the life of thomas telford-第26章

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constructing　the　railway　across　Chat　Moss。　　It　consisted　simply　in　a

large　extension　of　the　bearing　surface；　by　which；　in　fact；　the　road

was　made　to　float　upon　the　surface　of　the　bog；　and　the　ingenuity　of

the　expedient　proved　the　practical　shrewdness　and　mother…wit　of　the

blind　Metcalf；　as　it　afterwards　illustrated　the　promptitude　as　well

as　skill　of　the　clear…sighted　George　Stephenson。



Metcalf　was　upwards　of　seventy　years　old　before　he　left　off

road…making。　　He　was　still　hale　and　hearty；　wonderfully　active　for

so　old　a　man；　and　always　full　of　enterprise。　　Occupation　was

absolutely　　necessary　for　his　comfort；　and　even　to　the　last　day　of

his　life　he　　could　not　bear　to　be　idle。　　While　engaged　on　road…making

in　Cheshire；　he　brought　his　wife　to　Stockport　for　a　time；

and　there　she　died；　after　thirty…nine　years　of　happy　married　life。

One　of　Metcalf's　daughters　became　married　to　a　person　engaged　in

the　cotton　business　at　Stockport；　and；　as　that　trade　was　then　very

brisk；　Metcalf　himself　commenced　it　in　a　small　way。　He　began　with

six　spinning…jennies　and　a　carding…engine；　to　which　he　afterwards

added　looms　for　weaving　calicoes；　jeans；　and　velveteens。　　But　trade

was　fickle；　and　finding　that　he　could　not　sell　his　yarns　except　at

a　loss；　he　made　over　his　jennies　to　his　son…in…law；　and　again　went

on　with　his　road…making。　　The　last　line　which　he　constructed　was

one　of　the　most　difficult　he　had　everundertaken；　that　between

Haslingden　and　Accrington；　with　a　branch　road　to　Bury。　　Numerous

canals　being　under　construction　at　the　same　time；　employment　was

abundant　and　wages　rose；　so　that　though　he　honourably　fulfilled　his

contract；　and　was　paid　for　it　the　sum　of　3500L。；　he　found　himself　a

loser　of　exactly　40L。　after　two　years'　labour　and　anxiety。

He　completed　the　road　in　1792；　when　he　was　seventy…five　years　of　age；

after　which　he　retired　to　his　farm　at　Spofforth；　near　Wetherby；

where　for　some　years　longer　he　continued　to　do　a　little　business　in

his　old　line；　buying　and　selling　hay　and　standing　wood；　and

superintending　the　operations　of　his　little　farm；　During　the　later

years　of　his　career　he　occupied　himself　in　dictating　to　an

amanuensis　an　account　of　the　incidents　in　his　remarkable　life；

and　finally；　in　the　year　1810；　this　strong…hearted　and　resolute　man

his　life's　work　overlaid　down　his　staff　and　peacefully　departed

in　the　ninety…third　year　of　his　age；　leaving　behind　him　four

children；　twenty　grand…children；　and　ninety　great　grand…children。



＇Image＇　Metcalf's　house　at　Spofforth。



The　roads　constructed　by　Metcalf　and　others　had　the　effect　of

greatly　improving　the　communications　of　Yorkshire　and　Lancashire；

and　opening　up　those　counties　to　the　trade　then　flowing　into　them

from　all　directions。　　But　the　administration　of　the　highways　and

turnpikes　being　entirely　local；　their　good　or　bad　management

depending　upon　the　public　spirit　and　enterprise　of　the　gentlemen　of

the　locality；　it　frequently　happened　that　while　the　roads　of　one

county　were　exceedingly　good；　those　of　the　adjoining　county　were

altogether　execrable。



Even　in　the　immediate　vicinity　of　the　metropolis　the　Surrey　roads

remained　comparatively　unimproved。　　Those　through　the　interior　of

Kent　were　wretched。　　When　Mr。　Rennie；　the　engineer；　was　engaged　in

surveying　the　Weald　with　a　view　to　the　cutting　of　a　canal　through

it　in　1802；　he　found　the　country　almost　destitute　of　practicable

roads；　though　so　near　to　the　metropolis　on　the　one　hand　and　to　the

sea…coast　on　the　other。　　The　interior　of　the　county　was　then

comparatively　untraversed；　except　by　bands　of　smugglers；　who　kept

the　inhabitants　in　a　state　of　constant　terror。　　In　an　agricultural

report　on　the　county　of　Northampton　as　late　as　the　year　1813；　it

was　stated　that　the　only　way　of　getting　along　some　of　the　main

lines　of　road　in　rainy　weather；　was　by　swimming！



In　the　neighbourhood　of　the　city　of　Lincoln　the　communications　were

little　better；　and　there　still　stands　upon　what　is　called　Lincoln

Heaththough　a　heath　no　longera　curious　memorial　of　the　past　in

the　shape　of　Dunstan　Pillar；　a　column　seventy　feet　high；　erected

about　the　middle　of　last　century　in　the　midst　of　the　then　dreary；

barren　waste；　for　the　purpose　of　serving　as　a　mark　to　wayfarers　by

day　and　a　beacon　to　them　by　night。*＇2＇



＇Image＇　Land　Lighthouse　on　Lincoln　Heath。



At　that　time　the　Heath　was　not　only　uncultivated；　but　it　was　also

unprovided　with　a　road　across　it。　　When　the　late　Lady　Robert

Manners　　visited　Lincoln　from　her　residence　at　Bloxholm；　she　was

accustomed　to　send　forward　a　groom　to　examine　some　track；　that　on

his　return　he　might　be　able　to　report　one　that　was　practicable。

Travellers　frequently　lost　themselves　upon　this　heath。　　Thus　a

family；　returning　from　a　ball　at　Lincoln；　strayed　from　the　track

twice　in　one　night；　and　they　were　obliged　to　remain　there　until

morning。　　All　this　is　now　changed；　and　Lincoln　Heath　has　become

covered　with　excellent　roads　and　thriving　farmsteads。

〃This　Dunstan　Pillar；〃　says　Mr。　Pusey；　in　his　review　of　the

agriculture　of　Lincolnshire；　in　1843；　〃lighted　up　no　longer　time

ago　for　so　singular　a　purpose；　did　appear　to　me　a　striking　witness

of　the　spirit　of　industry　which；　in　our　own　days；　has　reared　the

thriving　homesteads　around　it；　and　spread　a　mantle　of　teeming

vegetation　to　its　very　base。　　And　it　was　certainly　surprising　to

discover　at　once　the　finest　farming　I　had　ever　seen　and　the　only

land　lighthouse　ever　raised。*＇3＇　　Now　that　the　pillar　has　ceased　to

cheer　the　wayfarer；　it　may　serve　as　a　beacon　to　encourage　other

landowners　in　converting　their　dreary　moors　into　similar　scenes　of

thriving　industry。〃*＇4＇　　When　the　improvement　of　the　high　roads　of

the　country　fairly　set　in；　the　progress　made　was　very　rapid。

This　was　greatly　stimulated　by　the　important　inventions　of　tools；

machines；　and　engines；　made　towards　the　close　of　last　century；

the　products　of　whichmore　especially　of　the　steam…engine　and

spinning…machineso　largely　increased　the　wealth　of　the　nation。

Manufactures；　commerce；　and　shipping；　made　unprecedented　strides；

life　became　more　active；　persons　and　commodities　circulated　more

rapidly；　every　improvement　in　the　internal　communications　being

followed　by　an　increase　of　ease；　rapidity；　and　economy　in

locomotion。　　Turnpike　and　post　roads　were　speedily　extended　all

over　the　country；　and　even　the　rugged　mountain　districts　of　North

Wales　and　the　Scotch　　Highlands　became　as　accessible　as　any　English

county。　　The　riding　postman　was　superseded　by　the　smartly　appointed

mail…coach；　performing　its　journeys　with　remarkable　regularity　at

the　average　speed　of　ten　miles　an　hour。　　Slow　stagecoaches　gave

place　to　fast　ones；　splendidly　horsed　and　〃tooled；〃　until

travelling　by　road　in　England　was　pronounced　almost　perfect。



But　all　this　was　not　enough。　　The　roads　and　canals；　numerous　and

perfect　though　they　might　be；　were　found　altogether　inadequate　to

the　accommodation　of　the　traffic　of　the　country；　which　had

increased；　at　a　constantly　accelerating　ratio；　with　the　increased

application　of　steam　power　to　the　purposes　of　productive　industry。

At　length　steam　itself　was　applied　to　remedy　the　inconveniences

which　it　had　caused；　the　locomotive　engine　was　invented；　and

travelling　by　railway　became　generally　adopted。　　The　effect　of

these　several　improvements　in　the　means　of　locomotion；　has　been　to

greatly　increase　the　public　activity；　and　to　promote　the　general

comfort　and　well…being。　　They　have　tended　to　bring　the　country　and

the　town　much　closer　together；　and；　by　annihilating　distance　as

measured　by　time；　to　make　the　whole　kingdom　as　　one　great　city。

What　the　personal　blessings　of　improved　communication　have　been；　no

one　has　described　so　well　as　the　witty　and　sensible　Sydney　Smith：



　　　〃It　is　of　some　importance；〃　he　wrote；　〃at　what　period

　　　　a　man　is　born。　　A　young　man　alive　at　this　period

　　　　hardly　knows　to　what　improvement　of　human　life　he　has

　　　　been　introduced；　an