men of invention and industry-第48节

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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　honor　the　last　three　miles　widout　a

linch…pin！〃



Bianconi；　to　make　sure　of　the　soundness　and　safety　of　his　cars；

set　up　a　workshop　to　build　them　for　himself。　　He　could　thus

depend　upon　their　soundness；　down　even　to　the　linch…pin　itself。　

He　kept　on　his　carving　and　gilding　shop　until　his　car　business

had　increased　so　much　that　it　required　the　whole　of　his　time　and

attention；　and　then　he　gave　it　up。　　In　fact；　when　he　was　able　to

run　a　car　from　Clonmel　to　Waterford…　a　distance　of　thirty…two

milesat　a　fare　of　three…and…sixpence；　his　eventual　triumph　was

secure。



He　made　Waterford　one　of　the　centres　of　his　operations；　as　he　had

already　made　Clonmel。　　In　1818　he　established　a　car　between

Waterford　and　Ross；　in　the　following　year　a　car　between　Waterford

and　Wexford；　and　another　between　Waterford　and　Enniscorthy。　　A

few　years　later　he　established　other　cars　between　Waterford　and

Kilkenny；　and　Waterford　and　Dungarvan。　　From　these　furthest

points；　again；　other　cars　were　established　in　communication　with

them；　carrying　the　line　further　north；　east；　and　west。　　So　much

had　the　travelling　between　Clonmel　and　Waterford　increased；　that

in　a　few　years　（instead　of　the　eight　or　ten　passengers　conveyed

by　Tom　Morrissey's　boat　on　the　Suir）　there　was　horse　and　car

power　capable　of　conveying　a　hundred　passengers　daily　between　the

two　places。



Bianconi　did　a　great　stroke　of　business　at　the　Waterford　election

of　1826。　　Indeed　it　was　the　turning　point　of　his　fortunes。　　He

was　at　first　greatly　cramped　for　capital。　　The　expense　of

maintaining　and　increasing　his　stock　of　cars；　and　of　foddering

his　horses　was　very　great；　and　he　was　always　on　the　look…out　for

more　capital。　　When　the　Waterford　election　took　place；　the

Beresford　party；　then　all…powerful；　engaged　all　his　cars　to　drive

the　electors　to　the　poll。　　The　popular　party；　however；　started　a

candidate；　and　applied　to　Bianconi　for　help。　　But　he　could　not

comply；　for　his　cars　were　all　engaged。　　The　morning　after　his

refusal　of　the　application；　Bianconi　was　pelted　with　mud。　　One　or

two　of　his　cars　and　horses　were　heaved　over　the　bridge。



Bianconi　then　wrote　to　Beresford's　agent；　stating　that　he　could

no　longer　risk　the　lives　of　his　drivers　and　his　horses；　and

desiring　to　be　released　from　his　engagement。　　The　Beresford　party

had　no　desire　to　endanger　the　lives　of　the　car…drivers　or　their

horses；　and　they　set　Bianconi　free。　　He　then　engaged　with　the

popular　party；　and　enabled　them　to　win　the　election。　　For　this　he

was　paid　the　sum　of　a　thousand　pounds。　　This　access　of　capital

was　greatly　helpful　to　him　under　the　circumstances。　　He　was　able

to　command　the　market；　both　for　horses　and　fodder。　　He　was　also

placed　in　a　position　to　extend　the　area　of　his　car　routes。



He　now　found　time；　amidst　his　numerous　avocations；　to　get

married！　　He　was　forty　years　of　age　before　this　event　occurred。　

He　married　Eliza　Hayes；　some　twenty　years　younger　than　himself；

the　daughter　of　Patrick　Hayes；　of　Dublin；　and　of　H