men of invention and industry-第57章

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the　close　of　a　long　and　useful　life　he　could　say　with　truth；　〃I

never　yet　attempted　to　do　an　act　of　generosity　or　common　justice；

publicly　or　privately；　that　I　was　not　met　by　manifold

reciprocity。〃



By　bringing　the　various　classes　of　society　into　connection　with

each　other；　Bianconi　believed；　and　doubtless　with　truth；　that　he

was　the　means　of　making　them　respect　each　other；　and　that　he

thereby　promoted　the　civilisation　of　Ireland。　　At　the　meeting　of

the　social　Science　Congress；　held　at　Dublin　in　1861；　he　said：　

〃The　state　of　the　roads　was　such　as　to　limit　the　rate　of

travelling　to　about　seven　miles　an　hour；　and　the　passengers　were

often　obliged　to　walk　up　hills。　　Thus　all　classes　were　brought

together；　and　I　have　felt　much　pleasure　in　believing　that　the

intercourse　thus　created　tended　to　inspire　the　higher　classes

with　respect　and　regard　for　the　natural　good　qualities　of　the

humbler　people；　which　the　latter　reciprocated　by　a　becoming

deference　and　an　anxiety　to　please　and　oblige。　　Such　a　moral

benefit　appears　to　me　to　be　worthy　of　special　notice　and

congratulation。〃



Even　when　railways　were　introduced；　Bianconi　did　not　resist　them；

but　welcomed　them　as　〃the　great　civilisers　of　the　age。〃　　There

was；　in　his　opinion；　room　enough　for　all　methods　of　conveyance　in

Ireland。　　When　Captain　Thomas　Drummond　was　appointed

Under…Secretary　for　Ireland　in　1835；　and　afterwards　chairman　of

the　Irish　Railway　Commission；　he　had　often　occasion　to　confer

with　Mr。　Bianconi；　who　gave　him　every　assistance。　　Mr。　Drummond

conceived　the　greatest　respect　for　Bianconi；　and　often　asked　him

how　it　was　that　he；　a　foreigner；　should　have　acquired　so

extensive　an　influence　and　so　distinguished　a　position　in

Ireland？



〃The　question　came　upon　me；〃　said　Bianconi；　〃by　surprise；　and　I

did　not　at　the　time　answer　it。　　But　another　day　he　repeated　his

question；　and　I　replied；　'Well；　it　was　because；　while　the　big　and

the　little　were　fighting；　I　crept　up　between　them；　carried　out　my

enterprise；　and　obliged　everybody。'〃　　This；　however；　did　not

satisfy　Mr。　Drummond；　who　asked　Bianconi　to　write　down　for　him　an

autobiography；　containing　the　incidents　of　his　early　life　down　to

the　period　of　his　great　Irish　enterprise。　　Bianconi　proceeded　to

do　this；　writing　down　his　past　history　in　the　occasional

intervals　which　he　could　snatch　from　the　immense　business　which

he　still　continued　personally　to　superintend。　　But　before　the

〃Drummond　memoir〃　could　be　finished　Mr。　Drummond　himself　had

ceased　to　live；　having　died　in　1840；　principally　of　overwork。　

What　he　thought　of　Bianconi；　however；　has　been　preserved　in　his

Report　of　the　Irish　Railway　Commission　of　1838；　written　by　Mr。

Drummond　himself；　in　which　he　thus　speaks　of　his　enterprising

friend　in　starting　and　conducting　the　great　Irish　car

establishment：



〃With　a　capital　little　exceeding　the　expense　of　outfit　he

commenced。　　Fortune；　or　rather　the　due　reward　of　industry　and

integrity；　favoured　his　first　efforts。　　He　soon　began　to　increase

the　number　of　his　cars　and　multiply　routes；　until　his

establishment　spread　over　the　whole　of　Ireland。　　These　results

are　the　more　striking　and　instructive　as　having　been　accomplished

in　a　district　which　has　long　been　represented　as　the　focus　of

unreclaimed　violence　and　barbarism；　where　neither　life　nor

property　can　be　deemed　secure。　　Whilst　many　possessing　a　personal

interest　in　everything　tending　to　improve　or　enrich　the　country

have　been　so　misled　or　inconsiderate　as　to　repel　by　exaggerated

statements　British　capital　from　their　doors；　this　foreigner　chose

Tipperary　as　the　centre　of　his　operations；　wherein　to　embark　all

the　fruits　of　his　industry　in　a　traffic　peculiarly　exposed　to　the

power　and　even　to　the　caprice　of　the　peasantry。　　The　event　has

shown　that　his　confidence　in　their　good　sense　was　not

ill…grounded。



〃By　a　system　of　steady　and　just　treatment　he　has　obtained　a

complete　mastery；　exempt　from　lawless　intimidation　or　control；

over　the　various　servants　and　agents　employed　by　him；　and　his

establishment　is　popular　with　all　classes　on　account　of　its

general　usefulness　and　the　fair　liberal　spirit　of　its　management。



The　success　achieved　by　this　spirited　gentleman　is　the　result；

not　of　a　single　speculation；　which　might　have　been　favoured　by

local　circumstances；　but　of　a　series　of　distinct　experiments；　all

of　which　have　been　successful。〃



When　the　railways　were　actually　made　and　opened；　they　ran　right

through　the　centre　of　Bianconi's　long…established　systems　of

communication。　　They　broke　up　his　lines；　and　sent　them　to　the

right　and　left。　　But；　though　they　greatly　disturbed　him；　they　did

not　destroy　him。　　In　his　enterprising　hands　the　railways　merely

changed　the　direction　of　the　cars。　　He　had　at　first　to　take　about

a　thousand　horses　off　the　road；　with　thirty…seven　vehicles；

travelling　2446　miles　daily。　　But　he　remodelled　his　system　so　as

to　run　his　cars　between　the　railway…stations　and　the　towns　to　the

right　and　left　of　the　main　lines。



He　also　directed　his　attention　to　those　parts　of　Ireland　which

had　not　before　had　the　benefit　of　his　conveyances。　　And　in　thus

still　continuing　to　accommodate　the　public；　the　number　of　his

horses　and　carriages　again　increased；　until；　in　1861；　he　was

employing　900　horses；　travelling　over　4000　miles　daily；　and　in

1866；　when　he　resigned　his　business；　he　was　running　only　684

miles　daily　below　the　maximum　run　in　1845；　before　the　railways

had　begun　to　interfere　with　his　traffic。



His　cars　were　then　running　to　Dungarvan；　Waterford；　and　Wexford

in　the　south…west　of　Ireland；　to　Bandon；　Rosscarbery；　Skibbereen；

and　Cahirciveen；　in　the　south；　to　Tralee；　Galway；　Clifden；

Westport；　and　Belmullet　in　the　west；　to　Sligo；　Enniskillen；

Strabane；　and　Letterkenny　in　the　north；　while；　in　the　centre　of

Ireland；　the　towns　of　Thurles；　Kilkenny；　Birr；　and　Ballinasloe

were　also　daily　served　by　the　cars　of　Bianconi。



At　the　meeting　of　the　British　Association；　held　in　Dublin　in

1857；　Mr。　Bianconi　mentioned　a　fact　which；　he　thought；

illustrated　the　increasing　prosperity　of　the　country　and　the

progress　of　the　people。　　It　was；　that　although　the　population　had

so　considerably　decreased　by　emigration　and　other　causes；　the

proportion　of　travellers　by　his　conveyances　continued　to

increase；　demonstrating　not　only　that　the　people　had　more　money；

but　that　they　appreciated　the　money　value　of　time；　and　also　the

advantages　of　the　car　system　established　for　their　accommodation。



Although　railways　must　necessarily　have　done　much　to　promote　the

prosperity　of　Ireland；　it　is　very　doubtful　whether　the　general

passenger　public　were　not　better　served　by　the　cars　of　Bianconi

than　by　the　railways　which　superseded　them。　　Bianconi's　cars　were

on　the　whole　cheaper；　and　were　always　run　en　correspondence；　so

as　to　meet　each　other；　whereas　many　of　the　railway　trains　in　the

south　of　Ireland；　under　the　competitive　system　existing　between

the　several　companies；　are　often　run　so　as　to　miss　each　other。　

The　present　working　of　the　Irish　railway　traffic　provokes

perpetual　irritation　amongst　the　Irish　people；　and　sufficiently

accounts　for　the　frequent　petitions　presented　to　Parliament　that

they　should　be　taken　in　hand　and　worked　by　the　State。



Bianconi　continued　to　superintend　his　great　car　establishment

until　within　the　last　few　years。　　He　had　a　constitution　of　iron；

which　he　expended　in　active　daily　work。　　He　liked　to　have　a　dozen

irons　in　the　fire；　all　red…hot　at　once。　　At　the　age　of　seventy　he

was　still　a　man　in　his　prime；　and　he　might　be　seen　at　Clonmel

helping；　at　busy　times；　to　load　the　cars；　unpacking　and

unstrapping　the　luggage　where　it　seemed　to　be　inconveniently

placed；　for　he　was　a　man　who　could　never　stand　by　and　see　others

working　without　having　a　hand　in　it　himself。　　Even　when　well　on

to　eighty；　he　still　continued　to　grapple　with　the　immense

business　involved　in　working　a　traffic　extending　over　two

thou