men of invention and industry-第86章

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the　author　of　several　important　works　on　'Moral　Philosophy；'

published　by　a　leading　London　firm；　and　more　works　are　announced

from　his　pen。　　The　victorious　struggle　for　knowledge　which　we

have　recounted　might　possibly　be　equalled；　but　it　could　not

possibly　be　surpassed。　　There　are；　however；　as　Mr。　Davies　related

to　the　Parliamentary　Committee；　many　instances　of　Welsh　students

most　of　them　originally　quarrymenwho　keep　themselves　at

school　by　means　of　the　savings　effected　from　manual　labour；　〃in

frequent　cases　eked　out　and　helped　by　the　kindness　of　friends　and

neighbours；〃　who　struggle　up　through　many　difficulties；　and

eventually　achieve　success　in　the　best　sense　of　the　term。　　〃One

young　man〃as　the　teacher　of　a　grammar…school；　within　two　miles

of　Bangor；　related　to　Mr。　Davies　〃who　came　to　me　from　the

quarry　some　time　ago；　was　a　gold　medallist　at　Edinburgh　last

winter；〃　and　contributions　are　readily　made　by　the　quarrymen　to

help　forward　any　young　man　who　displays　an　earnest　desire　for

knowledge　in　science　and　literature。



It　is　a　remarkable　fact　that　the　quarrymen　of　Carnarvonshire　have

voluntarily　contributed　large　sums　of　money　towards　the

establishment　of　the　University　College　in　North　Walesthe

quarry　districts　in　that　county　having　contributed　to　that　fund；

in　the　course　of　three　years；　mostly　in　half…crown　subscriptions；

not　less　than　508L。　4s。　4d。　〃a　fact；〃　says　Mr。　Davies；　〃without

its　parallel　in　the　history　of　the　education　of　any　country；〃　the

most　striking　feature　being；　that　these　collections　were　made　in

support　of　an　institution　from　which　the　quarrymen　could　only

very　remotely　derive　any　benefit。



While　I　was　at　Bangor；　on　the　24th　of　August；　1883；　the　news

arrived　that　the　Committee　of　Selection　had　determined　that

Bangor　should　be　the　site　for　the　intended　North　Wales　University

College。　　The　news　rapidly　spread；　and　great　rejoicings　prevailed

throughout　the　borough；　which　had　just　been　incorporated。　　The

volunteer　band　played　through　the　streets；　the　church　bells　rang

merry　peals；　and　gay　flags　were　displayed　from　nearly　every

window。　　There　never　was　such　a　triumphant　display　before　in　the

cause　of　University　education。



As　Mr。　Cadwalladr　Davies　observed　at　the　banquet；　which　took

place　on　the　following　day：　〃The　establishment　of　the　new

institution　will　mark　the　dawn　of　a　new　era　in　the　history　of　the

Welsh　people。　　He　looked　to　it；　not　only　as　a　means　of　imparting

academical　knowledge　to　the　students　within　its　walls；　but　also

as　a　means　of　raising　the　intellectual　and　moral　tone　of　the

whole　people。　　They　were　fond　of　quoting　the　saying　of　a　great

English　writer；　that　there　was　something　Grecian　in　the　Celtic

race；　and　that　the　Celtic　was　the　refining　element　in　the　British

character；　but　such　remarks；　often　accompanied　as　they　were　with

offensive　comparisons　from　Eisteddfod　platforms；　would　in　future

be　put　to　the　test；　for　they　would；　with　their　new　educational

machinery；　be　placed　on　a　footing　of　perfect　equality　with　the

Scotch　and　the　Irish　people。〃



And　here　must　come　to　an　end　the　character　history　of　my　autumn

tour　in　Ireland；　Scotland；　Yorkshire；　and　Wales。　　I　had　not　the

remotest　intention　when　setting　out　of　collecting　information　and

writing　down　my　recollections　of　the　journey。　　But　the　persons　I

met；　and　the　information　I　received；　were　of　no　small

interestat　least　to　myself；　and　I　trust　that　the　reader　will

derive　as　much　pleasure　from　perusing　my　observations　as　I　have

had　in　collecting　and　writing　them　down。　　I　do　think　that　the

remarkable　persons　whose　history　and　characters　I　have

endeavoured；　however　briefly；　to　sketch；　will　be　found　to　afford

many　valuable　and　important　lessons　of　Self…Help；　and　to

illustrate　how　the　moral　and　industrial　foundations　of　a　country

may　be　built　up　and　established。





Footnotes　for　Chapter　XII。



＇1＇　A　〃poet；〃　who　dates　from　〃New　York；　March　1883；〃　has

published　seven　stanzas；　entitled　〃Change　here　for　Blairgowrie；〃

from　which　we　take　the　following：



〃From　early　morn　till　late　at　e'en；　

John's　honest　face　is　to　be　seen；　

Bustling　about　the　trains　between；

Be　't　sunshine　or　be　't　showery；　

And　as　each　one　stops　at　his　door；　

He　greets　it　with　the　well…known　roar　

Of　'Change　here　for　Blairgowrie。'　

Even　when　the　still　and　drowsy　night　

Has　drawn　the　curtains　of　our　sight；　

John's　watchful　eyes　become　more　bright；　

And　take　another　glow'r　aye　

Thro'　yon　blue　dome　of　sparkling　stars　

Where　Venus　bright　and　ruddy　Mars　

Shine　down　upon　Blairgowrie。　　

He　kens　each　jinkin'　comet's　track；　

And　when　it's　likely　to　come　back；　

When　they　have　tails；　and　when　they　lack　

In　heaven　the　waggish　power　aye；　

When　Jupiter's　belt　buckle　hings；　

And　the　Pyx　mark　on　Saturn's　rings；　

He　sees　from　near　Blairgowrie。〃



＇2＇　The　Observatory；　No。　61；　p。　146；　and　No。　68；　p。　371。



＇3＇　In　an　article　on　the　subject　in　the　Dundee　Evening　Telegraph；

Mr。　Robertson　observes：　　〃If　our　finite　minds　were　more　capable

of　comprehension；　what　a　glorious　view　of　the　grandeur　of　the

Deity　would　be　displayed　to　us　in　the　contemplation　of　the　centre

and　source　of　light　and　heat　to　the　solar　system。　　The　force

requisite　to　pour　such　continuous　floods　to　the　remotest　parts　of

the　system　must　ever　baffle　the　mind　of　man　to　grasp。　　But　we　are

not　to　sit　down　in　indolence：　our　duty　is　to　inquire　into

Nature's　works；　though　we　can　never　exhaust　the　field。　　Our　minds

cannot　imagine　motion　without　some　Power　moving　through　the

medium　of　some　subordinate　agency；　ever　acting　on　the　sun；　to

send　such　floods　of　light　and　heat　to　our　otherwise　cold　and　dark

terrestrial　ball；　but　it　is　the　overwhelming　magnitude　of　such

power　that　we　are　incapable　of　comprehending。　　The　agency

necessary　to　throw　out　the　floods　of　flame　seen　during　the　few

moments　of　a　total　eclipse　of　the　sun；　and　the　power　requisite　to

burst　open　a　cavity　in　its　surface；　such　as　could　entirely

engulph　our　earth；　will　ever　set　all　the　thinking　capacity　of　man

at　nought。〃



＇4＇　The　Observatory；　Nos。　34；　42；　45；　49；　and　58。



＇5＇　We　regret　to　say　that　Sheriff　Barclay　died　a　few　months　ago；

greatly　respected　by　all　who　knew　him。



＇6＇　Sir　E。　Denison　Beckett；　in　his　Rudimentary　Treatise　on　clocks

and　Watches　and　Bells；　has　given　an　instance　or　the

telescope…driving　clock；　invented　by　Mr。　Cooke　（p。　213）。



＇7＇　J。　Norman　Lockyer；　F。R。S。Stargazing；　Past　and　Present；　p。　

302。



＇8＇　This　excellent　instrument　is　now　in　the　possession　of　my

son…in…law；　Dr。　Hartree；　of　Leigh；　near　Tunbridge。



＇9＇　An　interesting　account　of　Mr。　Alvan　Clark　is　given　in

Professor　Newcomb's　'Popular　Astronomy；'　p。　137。



＇10＇　A　photographic　representation　of　this　remarkable　telescope

is　given　as　the　frontispiece　to　Mr。　Lockyer's　Stargazing；　Past

and　Present；　and　a　full　description　of　the　instrument　is　given　in

the　text　of　the　same　work。　　This　refracting　telescope　did　not

long　remain　the　largest。　　Mr。　Alvan　Clark　was　commissioned　to

erect　a　larger　equatorial　for　Washington　Observatory；　the

object…glass　（the　rough　disks　of　which　were　also　furnished　by

Messrs。　Chance　of　Birmingham）　exceeding　in　aperture　that　of　Mr。

Cooke's　by　only　one　inch。　　This　was　finished　and　mounted　in

November；　1873。　　Another　instrument　of　similar　size　and　power　was

manufactured　by　Mr。　Clark　for　the　University　of　Virginia。　　But

these　instruments　did　not　long　maintain　their　supremacy。　　In

1881；　Mr。　Howard　Grubb；　of　Dublin；　manufactured　a　still　larger

instrument　for　the　Austrian　Governmentthe　object…glass　being　of

twenty…seven　inches　aperture。　　But　Mr。　Alvan　Clark　was　not　to　be

beaten。　　In　1882；　he　supplied　the　Russian　Government　with　the

largest　refracting　telescope　in　existence　the　object…glass　being

of　thirty　inches　diameter。　　Even　this；　however；　is　to　be

surpassed　by　the　lens　which　Mr。　Clark　has　in　hand　for　the　Lick

Observatory　（California）；　which　is　to　have　a　clear