men of invention and industry-第65章

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Dublin；　Cork；　Waterford；　and　Limerick；　each　of　which　is　provided

by　nature　with　magnificent　harbours；　with　fewer　of　those

difficulties　of　access　which　Belfast　has　triumphed　over；　and　each

of　which　might　be　the　centre　of　some　great　industrial　enterprise；

provided　only　there　were　patriotic　men　willing　to　embark　their

capital；　perfect　protection　for　the　property　invested；　and　men

willing　to　work　rather　than　to　strike。



It　was　not　until　the　year　1853　that　the　Queen's　Islandraked　out

of　the　mud　of　the　slob…landwas　first　used　for　shipbuilding

purposes。　　Robert　Hickson　and　Co。　then　commenced　operations　by

laying　down　the　Mary　Stenhouse；　a　wooden　sailing…ship　of　1289

tons　register；　and　the　vessel　was　launched　in　the　following　year。



The　operations　of　the　firm　were　continued　until　the　year　1859；

when　the　shipbuilding　establishments　on　Queen's　Island　were

acquired　by　Mr。　E。　J。　Harland　（afterwards　Harland　and　Wolff）；

since　which　time　the　development　of　this　great　branch　of　industry

in　Belfast　has　been　rapid　and　complete。



From　the　history　of　this　firm；　it　will　be　found　that　energy　is

the　most　profitable　of　all　merchandise；　and　that　the　fruit　of

active　work　is　the　sweetest　of　all　fruits。　　Harland　and　Wolff　are

the　true　Watt　and　Boulton　of　Belfast。　　At　the　beginning　of　their

great　enterprise；　their　works　occupied　about　four　acres　of　land；

they　now　occupy　over　thirty…six　acres。　　The　firm　has　imported　not

less　than　two　hundred　thousand　tons　of　iron；　which　have　been

converted　by　skill　and　labour　into　168　ships　of　253；000　total

tonnage。　　These　ships；　if　laid　close　together；　would　measure

nearly　eight　miles　in　length。



The　advantage　to　the　wage…earning　class　can　only　be　shortly

stated。　　Not　less　than　34　per　cent。　is　paid　in　labour　on　the　cost

of　the　ships　turned　out。　　The　number　of　persons　employed　in　the

works　is　3920；　and　the　weekly　wages　paid　to　them　is　4000L。；　or

over　200；000L。　annually。　　Since　the　commencement　of　the

undertaking；　about　two　millions　sterling　have　been　paid　in　wages。



All　this　goes　towards　the　support　of　the　various　industries　of

the　place。　　That　the　working　classes　of　Belfast　are　thrifty　and

frugal　may　be　inferred　from　the　fact　that　at　the　end　of　1882　they

held　deposits　in　the　Savings　Bank　to　the　amount　of　230；289L。；

besides　158；064L。　in　the　Post　Office　Savings　Banks。＇22＇　　Nearly

all　the　better　class　working　people　of　the　town　live　in　separate

dwellings；　either　rented　or　their　own　property。　　There　are　ten

Building　Societies　in　Belfast；　in　which　industrious　people　may

store　their　earnings；　and　in　course　of　time　either　buy　or　build

their　own　houses。



The　example　of　energetic；　active　men　always　spreads。　　Belfast

contains　two　other　shipbuilding　yards；　both　the　outcome　of

Harland　and　Wolff's　enterprise；　those　of　Messrs。　Macilwaine　and

Lewis；　employing　about　four　hundred　men；　and　of　Messrs。　Workman

and　Clarke；　employing　about　a　thousand。　　The　heads　of　both　these

firms　were　trained　in　the　parent　shipbuilding　works　of　Belfast。　

There　is　do　feeling　of　rivalry　between　the　firms；　but　all　work

together　for　the　good　of　the　town。



In　Plutarch's　Lives；　we　are　told　that　Themistocles　said　on　one

occasion；　〃'Tis　true　that　I　have　never　learned　how　to　tune　a

harp；　or　play　upon　a　lute；　but　I　know　how　to　raise　a　small　and

inconsiderable　city　to　glory　and　greatness。〃　　So　might　it　be　said

of　Harland　and　Wolff。　　They　have　given　Belfast　not　only　a　potency

for　good；　but　a　world…wide　reputation。　　Their　energies　overflow。　

Mr。　Harland　is　the　active　and　ever…prudent　Chairman　of　the　most

important　of　the　local　boards；　the　Harbour　Trust　of　Belfast；　and

exerts　himself　to　promote　the　extension　of　the　harbour　facilities

of　the　port　as　if　the　benefits　were　to　be　exclusively　his　own；

while　Mr。　Wolff　is　the　Chairman　of　one　of　the　latest　born

industries　of　the　place；　the　Belfast　Rope…work　Company；　which

already　gives　employment　to　over　600　persons。



This　last…mentioned　industry　is　only　about　six　years　old。　　The

works　occupy　over　seven　acres　of　ground；　more　than　six　acres　of

which　are　under　roofing。　　Although　the　whole　of　the　raw　material

is　imported　from　abroad　from　Russia；　the　Philippine　Islands；　New

Zealand；　and　Central　Americait　is　exported　again　in　a

manufactured　state　to　all　parts　of　the　world。



Such　is　the　contagion　of　example；　and　such　the　ever…branching

industries　with　which　men　of　enterprise　and　industry　can　enrich

and　bless　their　country。　　The　following　brief　memoir　of　the

career　of　Mr。　Harland　has　been　furnished　at　my　solicitation；　and

I　think　that　it　will　be　found　full　of　interest　as　well　as

instruction。





Footnotes　for　Chapter　X。



＇1＇　Report　in　the　Cork　Examiner；　5th　July；　1883。



＇2＇　In　1883；　as　compared　with　1882；　there　was　a　decrease　of

58；022　acres　in　the　land　devoted　to　the　growth　of　wheat；　there

was　a　total　decrease　of　114；871　acres　in　the　land　under

tillage。Agricultural　Statistics；　Ireland；　1883。　Parliamentary

Return；　c。　3768。



＇3＇　Statistical　Abstract　for　the　United　Kingdom；　1883。



＇4＇　The　particulars　are　these：　deposits　in　Irish　Post　Office

Savings　Banks；　31st　December；　1882；　1；925；440；　to　the　credit　of

depositors　and　Government　stock；　125；000L。；　together；　2；050；440L。



The　increase　of　deposits　over　those　made　in　the　preceding　year；

were：　in　Dublin；　31；321L。；　in　Antrim；　23；328L。；　in　Tyrone；

21；315L。；　in　Cork；　17；034L。；　and　in　Down；　10；382L。



＇5＇　The　only　thriving　manufacture　now　in　Dublin　is　that　of

intoxicating　drinksbeer；　porter；　stout；　and　whisky。　　Brewing

and　distilling　do　not　require　skilled　labour；　so　that　strikes　do

not　affect　them。



＇6＇　Times；　11th　June；　1883。



＇7＇　The　valuation　of　the　county　of　Aberdeen　（exclusive　of　the

city）　was　recently　866；816L。；　whereas　the　value　of　the　herrings

（748；726　barrels）　caught　round　the　coast　（at　25s。　the　barrel）　was

935；907L。；　thereby　exceeding　the　estimated　annual　rental　of　the

county　by　69；091L。　　The　Scotch　fishermen　catch　over　a　million

barrels　of　herrings　annually；　representing　a　value　of　about　a

million　and　a…half　sterling。



＇8＇　A　recent　number　of　Land　and　Water　supplies　the　following

information　as　to　the　fishing　at　Kinsale：　〃The　takes　of　fish

have　been　so　enormous　and　unprecedented　that　buyers　can　scarcely

be　found；　even　when；　as　now；　mackerel　are　selling　at　one　shilling

per　six　score。　　Piles　of　magnificent　fish　lie　rotting　in　the　sun。



The　sides　of　Kinsale　Harbour　are　strewn　with　them；　and

frequently；　when　they　have　become　a　little　'touched；'　whole

boat…loads　are　thrown　overboard　into　the　water。　　This　great　waste

is　to　be　attributed　to　scarcity　of　hands　to　salt　the　fish　and

want　of　packing…boxes。　　Some　of　the　boats　are　said　to　have　made

as　much　as　500L。　this　season。　　The　local　fishing　company　are

making　active　preparations　for　the　approaching　herring　fishery；

and　it　is　anticipated　that　Kinsale　may　become　one　of　the　centres

of　this　description　of　fishing。〃



＇9＇　Statistical　Journal　for　March　1848。　　Paper　by　Richard　Valpy

on　〃The　Resources　of　the　Irish　Sea　Fisheries；〃　pp。　55…72。



＇10＇　HALL；　Retrospect　of　a　Long　Life；　ii。　324。



＇11＇　The　Commissioners　of　Irish　Fisheries；　in　one　of　their

reports；　observe：〃Notwithstanding　the　diminished　population；

the　fish　captured　round　the　coast　is　so　inadequate　to　the　wants

of　the　population　that　fully　150；000L。　worth　of　ling；　cod；　and

herring　are　annually　imported　from　Norway；　Newfoundland；　and

Scotland；　the　vessels　bearing　these　cargoes；　as　they　approach　the

shores　of　Ireland；　frequently　sailing　through　large　shoals　of

fish　of　the　same　description　as　they　are　freighted　with！〃



＇12＇　The　following　examination　of　Mr。　J。　Ennis；　chairman　of　the

Midland　and　Great　Western　Railway；　took　place　before　the　〃Royal

Commission　on　Railways；〃　as　long　ago　as　the　year　1846：…　



Chairman〃Is　the　fish　traffic　of　any　importance　to　your

railway？〃　



Mr。　Ennis〃of　course　it　is；　and　we　give　it　all　the　facilities

that　we　can。。