the life of thomas telford-第39章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



works　placed　under　his　charge；　had　secured　the　general　approbation

of　the　gentlemen　of　the　county。　　His　straightforward　and　outspoken

manner　had　further　obtained　for　him　the　friendship　of　many　of　them。

At　the　meetings　of　quarter…sessions　his　plans　had　often　to　encounter

considerable　opposition；　and；　when　called　upon　to　defend　them；　he

did　so　with　such　firmness；　persuasiveness；　and　good　temper；　that　he

usually　carried　his　point。　　〃Some　of　the　magistrates　are　ignorant；〃

he　wrote　in　1789；　〃and　some　are　obstinate：　though　I　must　say　that

on　the　whole　there　is　a　very　respectable　bench；　and　with　the

sensible　part　I　believe　I　am　on　good　terms。〃　　This　was　amply　proved

some　four　years　later；　when　it　became　necessary　to　appoint　an

engineer　to　the　Ellesmere　Canal；　on　which　occasion　the　magistrates；

who　were　mainly　the　promoters　of　the　undertaking；　almost

unanimously　solicited　their　Surveyor　to　accept　the　office。



Indeed；　Telford　had　become　a　general　favourite　in　the　county。

He　was　cheerful　and　cordial　in　his　manner；　though　somewhat　brusque。

Though　now　thirty…five　years　old；　he　had　not　lost　the　humorousness

which　had　procured　for　him　the　sobriquet　of　〃Laughing　Tam。〃

He　laughed　at　his　own　jokes　as　well　as　at　others。　　He　was　spoken　of

as　jollya　word　then　much　more　rarely　as　well　as　more　choicely　used

than　it　is　now。　　Yet　he　had　a　manly　spirit；　and　was　very　jealous　of

his　independence。　　All　this　made　him　none　the　less　liked　by

free…minded　men。　　Speaking　of　the　friendly　support　which　he　had

throughout　received　from　Mr。　Pulteney；　he　said；　〃His　good　opinion

has　always　been　a　great　satisfaction　to　me；　and　the　more　so；　as　it

has　neither　been　obtained　nor　preserved　by　deceit；　cringing；　nor

flattery。　　On　the　contrary；　I　believe　I　am　almost　the　only　man　that

speaks　out　fairly　to　him；　and　who　contradicts　him　the　most。

In　fact；　between　us；　we　sometimes　quarrel　like　tinkers；　but　I　hold

my　ground；　and　when　he　sees　I　am　right　he　quietly　gives　in。〃



Although　Mr。　Pulteney's　influence　had　no　doubt　assisted　Telford　in

obtaining　the　appointment　of　surveyor；　it　had　nothing　to　do　with

the　unsolicited　invitation　which　now　emanated　from　the　county

gentlemen。　　Telford　was　not　even　a　candidate　for　the　engineership；

and　had　not　dreamt　of　offering　himself；　so　that　the　proposal　came

upon　him　entirely　by　surprise。　　Though　he　admitted　he　had

self…confidence；　he　frankly　confessed　that　he　had　not　a　sufficient

amount　of　it　to　justify　him　in　aspiring　to　the　office　of　engineer

to　one　of　the　most　important　undertakings　of　the　day。　　The　following

is　his　own　account　of　the　circumstance：



〃My　literary　project*＇3＇　is　at　present　at　a　stand；　and　may　be

retarded　for　some　time　to　come；　as　I　was　last　Monday　appointed　sole

agent；　architect；　and　engineer　to　the　canal　which　is　projected　to

join　the　Mersey；　the　Dee；　and　the　Severn。　　It　is　the　greatest　work；

I　believe；　now　in　hand　in　this　kingdom；　and　will　not　be　completed

for　many　years　to　come。　　You　will　be　surprised　that　I　have　not

mentioned　this　to　you　before；　but　the　fact　is　that　I　had　no　idea　of

any　such　appointment　until　an　application　was　made　to　me　by　some　of

the　leading　gentlemen；　and　I　was　appointed；　though　many　others　had

made　much　interest　for　the　place。　　This　will　be　a　great　and

laborious　undertaking；　but　the　line　which　it　opens　is　vast　and

noble；　and　coming　as　the　appointment　does　in　this　honourable　way；

I　thought　it　too　great　a　opportunity　to　be　neglected；　especially　as　I

have　stipulated　for；　and　been　allowed；　the　privilege　of　carrying　on

my　architectural　profession。　　The　work　will　require　great　labour

and　exertions；　but　it　is　worthy　of　them　all。〃*＇4＇　　Telford's

appointment　was　duly　confirmed　by　the　next　general　meeting　of　the

shareholders　of　the　Ellesmere　Canal。　　An　attempt　was　made　to　get　up

a　party　against　him；　but　it　failed。　　〃I　am　fortunate；〃　he　said；　〃in

being　on　good　terms　with　most　of　the　leading　men；　both　of　property

and　abilities；　and　on　this　occasion　I　had　the　decided　support　of

the　great　John　Wilkinson；　king　of　the　ironmasters；　himself　a　host。

I　travelled　in　his　carriage　to　the　meeting；　and　found　him　much

disposed　to　be　friendly。〃*＇5＇　　The　salary　at　which　Telford　was

engaged　was　500L。　a　year；　out　of　which　he　had　to　pay　one　clerk　and

one　confidential　foreman；　besides　defraying　his　own　travelling

expenses。　　It　would　not　appear　that　after　making　these

disbursements　much　would　remain　for　Telford's　own　labour；　but　in

those　days　engineers　were　satisfied　with　comparatively　small　pay；

and　did　not　dream　of　making　large　fortunes。



Though　Telford　intended　to　continue　his　architectural　business；

he　decided　to　give　up　his　county　surveyorship　and　other　minor　matters；

which；　he　said；　〃give　a　great　deal　of　very　unpleasant　labour　for

very　little　profit；　in　short　they　are　like　the　calls　of　a　country

surgeon。〃　　One　part　of　his　former　business　which　he　did　not　give　up

was　what　related　to　the　affairs　of　Mr。　Pulteney　and　Lady　Bath；　with

whom　he　continued　on　intimate　and　friendly　terms。　　He　incidentally

mentions　in　one　of　his　letters　a　graceful　and　charming　act　of　her

Ladyship。　　On　going　into　his　room　one　day　he　found　that；　before

setting　out　for　Buxton；　she　had　left　upon　his　table　a　copy　of

Ferguson's　'Roman　Republic；'　in　three　quarto　volumes；　superbly

bound　and　gilt。



He　now　looked　forward　with　anxiety　to　the　commencement　of　the

canal；　the　execution　of　which　would　necessarily　call　for　great

exertion　on　his　part；　as　well　as　unremitting　attention　and

industry；　〃for；〃　said　he；　〃besides　the　actual　labour　which

necessarily　attends　so　extensive　a　public　work；　there　are

contentions；　jealousies；　and　prejudices；　stationed　like　gloomy

sentinels　from　one　extremity　of　the　line　to　the　other。　　But；　as　I

have　heard　my　mother　say　that　an　honest　man　might　look　the　Devil　in

the　face　without　being　afraid；　so　we　must　just　trudge　along　in　the

old　way。〃*＇6＇



Footnotes　for　Chapter　V。



*＇1＇　Letter　to　Mr。　Andrew　Little；　Langholm；　dated　Shrewsbury；

10th　March；　1793



*＇2＇　Referring　to　the　burning　of　Dr。　Priestley's　library。



*＇3＇　The　preparation　of　some　translations　from　Buchanan　which　he

had　contemplated。



*＇4＇　Letter　to　Mr。　Andrew　Little；　Langholm；　dated　Shrewsbury；

29th　September；　1793。



*＇5＇　John　Wilkinson　and　his　brother　William　were　the　first　of　the

great　class　of　ironmasters。　　They　possessed　iron　forges　at　Bersham

near　Chester；　at　Bradley；　Brimbo；　Merthyr　Tydvil；　and　other　places；

and　became　by　far　the　largest　iron　manufacturers　of　their　day。

For　notice　of　them　see　'Lives　of　Boulton　and　Watt；'　p。　212。



*＇6＇　Letter　to　Mr。　Andrew　Little；　Langholm；　dated　Shrewsbury；

3rd　November；　1793。





CHAPTER　VI。



THE　ELLESMERE　CANAL。



The　ellesmere　canal　consists　of　a　series　of　navigations　proceeding

from　the　river　Dee　in　the　vale　of　Llangollen。　　One　branch　passes

northward；　near　the　towns　of　Ellesmere；　Whitchurch；　Nantwich；　and

the　city　of　Chester；　to　Ellesmere　Port　on　the　Mersey；　another；

in　a　south…easterly　direction；　through　the　middle　of　Shropshire

towards　Shrewsbury　on　the　Severn；　and　a　third；　in　a　south…westerly

direction；　by　the　town　of　Oswestry；　to　the　Montgomeryshire　Canal

near　Llanymynech；　its　whole　extent；　including　the　Chester　Canal；

incorporated　with　it；　being　about　112　miles。



＇Image＇　Map　of　Ellesmere　Canal



The　success　of　the　Duke　of　Bridgewater's　Canal　had　awakened　the

attention　of　the　landowners　throughout　England；　but　more　especially

in　the　districts　immediately　adjacent　to　the　scene　of　the　Duke's

operations；　as　they　saw　with　their　own　eyes　the　extraordinary

benefits　which　had　followed　the　opening　up　of　the　navigations。

The　resistance　of　the　landed　gentry；　which　many　of　these　schemes　had

originally　to　encounter；　had　now　completely　given　way；　and；　instead

of　opposing　canals；　they　were　everywhere　found　anxious　for　their

construction。　　The　navigations　brought　lime；　coal；　manure；　and

merchandise；　almost　to　the　farmers'　doors；　and