men of invention and industry-第39章

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mischief。　　He　was　once　driving　a　car　from　Clonmel　to　Thurles；　he

had　with　him　a　large　looking…glass　with　a　gilt　frame；　on　which

about　a　fortnight's　labour　had　been　bestowed。　　In　a　fit　of

exuberant　humour　he　began　to　tickle　the　horse　under　his　tail　with

a　straw！　　In　an　instant　the　animal　reared　and　plunged；　and　then

set　off　at　a　gallop　down　hill。　　The　result　was；　that　the　car　was

dashed　to　bits　and　the　looking…glass　broken　into　a　thousand

atoms！



On　another　occasion；　a　man　was　carrying　to　Cashel　on　his　back　one

of　Bianconi's　large　looking…glasses。　　An　old　woman　by　the

wayside；　seeing　the　odd…looking；　unwieldy　package；　asked　what　it

was；　on　which　Bianconi；　who　was　close　behind　the　man　carrying　the

glass；　answered　that　it　was　〃the　Repeal　of　the　Union！〃　　The　old

woman's　delight　was　unbounded！　　She　knelt　down　on　her　knees　in

the　middle　of　the　road；　as　if　it　had　been　a　picture　of　the

Madonna；　and　thanked　God　for　having　preserved　her　in　her　old　age

to　see　the　Repeal　of　the　Union！



But　this　little　waywardness　did　not　last　long。　　Bianconi's　wild

oats　were　soon　all　sown。　　He　was　careful　and　frugal。　　As　he

afterwards　used　to　say；　〃When　I　was　earning　a　shilling　a　day　at

Clonmel；　I　lived　upon　eightpence。〃　　He　even　took　lodgers；　to

relieve　him　of　the　charge　of　his　household　expenses。　　But　as　his

means　grew；　he　was　soon　able　to　have　a　conveyance　of　his　own。　　He

first　started　a　yellow　gig；　in　which　he　drove　about　from　place　to

place；　and　was　everywhere　treated　with　kindness　and　hospitality。　

He　was　now　regarded　as　〃respectable；〃　and　as　a　person　worthy　to

hold　some　local　office。　　He　was　elected　to　a　Society　for　visiting

the　Sick　Poor；　and　became　a　Member　of　the　House　of　Industry。　　He

might　have　gone　on　in　the　same　business；　winning　his　way　to　the

Mayoralty　of　Clonmel；　which　he　afterwards　held；　but　that　the　old

idea；　which　had　first　sprung　up　in　his　mind　while　resting　wearily

on　the　milestones　along　the　road；　with　his　heavy　case　of　pictures

by　his　side；　again　laid　hold　of　him；　and　he　determined　now　to　try

whether　his　plan　could　not　be　carried　into　effect。



He　had　often　lamented　the　fatigue　that　poor　people　had　to　undergo

in　travelling　with　burdens　from　place　to　place　upon　foot；　and

wondered　whether　some　means　might　not　be　devised　for　alleviating

their　sufferings。　　Other　people　would　have　suggested　〃the

Government！〃　　Why　should　not　the　Government　give　us　this；　that；

and　the　other；give　us　roads；　harbours；　carriages；　boats；　nets；

and　so　on。　　This；　of　course；　would　have　been　a　mistaken　idea；　for

where　people　are　too　much　helped；　they　invariably　lose　the

beneficent　practice　of　helping　themselves。　　Charles　Bianconi　had

never　been　helped；　except　by　advice　and　friendship。　　He　had

helped　himself　throughout；　and　now　he　would　try　to　help　others。



The　facts　were　patent　to　everybody。　　There　was　not　an　Irishman

who　did　not　know　the　difficulty　of　getting　from　one　town　to

another。　　There　were　roads　between　them；　but　no　conveyances。　

There　was　an　abundance　of　horses　in　the　country；　for　at　the　close

of　the　war　an　unusual　number　of　horses；　bred　for　the　army；　were

thrown　upon　the　market。　　Then　a　tax　had　been　levied　upon

carriages；　which　sent　a　large　number　of　jaunting…cars　out　of

employment。



The　roads　of　Ireland　were　on　the　whole　good；　being　at　that　time

quite　equal；　if　not　superior；　to　most　of　those　in　England。　　The

facts　of　the　abundant　horses；　the　good　roads；　the　number　of

unemployed　outside　cars；　were　generally　known；　but　until　Bianconi

took　the　enterprise　in　hand；　there　was　no　person　of　thought；　or

spirit；　or　capital　in　the　country；　who　put　these　three　things

together　horses；　roads；　and　cars　and　dreamt　of　remedying　the

great　public　inconvenience。



It　was　left　for　our　young　Italian　carver　and　gilder；　a　struggling

man　of　small　capital；　to　take　up　the　enterprise；　and　show　what

could　be　done　by　prudent　action　and　persevering　energy。　　Though

the　car　system　originally　〃grew　out　of　his　back；〃　Bianconi　had

long　been　turning　the　subject　over　in　his　mind。　　His　idea　was；

that　we　should　never　despise　small　interests；　nor　neglect　the

wants　of　poor　people。　　He　saw　the　mail…coaches　supplying　the

requirements　of　the　rich；　and　enabling　them　to　travel　rapidly

from　place　to　place。　　〃Then；〃　said　he　to　himself；　〃would　it　not

be　possible　for　me　to　make　an　ordinary　two…wheeled　car　pay；　by

running　as　regularly　for　the　accommodation　of　poor　districts　and

poor　people？〃



When　Mr。　Wallace；　chairman　of　the　Select　Committee　on　Postage；　in

1838；　asked　Mr。　Bianconi；　〃What　induced　you　to　commence　the　car

establishment？〃　his　answer　was；　〃I　did　so　from　what　I　saw；　after

coming　to　this　country；　of　the　necessity　for　such　cars；　inasmuch

as　there　was　no　middle　mode　of　conveyance；　nothing　to　fill　up　the

vacuum　that　existed　between　those　who　were　obliged　to　walk　and

those　who　posted　or　rode。　　My　want　of　knowledge　of　the　language

gave　me　plenty　of　time　for　deliberation；　and　in　proportion　as　I

grew　up　with　the　knowledge　of　the　language　and　the　localities；

this　vacuum　pressed　very　heavily　upon　my　　mind；　till　at　last　I

hit　upon　the　idea　of　running　jaunting…cars；　and　for　that　purpose

I　commenced　running　one　between　Clonmel　and　Cahir。〃＇2＇



What　a　happy　thing　it　was　for　Bianconi　and　Ireland　that　he　could

not　speak　with　facility；that　he　did　not　know　the　language　or

the　manners　of　the　country！　　In　his　case　silence　was　〃golden。〃　

Had　he　been　able　to　talk　like　the　people　about　him；　he　might　have

said　much　and　done　little；　attempted　nothing　and　consequently

achieved　nothing。　　He　might　have　got　up　a　meeting　and　petitioned

Parliament　to　provide　the　cars；　and　subvention　the　car　system；　or

he　might　have　gone　amongst　his　personal　friends；　asked　them　to

help　him；　and　failing　their　help；　given　up　his　idea　in　despair；

and　sat　down　grumbling　at　the　people　and　the　Government。



But　instead　of　talking；　he　proceeded　to　doing；　thereby

illustrating　Lessona's　maxim　of　Volere　e　potere。　　After　thinking

the　subject　fully　over；　he　trusted　to　self…help。　　He　found　that

with　his　own　means；　carefully　saved；　he　could　make　a　beginning；

and　the　beginning　once　made；　included　the　successful　ending。



The　beginning；　it　is　true；　was　very　small。　　It　was　only　an

ordinary　jaunting…car；　drawn　by　a　single　horse；　capable　of

accommodating　six　persons。　　The　first　car　ran　between　Clonmel　and

Cahir；　a　distance　of　about　twelve　miles；　on　the　5th　of　July；

1815a　memorable　day　for　Bianconi　and　Ireland。　　Up　to　that　time

the　public　accommodation　for　passengers　was　confined　to　a　few

mail　and　day　coaches　on　the　great　lines　of　road；　the　fares　by

which　were　very　high；　and　quite　beyond　the　reach　of　the　poorer　or

middle…class　people。



People　did　not　know　what　to　make　of　Bianconi's　car　when　it　first

started。　　There　were；　of　course；　the　usual　prophets　of　disaster；

who　decided　that　it　〃would　never　do。〃　　Many　thought　that　no　one

would　pay　eighteen…pence　for　going　to　Cahir　by　car　when　they

could　walk　there　for　nothing？　　There　were　others　who　thought　that

Bianconi　should　have　stuck　to　his　shop；　as　there　was　no

connection　whatever　between　picture…gilding　and　car…driving！



The　truth　is；　the　enterprise　at　first　threatened　to　be　a　failure！

Scarcely　anybody　would　go　by　the　car。　　People　preferred　trudging

on　foot；　and　saved　their　money；　which　was　more　valuable　to　them

than　their　time。　　The　car　sometimes　ran　for　weeks　without　a

passenger。　　Another　man　would　have　given　up　the　enterprise　in

despair。　　But　this　was　not　the　way　with　Bianconi。　　He　was　a　man

of　tenacity　and　perseverance。　　What　should　he　do　but　start　an

opposition　car？　　　Nobody　knew　of　it　but　himself；　not　even　the

driver　of　the　opposition　car。　　However；　the　rival　car　was

started。　　The　races　between　the　car…drivers；　the　free　lifts

occasionally　given　to　passengers；　the　cheapness　of　the　fare；　and

the　excitement　of　the　contest；　attracted　the　attention　of　the

public。　　The　people　took　sides；　and　before　long　both　cars　came　in

full。　　Fortunately　the　〃great　big　yallah　horse〃　of　the　opposition

car　broke　down；　and　Bianconi　had　all　the　trade　to　himself。



The　people　became　accustomed　to　travelling。　　They　might　still

walk　to　Cahir；　but　going　by　car　saved　their　legs；　saved　their

brains；　and　saved　their　time。　　They　might　go　to　Cahir　market；　do

their　business　there；　and　be　comfortably　back　within　the　day。　

Bianconi　then　thought　of　extending　the　car　to　Tipperary　and

Limerick。　　In　the　course　of　the　same　year；　1815；　he　started

another　car　between　Clonmel；　Cashel；　and　Thurles。　　Thus　all　the

principal　towns　of　Tipperary　were；　in　the　first　year　of　the

undertaking；　connected　together　by　car；　besides　being　also

connected　with　Limerick。



It　was　easy　to　understand　the　convenience　of　the　car　system　to

business　men；　farmers；　and　even　peasants。　　Before　their

establishment；　it　took　a　man　a　whole　day　to　walk　from　Thurles　to

Clonmel；　the　second　day　to　do　his　business；　and　the　third　to　walk

back　again；　whereas　he　could；　in　one　day；　travel　backwards　and

forwards　between　the　two　towns；　and　have　five　or　six　intermediate

hours　for　the　purpose　of　doing　his　business。　　Thus　two　clear　days

could　be　saved。



Still　carrying　out　his　scheme；　Bianconi；　in　the　following　year

（1816）；　put　on　a　car　from　Clonmel　to　Waterford。　　Before　that　time

there　was　no　car　accommodation　between　Clonmel　and

Carrick…on…Suir；　about　half…way　to　Waterford；　but　there　was　an

accommodation　by　boat　between　Carrick　and　Waterford。　　The

distance　between　the　two　latter　places　was；　by　road；　twelve

miles；　and　by　the　river　Suir　twenty…four　miles。　　Tom　Morrissey's

boat　plied　two　days　a　week；　it　carried　from　eight　to　ten

passengers　at　6　1/2d。　of　the　then　currency；　it　did　the　voyage　in

from　four　to　five　hours；　and　besides　had　to　wait　for　the　tide　to

float　it　up　and　down　the　river。　　When　Bianconi's　car　was　put　on；

it　did　the　distance　daily　and　regularly　in　two　hours；　at　a　fare

of　two　shillings。



The　people　soon　got　accustomed　to　the　convenience　of　the　cars。　

They　also　learned　from　them　the　uses　of　punctuality　and　the　value

of　time。　　They　liked　the　open…air　travelling　and　the　sidelong

motion。　　The　new　cars　were　also　safe　and　well…appointed。　　They

were　drawn　by　good　horses　and　driven　by　good　coachmen。　

Jaunting…car　travelling　had　before　been　rather　unsafe。　　The

country　cars　were　of　a　ramshackle　order；　and　the　drivers　were

often　reckless。　　〃Will　I　pay　the　pike；　or　drive　at　it；　plaise

your　honour？〃　said　a　driver　to　his　passenger　on　approaching　a

turnpike…gate。　　Sam　Lover　used　to　tell　a　story　of　a　car…driver；

who；　after　driving　his　passenger　up…hill　and　down…hill；　along　a

very　bad　road；　asked　him　for　something　extra　at　the　end　of　his

journey。



〃Faith；〃　said　the　driver；　〃its　not　putting　me　off　with　this　ye'd

be；　if　ye　knew　but　all。〃　　The　gentleman　gave　him　another

shilling。　　〃And　now　what　do　you　mean　by　saying；　'if　ye　knew　but

all？'〃　　〃That　I　druv　yer