men of invention and industry-第43章

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talked　cleverly　and　with　excellent　choice　of　language　for　about

three　hours；　during　which　I　learnt　much　from　him。



〃Like　most　men　who　have　accomplished　great　things；　and　overcome

many　difficulties；　Mr。　Bianconi　is　fond　of　referring　to　the　past

events　in　his　interesting　life。　　The　acuteness　of　his

conversation　is　wonderful。　　He　hits　off　a　keen　thought　in　a　few

words；　sometimes　full　of　wit　and　humour。　　I　thought　this　very

good：　　'Keep　before　the　wheels；　young　man；　or　they　will　run　over

you：　　always　keep　before　the　wheels！'　He　read　over　to　me　the

memoir　he　had　prepared　at　the　suggestion　of　Mr。　Drummond；

relating　to　the　events　of　his　early　life；　and　this　opened　the　way

for　a　great　many　other　recollections　not　set　down　in　the　book。



〃He　vividly　remembered　the　parting　from　his　mother；　nearly

seventy　years　ago；　and　spoke　of　her　last　words　to　him：　'When　you

remember　me；　think　of　me　as　waiting　at　this　window；　watching　for

your　return。'　This　led　him　to　speak　of　the　great　forgetfulness

and　want　of　respect　which　children　have　for　their　parents

nowadays。　　'We　seem；'　he　said；　'to　have　fallen　upon　a

disrespectful　age。'



〃'It　is　strange；'　said　he；　'how　little　things　influence　one's

mind　and　character。　　When　I　was　a　boy　at　Waterford；　I　bought　an

old　second…hand　book　from　a　man　on　the　quay；　and　the　maxim　on　its

title…page　fixed　itself　deeply　on　my　memory。　　It　was；　〃Truth；

like　water；　will　find　its　own　level。〃'　And　this　led　him　to　speak

of　the　great　influence　which　the　example　and　instruction　of　Mr。

Rice；　of　the　Christian　Brothers；　had　had　upon　his　mind　and

character。　　'That　religions　institution；'　said　he；　'of　which　Mr。

Rice　was　one　of　the　founders；　has　now　spread　itself　over　the

country；　and；　by　means　of　the　instruction　which　the　members　have

imparted　to　the　poorer　ignorant　classes；　they　have　effected　quite

a　revolution　in　the　south　of　Ireland。'



〃'I　am　not　much　of　a　reader；'　said　Mr。　Bianconi；　'the　best　part

of　my　reading　has　consisted　in　reading　way…bills。　　But　I　was　once

complimented　by　Justice　Lefroy　upon　my　books。　　He　remarked　to　me

what　a　wonderful　education　I　must　have　had　to　invent　my　own

system　of　book…keeping。　　Yes；'　said　he；　pointing　to　his　ledgers；

'there　they　are。'　　The　books　are　still　preserved；　recording　the

progress　of　the　great　car　enterprise。　　They　show　at　first　the

small　beginnings；　and　then　the　rapid　growththe　tens　growing　to

hundreds；　and　the　hundreds　to　thousandsthe　ledgers　and

day…books　containing；　as　it　were；　the　whole　history　of　the

undertakingof　each　car；　of　each　man；　of　each　horse；　and　of　each

line　of　road；　recorded　most　minutely。



〃'The　secret　of　my　success；'　said　he；　'has　been　promptitude；　fair

dealing；　and　good　humour。　　And　this　I　will　add；　what　I　have　often

said　before；　that　I　never　did　a　kind　action　but　it　was　returned

to　me　tenfold。　　My　cars　have　never　received　the　slightest　injury

from　the　people。　　Though　travelling　through　the　country　for　about

sixty　years；　the　people　have　throughout　respected　the　property

intrusted　to　me。　　My　cars　have　passed　through　lonely　and

unfrequented　places；　and　they　have　never；　even　in　the　most

disturbed　times；　been　attacked。　　That；　I　think；　is　an

extraordinary　testimony　to　the　high　moral　character　of　the　Irish

people。'



〃'It　is　not　money；　but　the　genius　of　money　that　I　esteem；'　said

Bianconi；　'not　money　itself；　but　money　used　as　a　creative　power。'



And　he　himself　has　furnished　in　his　own　life　the　best　possible

illustration　of　his　maxim　He　created　a　new　industry；　gave

employment　to　an　immense　number　of　persons；　promoted　commerce；

extended　civilisation；　and；　though　a　foreigner；　proved　one　of　the

greatest　of　Ireland's　benefactors。〃



About　two　years　after　the　date　of　my　son's　visit；　Charles

Bianconi　passed　away；　full　of　years　and　honours；　and　his　remains

were　laid　beside　those　of　his　son　and　daughter；　in　the　mortuary

chapel　at　Boherlahan。　　He　died　in　1875；　in　his　ninetieth　year。　

Well　might　Signor　Henrico　Mayer　say；　at　the　British　Association

at　Cork　in　1846；　that　〃he　felt　proud　as　an　Italian　to　hear　a

compatriot　so　deservedly　eulogised；　and　although　Ireland　might

claim　Bianconi　as　a　citizen；　yet　the　Italians　should　ever　with

pride　hail　him　as　a　countryman；　whose　industry　and　virtue

reflected　honour　on　the　country　of　his　birth。〃





Footnotes　for　Chapter　IX。



＇1＇　This　article　originally　appeared　in　'Good　Words。'　　A

biography　of　Charles　Bianconi；　by　his　daughter；　Mrs。　Morgan　John

O'Connell；　has　since　been　published；　but　the　above　article　is

thought　worthy　of　republication；　as　its　contents　were　for　the

most　part　taken　principally　from　Mr。　Bianconi's　own　lips。



＇2＇　Minutes　of　Evidence　taken　before　the　Select　Committee　on

Postage　（Second　Report）；　1838；　p。　284。



＇3＇　Evidence　before　the　Select　Committee　on　Postage；　1838。



＇4＇　Hall's　'Ireland；'　ii。　76。



＇5＇　Paper　read　before　the　British　Association　at　Cork；　1843。





CHAPTER　X。



INDUSTRY　IN　IRELAND：　THROUGH　CONNAUGHT　AND　ULSTER；　TO　BELFAST。



〃The　Irish　people　have　a　past　to　boast　of；　and　a　future　to

create。〃J。　F。　O'Carrol。



〃One　of　the　great　questions　is　how　to　find　an　outlet　for　Irish

manufactures。　　We　ought　to　be　an　exporting　nation；　or　we　never

will　be　able　to　compete　successfully　with　our　trade　rivals。〃E。

D。　Gray。



〃Ireland　may　become　a　Nation　again；　if　we　all　sacrifice　our

parricidal　passions；　prejudices；　and　resentments　on　the　altar　of

our　country。　　Then　shall　your　manufactures　flourish；　and　Ireland

be　free。〃Daniel　O'Connell。



Further　communications　passed　between　my　young　friend；　the

Italian　count；　and　his　father；　and　the　result　was　that　he

accompanied　me　to　Ireland；　on　the　express　understanding　that　he

was　to　send　home　a　letter　daily　by　post　assuring　his　friends　of

his　safety。　　We　went　together　accordingly　to　Galway；　up　Lough

Corrib　to　Cong　and　Lough　Mask；　by　the　romantic　lakes　and

mountains　of　Connemara　to　Clifden　and　Letterfrack；　and　through

the　lovely　pass　of　Kylemoor　to　Leenane；　along　the　fiord　of

Killury；　then　on；　by　Westport　and　Ballina　to　Sligo。　　Letters　were

posted　daily　by　my　young　friend；　and　every　day　we　went　forwards

in　safety。



But　how　lonely　was　the　country！　　We　did　not　meet　a　single

American　tourist　during　the　whole　course　of　our　visit；　and　the

Americans　are　the　most　travelling　people　in　the　world。　　Although

the　railway　companies　have　given　every　facility　for　visiting

Connemara　and　the　scenery　of　the　West　of　Ireland；　we　only　met　one

single　English　tourist；　accompanied　by　his　daughter。　　The

Bianconi　long　car　between　Clifden　and　Westport　had　been　taken　off

for　want　of　support。　　The　only　persons　who　seemed　to　have　no　fear

of　Irish　agrarianism　were　the　English　anglers；　who　are　ready　to

brave　all　dangers；　imaginary　or　supposed；　provided　they　can　only

kill　a　big　salmon！　　And　all　the　rivers　flowing　westward　into　the

Atlantic　are　full　of　fine　fish。　　While　at　Galway；　we　looked　down

into　the　river　Corrib　from　the　Upper　Bridge；　and　beheld　it

literally　black　with　the　backs　of　salmon！　　They　were　waiting　for

a　flood　to　enable　them　to　ascend　the　ladder　into　Lough　Corrib。　

While　there；　1900　salmon　were　taken　in　one　day　by　nets　in　the

bay。



Galway　is　a　declining　town。　　It　has　docks；　but　no　shipping；

bonded　warehouses；　but　no　commerce。　　It　has　a　community　of

fishermen　at　Claddagh；　but　the　fisheries　of　the　bay　are

neglected。　　As　one　of　the　poor　men　of　the　place　exclaimed；

〃Poverty　is　the　curse　of　Ireland。〃　　On　looking　at　Galway　from　the

Claddagh　side；　it　seems　as　if　to　have　suffered　from　a

bombardment。　　Where　a　roof　has　fallen　in；　nothing　has　been　done

to　repair　it。　　It　was　of　no　use。　　The　ruin　has　been　left　to　go

on。　　The　mills；　which　used　to　grind　home…grown　corn；　are　now

unemployed。　　The　corn　comes　ready　ground　from　America。　　　Nothing

is　thought　of　but　emigration；　and　the　best　people　are　going；

leaving　the　old；　the　weak；　and　the　inefficient　at　home。　　〃The

labourer；〃　said　the　late　President　Garfield；　〃has　but　one

commodity　to　sellhis　day's　work；　it　is　his　sole　reliance。　　He

must　sell　it　to…day；　or　it　is　lost　for…ever。〃　　And　as　the　poor

Irishman　cannot　sell　his　day's　labour；　he　must　needs　emigrate　to

some　other　country；　where　his　only　commodity　may　be　in　demand。



While　at　Galway；　I　read　with　interest　an　eloquent　speech

delivered　by　Mr。　Parnell　at　the　banquet　held　in　the　Great　Hall　of

the　Exhibition　at　Cork。　　Mr。　Parnell　asked；　with　much　reason；　why

manufactures　should　not　be　established　and　encouraged　in　the

South　of　Ireland；　as　in　other　parts　of　the　country。　　Why　should

not　capital　be　invested；　and　factories　and　workshops　developed；

through　the　length　and　breadth　of　the　kingdom？　　〃I　confess；〃　he

said；　〃I　should　like　to　give　Ireland　a　fair　opportunity　of

working　her　home　manufactures。　　We　can　each　one　of　us　do　much　to

revive　the　ancient　name　of　our　nation　in　those　industrial

pursuits　which　have　done　so　much　to　increase　and　render　glorious

those　greater　nations　by　the　side　of　which　we　live。　　I　trust　that

before　many　years　are　over　we　shall　have　the　honour　and　pleasure

of　meeting　in　even　a　more　splendid　palace　than　this；　and　of

seeing　in　the　interval　that　the　quick…witted　genius　of　the　Irish

race　has　profited　by　the　lessons　which　this　beautiful　Exhibition

must　undoubtedly　teach；　and　that　much　will　have　been　done　to　make

our　nation　happy；　prosperous；　and　free。〃



Mr。　Parnell；　in　the　course　of　his　speech；　referred　to　the

manufactures　which　had　at　one　time　flourished　in　Irelandto　the

flannels　of　Rathdrum；　the　linens　of　Bandon；　the　cottons　of　Cork；

and　the　gloves　of　Limerick。　　Why　should　not　these　things　exist

again？　　〃We　have　a　people　who　are　by　nature　quick　and　facile　to

learn；　who　have　shown　in　many　other　countries　that　they　are

industrious　and　laborious；　and　who　have　not　been　excelled

whether　in　the　pursuits　of　agriculture　under　a　midday　sun　in　the

field；　or　amongst　the　vast　looms　in　the　factory　districtsby　the

people　of　any　country　on　the　face　of　the　globe。〃＇1＇　　Most　just

and　eloquent！



The　only　weak　point　in　Mr。　Parnell's　speech　was　where　he　urged

his　audience　〃not　to　use　any　article　of　the　manufacture　of　any

other　country　except　Ireland；　where　you　can　get　up　an　Irish

manufacture。〃　　The　true　remedy　is　to　make　Irish　articles　of　the

best　and　cheapest；　and　they　will　be　bought；　not　only　by　the

Irish；　but　by　the　English　and　people　of　all　nations。　

Manufactures　cannot　be　〃boycotted。〃　　They　will　find　their　way

into　all　lands；　in　spite　even　of　the　most　restrictive　tariffs。　

Take；　for　instance；　the　case　of　Belfast　hereafter　to　be　referred

to。　　If　the　manufacturing　population　of　that　town　were　to　rely

for　their　maintenance　on　the　demand　for　their　productions　at

home；　they　would　simply　starve。　　But　they　make　the　best　and　the

cheapest　goods　of　their　kind；　and　hence　the　demand　for　them　is

world…wide。



There　is　an　abundant　scope　for　the　employment　of　capita