men of invention and industry-第47节

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half　a　day　to　make　the　journey。　　In　the　course　of　one　of　his

voyages；　Bianconi　got　himself　so　thoroughly　soaked　by　rain　and

mud　that　he　caught　a　severe　cold；　which　ran　into　pleurisy；　and

laid　him　up　for　about　two　months。　　He　was　carefully　attended　to

by　a　good；　kind　physician；　Dr。　White；　who　would　not　take　a　penny

for　his　medicine　and　nursing。



Business　did　not　prove　very　prosperous　at　Carrick…on…suir；　the

town　was　small；　and　the　trade　was　not　very　brisk。　　Accordingly；

Bianconi　resolved；　after　a　year's　ineffectual　trial；　to　remove　to

Waterford；　a　more　thriving　centre　of　operations。　　He　was　now

twenty…one　years　old。　　He　began　again　as　a　carver　and　gilder；　and

as　business　flowed　in　upon　him；　he　worked　very　hard；　sometimes

from　six　in　the　morning　until　two　hours　after　midnight。　　As

usual；　he　made　many　friends。　　Among　the　best　of　them　was　Edward

Rice；　the　founder　of　the　〃Christian　Brothers〃　in　Ireland。　　Edward

Rice　was　a　true　benefactor　to　his　country。　　He　devoted　himself　to

the　work　of　education；　long　before　the　National　Schools　were

established；　investing　the　whole　of　his　means　in　the　foundation

and　management　of　this　noble　institution。



Mr。　Rice's　advice　and　instruction　set　and　kept　Bianconi　in　the

right　road。　　He　helped　the　young　foreigner　to　learn　English。　

Bianconi　was　no　longer　a　dunce；　as　he　had　been　at　school；　but　a

keen；　active；　enterprising　fellow；　eager　to　make　his　way　in　the

world。　　Mr。　Rice　encouraged　him　to　be　sedulous　and　industrious；

urged　him　to　carefulness　and　sobriety；　and　strengthened　his

religions　impressions。　　The　help　and　friendship　of　this　good　man；

operating　upon　the　mind　and　soul　of　a　young　man；　whose　habits　of

conduct　and　whose　moral　and　religious　character　were　only　in

course　of　formation；　could　not　fail　to　exercise；　as　Bianconi

always　acknowledged　they　did；　a　most　powerful　influence　upon　the

whole　of　his　after　life。



Although　〃three　removes〃　are　said　to　be　〃as　bad　as　a　fire；〃

Bianconi；　after　remaining　about　two　years　at　Waterford；　made　a

third　removal　in　1809；　to　Clonmel；　in　the　county　of　Tipperary。　

Clonmel　is　the　centre　of　a　large　corn　trade；　and　is　in　water

communication；　by　the　Suir；　with　Carrick　and　Waterford。　

Bianconi；　therefore；　merely　extended　his　connection；　and　still

continued　his　dealings　with　his　customers　in　the　other　towns。　　He

made　himself　more　proficient　in　the　mechanical　part　of　his

business；　and　aimed　at　being　the　first　carver　and　gilder　in　the

trade。　　Besides；　he　had　always　an　eye　open　for　new　business。　　At

that　time；　when　the　war　was　raging　with　France；　gold　was　at　a

premium。　　The　　guinea　was　worth　about　twenty…six　or　twenty…seven

shillings。　　Bianconi　　therefore　began　to　buy　up　the　hoarded…up

guineas　of　the　peasantry。　　The　loyalists　became　alarmed　at　his

proceedings；　and　began　to　circulate　the　report　that　Bianconi；　the

foreigner；　was　buying　up　bullion　to　send　secretly　to　Bonaparte！　

The　country　people；　however；　parted　with　their　guineas　readily；

for　they　had　no　particular　hatred　of　〃Bony；〃　but　rather　admired

him。



Bianconi's　conduct　was　of　course　quite　loyal　in　the　matter；　he

merely　bought　the　guineas　as　a　matter　of　business；　and　sold　them

at　a　profit　to　the　bankers。



The　country　people　had　a　difficulty　in　pronouncing　his　name。　　His

shop　was　at　the　corner　of　Johnson　Street；　and　instead　of

Bianconi；　he　came　to　be　called　〃Bian　of　the　Corner。〃　　He　was

afterwards　known　as　〃Bian。〃



Bianconi　soon　became　well　known　after　his　business　was

established。　　He　became　a　proficient　in　the　carving　and　gilding

line；　and　was　looked　upon　as　a　thriving　man。　　He　began　to　employ

assistants　in　his　trade；　and　had　three　German　gilders　at　work。　

While　they　were　working　in　the　shop　he　would　travel　about　the

country；　taking　orders　and　delivering　goodssometimes　walking

and　sometimes　driving。



He　still　retained　a　little　of　his　old　friskiness　and　spirit　of

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　p