the life of thomas telford-第24节

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perfect　though　they　might　be；　were　found　altogether　inadequate　to

the　accommodation　of　the　traffic　of　the　country；　which　had

increased；　at　a　constantly　accelerating　ratio；　with　the　increased

application　of　steam　power　to　the　purposes　of　productive　industry。

At　length　steam　itself　was　applied　to　remedy　the　inconveniences

which　it　had　caused；　the　locomotive　engine　was　invented；　and

travelling　by　railway　became　generally　adopted。　　The　effect　of

these　several　improvements　in　the　means　of　locomotion；　has　been　to

greatly　increase　the　public　activity；　and　to　promote　the　general

comfort　and　well…being。　　They　have　tended　to　bring　the　country　and

the　town　much　closer　together；　and；　by　annihilating　distance　as

measured　by　time；　to　make　the　whole　kingdom　as　　one　great　city。

What　the　personal　blessings　of　improved　communication　have　been；　no

one　has　described　so　well　as　the　witty　and　sensible　Sydney　Smith：



　　　〃It　is　of　some　importance；〃　he　wrote；　〃at　what　period

　　　　a　man　is　born。　　A　young　man　alive　at　this　period

　　　　hardly　knows　to　what　improvement　of　human　life　he　has

　　　　been　introduced；　and　I　would　bring　before　his　notice

　　　　the　changes　which　have　taken　place　in　England　since　I

　　　　began　to　breathe　the　breath　of　life；　a　period

　　　　amounting　to　over　eighty　years。　　Gas　was　unknown；

　　　　I　groped　about　the　streets　of　London　in　the　all　but

　　　　utter　darkness　of　a　twinkling　oil　lamp；　under　the

　　　　protection　of　watchmen　in　their　grand　climacteric；

　　　　and　exposed　to　every　species　of　degradation　and

　　　　insult。　　I　have　been　nine　hours　in　sailing　from　Dover

　　　　to　Calais；　before　the　invention　of　steam。　　It　took　me

　　　　nine　hours　to　go　from　Taunton　to　Bath；　before　the

　　　　invention　of　railroads；　and　I　now　go　in　six　hours

　　　　from　Taunton　to　London！　In　going　from　Taunton　to

　　　　Bath；　I　suffered　between　l0；000　and　12；000　severe

　　　　contusions；　before　stone…breaking　Macadam　was

　　　　born。。。。　　As　the　basket　of　stage…coaches　in　which

　　　　luggage　was　then　carried　had　no　springs；　your　clothes

　　　　were　rubbed　all　to　pieces；　and；　even　in　the　best

　　　　society；　one…third　of　the　gentlemen　at　least　were

　　　　always　drunk。。。。。　　I　paid　15L。　in　a　single　year　for

　　　　repairs　of　carriage…springs　on　the　pavement　of

　　　　London；　and　I　now　glide　without　noise　or　fracture　on

　　　　wooden　pavement。　　I　can　walk；　by　the　assistance　of　the

　　　　police；　from　one　end　of　London　to　the　other　without

　　　　molestation；　or；　if　tired；　get　into　a　cheap　and

　　　　active　cab；　instead　of　those　cottages　on　wheels　which

　　　　the　hackney　coaches　were　at　the　beginning　of　my

　　　　life。。。。。　　Whatever　miseries　I　suffered；　there　was　no

　　　　post　to　whisk　my　complaints　for　a　single　penny　to　the

　　　　remotest　comer　of　the　empire；　and　yet；　in　spite　of

　　　　all　these　privations；　I　lived　on　quietly；　and　am　now

　　　　ashamed　that　I　was　not　more　discontented；　and　utterly

　　　　surprised　that　all　these　changes　and　inventions　did

　　　　not　occur　two　centuries　ago。



With　the　history　of　these　great　improvements　is　also　mixed　up　the

story　of　human　labour　and　genius；　and　of　the　patience　and

perseverance　displayed　in　carrying　them　out。　　Probably　one　of　the

best　illustrations　of　character　in　connection　with　the　development

of　the　inventions　of　the　last　century；　is　to　be　found　in　the　life

of　Thomas　Telford；　the　greatest　and　most　scientific　road…maker　of

his　day；　to　which　we　proceed　to　direct　the　attention　of　the　reader。



Footnotes　for　Chapter　VI。



*＇1＇　'Observations　on　Blindness　and　on　the　Employment　of　the　other

Senses　to　supply　the　Loss　of　Sight。'　By　Mr。　Bew。'Memoirs　of　the

Literary　and　Philosophical　Society　of　Manchester；'

vol。i。；　pp。　172…174。　　Paper　read　17th　April；　1782。



*＇2＇　The　pillar　was　erected　by　Squire　Dashwood　in　1751；　the　lantern

on　its　summit　was　regularly　lighted　till　1788；　and　occasionally　till

1808；；　when　it　was　thrown　down　and　never　replaced。　　The　Earl　of

Buckingham　afterwards　mounted　a　statue　of　George　III。　on　the　top。



*＇3＇　Since　the　appearance　of　the　first　edition　of　this　book；　a

correspondent　has　informed　us　that　there　is　another　lighthouse

within　24　miles　of　London；　not　unlike　that　on　Lincoln　Heath。　　It　is

situated　a　little　to　the　south…east　of　the　Woking　station　of　the

South…western　Railway；　and　is　popularly　known　as　〃Woking　Monument。〃

It　stands　on　the　verge　of　Woking　Heath；　which　is　a　continuation　of

the　vast　tract　of　heath　land　which　extends　in　one　direction　as　far

as　Bagshot。　　The　tradition　among　the　inhabitants　is；　that　one　of　the

kings　of　England　was　wont　to　hunt　in　the　neighbourhood；　when　a　fire

was　lighted　up　in　the　beacon　to　guide　him　in　case　he　should　be

belated；　but　the　probability　is；　that　it　was　erected　like　that　on

Lincoln　Heath；　for　the　guidance　of　ordinary　wayfarers　at　night。



*＇4＇　'Journal　of　the　Agricultural　Society　of　England；　1843。'







LIFE　OF　THOMAS　TELFORD。



CHAPTER　I。　ESKDALE。



＇Image＇　Valley　of　〃the　Unblameable　Shepherd〃；　Eskdale



Thomas　Telford　was　born　in　one　of　the　most　Solitary　nooks　of　the

narrow　valley　of　the　Esk；　in　the　eastern　part　of　the　county　of

Dumfries；　in　Scotland。　　Eskdale　runs　north　and　south；　its　lower　end

having　been　in　former　times　the　western　march　of　the　Scottish

border。　　Near　the　entrance　to　the　dale　is　a　tall　column　erected　on

Langholm　Hill；　some　twelve　miles　to　the　north　of　the　Gretna　Green

station　of　the　Caledonian　Railway；which　many　travellers　to　and

from　Scotland　may　have　observed；a　monument　to　the　late　Sir　John

Malcolm；　Governor　of　Bombay；　one　of　the　distinguished　natives　of

the　district。　　It　looks　far　over　the　English　border…lands；　which

stretch　away　towards　the　south；　and　marks　the　entrance　to　the

mountainous　parts　of　the　dale；　which　lie　to　the　north。　　From　that

point　upwards　the　valley　gradually　contracts；　the　road　winding

along　the　river's　banks；　in　some　places　high　above　the　stream；

which　rushes　swiftly　over　the　rocky　bed　below。



A　few　miles　upward　from　the　lower　end　of　Eskdale　lies　the　little

capital　of　the　district；　the　town　of　Langholm；　and　there；　in　the

market…place；　stands　another　monument　to　the　virtues　of　the　Malcolm

family　in　the　statue　erected　to　the　memory　of　Admiral　Sir　Pulteney

Malcolm；　a　distinguished　naval　officer。　　Above　Langholm；　the　country

becomes　more　hilly　and　moorland。　　In　many　places　only　a　narrow　strip

of　land　by　the　river's　side　is　left　available　for　cultivation；

until　at　length　the　dale　contracts　so　much　that　the　hills　descend

to　the　very　road；　and　there　are　only　to　be　seen　their　steep

heathery　sides　sloping　up　towards　the　sky　on　either　hand；　and　a

narrow　stream　plashing　and　winding　along　the　bottom　of　the　valley

among　the　rocks　at　their　feet。



＇Image＇　Telford's　Native　District



From　this　brief　description　of　the　character　of　Eskdale　scenery；

it　may　readily　be　supposed　that　the　district　is　very　thinly　peopled；

and　that　it　never　could　have　been　capable　of　supporting　a　large

number　of　inhabitants。　　Indeed；　previous　to　the　union　of　the　crowns

of　England　and　Scotland；　the　principal　branch　of　industry　that

existed　in　the　Dale　was　of　a　lawless　kind。　　The　people　living　on　the

two　sides　of　the　border　looked　upon　each　other's　cattle　as　their

own；　provided　only　they　had　the　strength　to　〃lift〃　them。　　They　were；

in　truth；　even　during　the　time　of　peace；　a　kind　of　outcasts；

against　whom　the　united　powers　of　England　and　Scotland　were　often

employed。　　On　the　Scotch　side　of　the　Esk　were　the　Johnstones　and

Armstrongs；　and　on　the　English　the　Graemes　of　Netherby；　both　clans

being　alike　wild　and　lawless。　　It　was　a　popular　border　saying　that

〃Elliots　and　Armstrongs　ride　thieves　a'；〃　and　an　old　historian　says

of　the　Graemes　that　〃they　were　all　stark　moss…troopers　and　arrant

thieves；　to　England　as　well　as　Scotland　outlawed。〃　　The　neighbouring

chiefs　were　no　better：　Scott　of　Buccleugh；　from　whom　the　modern

Duke　is　descended；　and　Scott　of　Harden；　the　ancestor　of　the

novelist；　being　both　renowned　freebooters。



There　stands　at　this　day　on　the　banks　of　the　Esk；　only　a　few　miles

from　the　English　border；　the　ruin　of　an　old　fortalice；　called

Gilnockie　Tower；　in　a　situation　which　in　point　of　natural　beauty　is

scarcely　equalled　even　in　Scotland。　　It　was　the　stronghold　of　a

chief　popularly　known　in　his　day　as　Johnnie　Armstrong。*＇1＇　　He　was　a

mighty　freebooter　in　the　time　of　James　V。；　and　the　terror　of　his

name　is　said　to　have　extended　as　far　as　Newcastle…upon…Tyne；

between　which　town　and　his　castle　on　the　Esk　he　was　accustomed　to

levy　black…mail；　or　〃protection　and　forbearance　money；〃　as　it　was

called。　　The　King；　however；　determining　to　put　down　by　the　strong

hand　the　depredations　of　the　march　men；　made　a　sudden　expedition

along　the　borders；　and　Johnnie　Armstrong　having　been　so　ill…advised

as　to　make　his　appearance　with　his　followers　at　a　place　called

Carlenrig；　in　Etterick　Forest；　between　Hawick　and　Langholm；　James

ordered　him　to　instant　execution。　　Had　Johnnie　Armstrong；　like　the

Scot