world。　　Stone　blind　as　he　was　from　his　childhood；　he　had　not　been

able　to　study　books；　but　he　had　carefully　studied　men。　　He　could

read　characters　with　wonderful　quickness；　rapidly　taking　stock；　as

he　called　it；　of　those　with　whom　he　came　in　contact。　　In　his　youth；

as　we　have　seen；　he　could　follow　the　hounds　on　horse　or　on　foot；

and　managed　to　be　in　at　the　death　with　the　most　expert　riders。

His　travels　about　the　country　as　a　guide　to　those　who　could　see；

as　a　musician；　soldier；　chapman；　fish…dealer；　horse…dealer；

and　waggoner；　had　given　him　a　perfectly　familiar　acquaintance　with

the　northern　roads。　　He　could　measure　timber　or　hay　in　the　stack；

and　rapidly　reduce　their　contents　to　feet　and　inches　after　a　mental

process　of　his　own。　　Withal　he　was　endowed　with　an　extraordinary

activity　and　spirit　of　enterprise；　which；　had　his　sight　been　spared

him；　would　probably　have　rendered　him　one　of　the　most　extraordinary

men　of　his　age。　　As　it　was；　Metcalf　now　became　one　of　the　greatest

of　its　road…makers　and　bridge…builders。



＇Image＇　John　Metcalf；　the　blind　road…maker。



About　the　year　1765　an　Act　was　passed　empowering　a　turnpike…road　to

be　constructed　between　Harrogate　and　Boroughbridge。　　The　business

of　　contractor　had　not　yet　come　into　existence；　nor　was　the　art　of

road…making　much　understood；　and　in　a　remote　country　place　such　as

Knaresborough　the　surveyor　had　some　difficulty　in　finding　persons

capable　of　executing　the　necessary　work。　　The　shrewd　Metcalf

discerned　in　the　proposed　enterprise　the　first　of　a　series　of

public　roads　of　a　similar　kind　throughout　the　northern　counties；

for　none　knew　better　than　he　did　how　great　was　the　need　of　them。

He　determined；　therefore；　to　enter　upon　this　new　line　of　business；

and　offered　to　Mr。　Ostler；　the　master　surveyor；　to　construct　three

miles　of　the　proposed　road　between　Minskip　and　Fearnsby。　　Ostler

knew　the　man　well；　and　having　the　greatest　confidence　in　his

abilities；　he　let　him　the　contract。　　Metcalf　sold　his　stage…waggons

and　his　interest　in　the　carrying　business　between　York　and

Knaresborough；　and　at　once　proceeded　with　his　new　undertaking。

The　materials　for　metaling　the　road　were　to　be　obtained　from　one

gravel…pit　for　the　whole　length；　and　he　made　his　arrangements　on　a

large　scale　　accordingly；　hauling　out　the　ballast　with　unusual

expedition　and　　economy；　at　the　same　time　proceeding　with　the

formation　of　the　road　at　all　points；　by　which　means　he　was　enabled

the　first　to　complete　his　contract；　to　the　entire　satisfaction　of

the　surveyor　and　trustees。



This　was　only　the　first　of　a　vast　number　of　similar　projects　on

which　Metcalf　was　afterwards　engaged；　extending　over　a　period　of

more　than　thirty　years。　　By　the　time　that　he　had　finished　the　road；

the　building　of　a　bridge　at　Boroughbridge　was　advertised；　and

Metcalf　sent　in　his　tender　with　many　others。　　At　the　same　time　he

frankly　stated　that；　though　he　wished　to　undertake　the　work；　he　had

not　before　executed　anything　of　the　kind。　　His　tender　being　on　the

whole　the　most　favourable；　the　trustees　sent　for　Metcalf；　and　on

his　appearing　before　them；　they　asked　him　what　he　knew　of　a　bridge。

He　replied　that　he　could　readily　describe　his　plan　of　the　one　they

proposed　to　build；　if　they　would　be　good　enough　to　write　down　his

figures。　　The　span　of　the　arch；　18　feet；〃　said　he；　〃being　a

semicircle；　makes　27：　the　arch…stones　must　be　a　foot　deep；　which；

if　multiplied　by　27；　will　be　486；　and　the　basis　will　be　72　feet

more。　　This　for　the　arch；　but　it　will　require　good　backing；　for

which　purpose　there　are　proper　stones　in　the　old　Roman　wall　at

Aldborough；　which　may　be　used　for　the　purpose；　if　you　please　to

give　directions　to　that　effect。〃　　It　is　doubtful　whether　the

trustees　were　able　to　follow　his　rapid　calculations；　but　they　were

so　much　struck　by　his　readiness　and　apparently　complete　knowledge

of　the　work　he　proposed　to　execute；　that　they　gave　him　the　contract

to　build　the　bridge；　and　he　completed　it　within　the　stipulated　time

in　a　satisfactory　and　workmanlike　manner。



He　next　agreed　to　make　the　mile　and　a　half　of　turnpike…road　between

his　native　town　of　Knaresborough　and　Harrogateground　with　which

he　was　more　than　ordinarily　familiar。　　Walking　one　day　over　a

portion　of　the　ground　on　which　the　road　was　to　be　made；　while　still

covered　with　grass；　he　told　the　workmen　that　he　thought　it　differed

from　the　ground　adjoining　it；　and　he　directed　them　to　try　for　stone

or　gravel　underneath；　and；　strange　to　say；　not　many　feet　down；　the

men　came　upon　the　stones　of　an　old　Roman　causeway；　from　which　he

obtained　much　valuable　material　for　the　making　of　his　new　road。

At　another　part　of　the　contract　there　was　a　bog　to　be　crossed；　and

the　surveyor　thought　it　impossible　to　make　a　road　over　it。　　Metcalf

assured　him　that　he　could　readily　accomplish　it；　on　which　the　other

offered；　if　he　succeeded；　to　pay　him　for　the　straight　road　the

price　which　he　would　have　to　pay　if　the　road　were　constructed　round

the　bog。　　Metcalf　set　to　work　accordingly；　and　had　a　large　quantity

of　furze　and　ling　laid　upon　the　bog；　over　which　he　spread　layers　of

gravel。　　The　plan　answered　effectually；　and　when　the　materials　had

become　consolidated；　it　proved　one　of　the　best　parts　of　the　road。



It　would　be　tedious　to　describe　in　detail　the　construction　of　the

various　roads　and　bridges　which　Metcalf　subsequently　executed；　but

a　brief　summary　of　the　more　important　will　suffice。　　In　Yorkshire；

he　made　the　roads　between　Harrogate　and　Harewood　Bridge；　between

Chapeltown　and　Leeds；　between　Broughton　and　Addingham；　between　Mill

Bridge　and　Halifax；　between　Wakefield　and　Dewsbury；　between

Wakefield　and　Doncaster；　between