men of invention and industry-第51章

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sheets；　or　equal　to　30；000　volumes　a　week。　　Nearly　45；000　pounds

of　paper　were　printed　weekly。　　The　quantity　printed　on　both　sides

per　week；　if　laid　down　in　a　path　of　22　1/4　inches　broad；　would

extend　263　miles　in　length。



About　the　year　l840；　a　Polish　inventor　brought　out　a　composing

machine；　and　submitted　it　to　Mr。　Clowes　for　approval。　　But　Mr。

Clowes　was　getting　too　old　to　take　up　and　push　any　new　invention。



He　was　also　averse　to　doing　anything　to　injure　the　compositors；

having　once　been　a　member　of　the　craft。　　At　the　same　time　he　said

to　his　son　George；　〃If　you　find　this　to　be　a　likely　machine；　let

me　know。　　Of　course　we　must　go　with　the　age。　　If　I　had　not

started　the　steam　press　when　I　did；　where　should　I　have　been

now？〃　　On　the　whole；　the　composing　machine；　though　ingenious；　was

incomplete；　and　did　not　come　into　use　at　that　time；　nor　indeed

for　a　long　time　after。　　Still；　the　idea　had　been　born；　and；　like

other　inventions；　became　eventually　developed　into　a　useful

working　machine。　　Composing　machines　are　now　in　use　in　many

printing…offices；　and　the　present　Clowes'　firm　possesses　several

of　them。　　Those　in　The　Times　newspaper　office　are　perhaps　the

most　perfect　of　all。



Mr。　Clowes　was　necessarily　a　man　of　great　ability；　industry；　and

energy。　　Whatever　could　be　done　in　printing；　that　he　would　do。　

He　would　never　admit　the　force　of　any　difficulty　that　might　be

suggested　to　his　plans。　　When　he　found　a　person　ready　to　offer

objections；　he　would　say；　〃Ah！　I　see　you　are　a　difficulty…maker：

you　will　never　do　for　me。〃



Mr。　Clowes　died　in　1847；　at　the　age　of　sixty…eight。　　There　still

remain　a　few　who　can　recall　to　mind　the　giant　figure；　the　kindly

countenance；　and　the　gentle　bearing　of　this　〃Prince　of　Printers；〃

as　he　was　styled　by　the　members　of　his　craft。　　His　life　was　full

of　hard　and　useful　work；　and　it　will　probably　be　admitted　that；

as　the　greatest　multiplier　of　books　in　his　day；　and　as　one　of　the

most　effective　practical　labourers　for　the　diffusion　of　useful

knowledge；　his　name　is　entitled　to　be　permanently　associated；　not

only　with　the　industrial；　but　also　with　the　intellectual

development　of　our　time。





CHAPTER　IX。



CHARLES　BIANCONI：　A　LESSON　OF　SELF…HELP　IN　IRELAND。



〃I　beg　you　to　occupy　yourself　in　collecting　biographical　notices

respecting　the　Italians　who　have　honestly　enriched　themselves　in

other　regions；　particularly　referring　to　the　obstacles　of　their

previous　life；　and　to　the　efforts　and　the　means　which　they

employed　for　vanquishing　them；　as　well　as　to　the　advantages　which

they　secured　for　themselves；　for　the　countries　in　which　they

settled；　and　for　the　country　to　which　they　owed　their　birth。〃

GENERAL　MENABREA；　Circular　to　Italian　Consuls。



When　Count　Menabrea　was　Prime　Minister　of　Italy；　he　caused　a

despatch　to　be　prepared　and　issued　to　Italian　Consuls　in　all

parts　of　the　world；　inviting　them　to　collect　and　forward　to　him

〃biographical　notices　respecting　the　Italians　who　have　honourably

advanced　themselves　in　foreign　countries。〃



His　object；　in　issuing　the　despatch；　was　to　collect　information

as　to　the　lives　of　his　compatriots　living　abroad；　in　order　to

bring　out　a　book　similar　to　'Self…help；'　the　examples　cited　in

which　were　to　be　drawn　exclusively　from　the　lives　of　Italian

citizens。　　Such　a　work；　he　intimated；　〃if　it　were　once　circulated

among　the　masses；　could　not　fail　to　excite　their　emulation　and

encourage　them　to　follow　the　examples　therein　set　forth；〃　while

〃in　the　course　of　time　it　might　exercise　a　powerful　influence　on

the　increased　greatness　of　our　country。〃



We　are　informed　by　Count　Menabrea　that；　although　no　special　work

has　been　published　from　the　biographical　notices　collected　in

answer　to　his　despatch；　yet　that　the　Volere　e　Potere　（'Will　is

Power'）　of　Professor　Lessona；　issued　a　few　years　ago；

sufficiently　answers　the　purpose　which　he　contemplated；　and

furnishes　many　examples　of　the　patient　industry　and　untiring

perseverance　of　Italians　in　all　parts　of　the　world。　　Many

important　illustrations　of　life　and　character　are　necessarily

omitted　from　Professor　Lessona's　interesting　work。　　Among　these

may　be　mentioned　the　subject　of　the　following　pages；a

distinguished　Italian　who　entirely　corresponds　to　Count

Menabrea's　descriptionone　who；　in　the　face　of　the　greatest

difficulties；　raised　himself　to　an　eminent　public　position；　at

the　same　time　that　he　conferred　the　greatest　benefits　upon　the

country　in　which　he　settled　and　carried　on　his　industrial

operations。　　We　mean　Charles　Bianconi；　and　his　establishment　of

the　great　system　of　car　communication　through　out　Ireland。＇1＇



Charles　Bianconi　was　born　in　1786；　at　the　village　of　Tregolo；

situated　in　the　Lombard　Highlands　of　La　Brianza；　about　ten　miles

from　Como。　　The　last　elevations　of　the　Alps　disappear　in　the

district；　and　the　great　plain　of　Lombardy　extends　towards　the

south。　　The　region　is　known　for　its　richness　and　beauty；　the

inhabitants　being　celebrated　for　the　cultivation　of　the　mulberry

and　the　rearing　of　the　silkworm；　the　finest　silk　in　Lombardy

being　produced　in　the　neighbourhood。　　Indeed；　Bianconi's　family；

like　most　of　the　villagers；　maintained　themselves　by　the　silk

culture。



Charles　had　three　brothers　and　one　sister。　　When　of　a　sufficient

age；　he　was　sent　to　school。　　The　Abbe　Radicali　had　turned　out

some　good　scholars；　but　with　Charles　Bianconi　his　failure　was

complete。　　The　new　pupil　proved　a　tremendous　dunce。　　He　was　very

wild；　very　bold；　and　very　plucky；　but　he　learned　next　to　nothing。



Learning　took　as　little　effect　upon　him　as　pouring　water　upon　a

duck's　back。　　Accordingly；　when　he　left　school　at　the　age　of

sixteen；　he　was　almost　as　ignorant　as　when　he　had　entered　it；　and

a　great　deal　more　wilful。



Young　Bianconi　had　now　arrived　at　the　age　at　which　he　was

expected　to　do　something　for　his　own　maintenance。　　His　father

wished　to　throw　him　upon　his　own　resources；　and　as　he　would　soon

be　subject　to　the　conscription；　he　thought　of　sending　him　to　some

foreign　country　in　order　to　avoid　the　forced　service。　　Young

fellows；　who　had　any　love　of　labour　or　promptings　of　independence

in　them；　were　then　accustomed　to　leave　home　and　carry　on　their

occupations　abroad。　　It　was　a　common　practice　for　workmen　in　the

neighbourhood　of　Como　to　emigrate　to　England　and　carry　on　various

trades；　more　particularly　the　manufacture　and　sale　of　barometers；

looking…glasses；　images；　prints；　pictures；　and　other　articles。



Accordingly；　Bianconi's　father　arranged　with　one　Andrea　Faroni　to

take　the　young　man　to　England　and　instruct　him　in　the　trade　of

print…selling。　　Bianconi　was　to　be　Faroni's　apprentice　for

eighteen　months；　and　in　the　event　of　his　not　liking　the

occupation；　he　was　to　be　placed　under　the　care　of　Colnaghi；　a

friend　of　his　father's；　who　was　then　making　considerable　progress

as　a　print…seller　in　London；　and　who　afterwards　succeeded　in

achieving　a　considerable　fortune　and　reputation。



Bianconi　made　his　preparations　for　leaving　home。　　A　little

festive　entertainment　was　given　at　a　little　inn　in　Como；　at　which

the　whole　family　were　present。　　It　was　a　sad　thing　for　Bianconi's

mother　to　take　leave　of　her　boy；　wild　though　he　was。　　On　the

occasion　of　this　parting　ceremony；　she　fainted　outright；　at　which

the　young　fellow　thought　that　things　were　assuming　a　rather

serious　aspect。　　As　he　finally　left　the　family　home　at　Tregolo；

the　last　words　his　mother　said　to　him　were　these　words　which　he

never　forgot：　〃When　you　remember　me；　think　of　me　as　waiting　at

this　window；　watching　for　your　return。〃



Besides　Charles　Bianconi；　Faroni　took　three　other　boys　under　his

charge。　　One　was　the　son　of　a　small　village　innkeeper；　another

the　son　of　a　tailor；　and　the　third　the　son　of　a　flax…dealer。　

This　party；　under　charge　of　the　Padre；　ascended　the　Alps　by　the

Val　San　Giacomo　road。　　From　the　summit　of　the　pass　they　saw　the

plains　of　Lombardy　stretching　away　in　the　b