men of invention and industry-第49节

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

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

Burton；　an　English…woman。　　The　marriage　was　celebrated　on　the

14th　of　February；　1827；　and　the　ceremony　was　performed　by　the

late　Archbishop　Murray。　　Mr。　Bianconi　must　now　have　been　in　good

circumstances；　as　he　settled　two　thousand　pounds　upon　his　wife　on

their　marriage…day。　　His　early　married　life　was　divided　between

his　cars；　electioneering；　and　Repeal　agitationfor　he　was　always

a　great　ally　of　O'Connell。　　Though　he　joined　in　the　Repeal

movement；　his　sympathies　were　not　with　it；　for　he　preferred

Imperial　to　Home　Rule。　　But　he　could　never　deny　himself　the

pleasure　of　following　O'Connell；　〃right　or　wrong。〃



Let　us　give　a　picture　of　Bianconi　now。　　The　curly…haired　Italian

boy　had　grown　a　handsome　man。　　His　black　locks　curled　all　over

his　head　like　those　of　an　ancient　Roman　bust。　　His　face　was　full

of　power；　his　chin　was　firm；　his　nose　was　finely　cut　and

well…formed；　his　eyes　were　keen　and　sparkling；　as　if　throwing　out

a　challenge　to　fortune。　　He　was　active；　energetic；　healthy；　and

strong；　spending　his　time　mostly　in　the　open　air。　　He　had　a

wonderful　recollection　of　faces；　and　rarely　forgot　to　recognise

the　countenance　that　he　had　once　seen。　　He　even　knew　all　his

horses　by　name。　　He　spent　little　of　his　time　at　home；　but　was

constantly　rushing　about　the　country　after　business；　extending

his　connections；　organizing　his　staff；　and　arranging　the　centres

of　his　traffic。



To　return　to　the　car　arrangements。　　A　line　was　early　opened　from

Clonmel　which　was　at　first　the　centre　of　the　entire

connectionto　Cork；　and　that　line　was　extended　northward；

through　Mallow　and　Limerick。　　Then；　the　Limerick　car　went　on　to

Tralee；　and　from　thence　to　Cahirciveen；　on　the　south…west　coast

of　Ireland。　　The　cars　were　also　extended　northward　from　Thurles

to　Roscrea；　Ballinasloe；　Athlone；　Roscommon；　and　Sligo；　and　to

all　the　principal　towns　in　the　north…west　counties　of　Ireland。



The　cars　interlaced　with　each　other；　and　plied；　not　so　much　in

continuous　main　lines；　as　across　country；　so　as　to　bring　all

important　towns；　but　especially　the　market　towns；　into　regular

daily　communication　with　each　other。　　Thus；　in　the　course　of

about　thirty　years；　Bianconi　succeeded　in　establishing　a　system

of　internal　communication　in　Ireland；　which　traversed　the　main

highways　and　cross…roads　from　town　to　town；　and　gave　the　public　a

regular　and　safe　car　accommodation　at　the　average　rate　of　a

penny…farthing　per　mile。



The　traffic　in　all　directions　steadily　increased。　　The　first　car

used　was　capable　of　accommodating　only　six　persons。　　This　was

between　Clonmel　and　Cahir。　　But　when　it　went　on　to　Limerick；　a

larger　car　was　required。　　The　traffic　between　Clonmel　and

Waterford　was　also　begun　with　a　small…sized　car。　　But　in　the

course　of　a　few　years；　there　were　four　large…sized　cars；

travelling　daily　each　way；　between　the　two　places。　　And　so　it　was

in　other　directions；　between　Cork　in　the　south；　and　Sligo　and

Strabane　in　the　north　and　north…west；　between　Wexford　in　the

east；　and　Galway　and　Skibbereen　in　the　west　and　south…west。



Bianconi　first　increased　the　accommodation　of　these　cars　so　as　to

carry　four　persons　on　each　side　instead　of　three；　drawn　by　two

horses。　　But　as　the　two　horses　could　quite　as　easily　carry　two

additional　passengers；　another　piece　was　added　to　the　car　so　as

to　carry　five　passengers。　　Then　another　four…wheeled　car　was

built；　drawn　by　three　horses；　so　as　to　carry　six　passengers　on

each　side。　　And　lastly；　a　fourth　horse　was　used；　and　the　car　was

further　enlarged；　so　as　to　accommodate　seven；　and　eventually

eight　passengers　on　each　side；　with　one　on　the　box；　which　made　a

total　accommodation　for　seventeen　passengers。　　The　largest　and

heaviest　of　the　long　cars；　on　four　wheels；　was　called　〃Finn

MacCoul's；〃　after　Ossian's　Giant；　the　fast　cars；　of　a　light

build；　on　two　wheels；　were　called　〃Faugh…a…ballagh；〃　or　〃clear

the　way〃；　while　the　　intermediate　cars　were　named　〃Massey

Dawsons；〃　after　a　popular　Tory　squire。



When　Bianconi's　system　was　complete；　he　had　about　a　hundred

vehicles　at　work；　a　hundred　and　forty　stations　for　changing

horses；　where　from　one　to　eight　grooms　were　employed；　about　a

hundred　drivers；　thirteen　hundred　horses；　performing　an　average

distance　of　three　thousand　eight　hundred　miles　daily；　passing

through　twenty…three　counties；　and　visiting　no　fewer　than　a

hundred　and　twenty　of　the　principal　towns　and　cities　in　the　south

and　west　and　midland　counties　of　Ireland。　　Bianconi's　horses

consumed　on　an　average　from　three　to　four　thousand　tons　of　hay

yearly；　and　from　thirty　to　forty　thousand　barrels　of　oats；　all　of

which　were　purchased　in　the　respective　localities　in　which　they

were　grown。



Bianconi's　carsor　〃The　Bians〃soon　became　very　popular。　

Everybody　was　under　obligations　to　them。　　They　greatly　promoted

the　improvement　of　the　country。　　People　could　go　to　market　and

buy　or　sell　their　goods　more　advantageously。　　It　was　cheaper　for

them　to　ride　than　to　walk。　　They　brought　the　whole　people　of　the

country　so　much　nearer　to　each　other。　　They　virtually　opened　up

about　seven…tenths　of　Ireland　to　civilisation　and　commerce；　and

among　their　other　advantages；　they　opened　markets　for　the　fresh

fish　caught　by　the　fishermen　of　Galway；　Clifden；　Westport；　and

other　places；　enabling　them　to　be　sold　throughout　the　country　on

the　day　after　they　were　caught。　　They　also　opened　the　magnificent

scenery　of　Ireland　to　tourists；　and　enabled　them　to　visit　Bantry

Bay；　Killarney；　South　Donegal；　and　the　wilds　of　Connemara　in

safety；　all　the　year　round。



Bianconi's　service　to　the　public　was　so　great；　and　it　was　done

with　so　much　tact；　that　nobody　had　a　word　to　say　against　him。　

Everybody　was　his　friend。　　Not　even　the　Whiteboys　would　injure

him　or　the　mails　he　carried。　　He　could　say　with　pride；　that　in

the　most　disturbed　times　his　cars　had　never　been　molested。　　Even

during　the　Whiteboy　insurrection；　though　hundreds　of　people　were

on　the　roads　at　night；　the　traffic　went　on　without　interference。　

At　the　meeting　of　the　British　Association　in　1857；　Bianconi　said：

〃My　conveyances；　many　of　them　carrying　very　important　mails；　have

been　travelling　during　all　hours　of　the　day　and　night；　often　in

lonely　and　unfrequented　places；　and　during　the　long　period　of

forty…two　years　that　my　establishment　has　been　in　existence；　the

slightest　injury　has　never　been　done　by　the　people　to　my

property；　or　that　entrusted　to　my　care；　and　this　fact　gives　me

greater　pleasure　than　any　pride　I　might　feel　in　reflecting　upon

the　other　rewards　of　my　life's　labour。〃



Of　course　Bianconi's　cars　were　found　of　great　use　for　carrying

the　mails。　　The　post　was；　at　the　beginning　of　his　enterprise；

very　badly　served　in　Ireland；　chiefly　by　foot　and　horse　posts。　

When　the　first　car　was　run　from　Clonmel　to　Cahir；　Bianconi

offered　to　carry　the　mail　for　half　the　price　then　paid　for

〃sending　it　alternately　by　a　mule　and　a　bad　horse。〃　　The　post　was

afterwards　found　to　come　regularly　instead　of　irregularly　to

Cahir；　and　the　practice　of　sending　the　mails　by　Bianconi's　cars

increased　from　year　to　year。　　Dispatch　won　its　way　to　popularity

in　Ireland　as　elsewhere；　and　Bianconi　lived　to　see　all　the

cross…posts　in　Ireland　arranged　on　his　system。



The　postage　authorities　frequently　used　the　cars　of　Bianconi　as　a

means　of　competing　with　the　few　existing　mail…coaches。　　For

instance；　they　asked　him　to　compete　for　carrying　the　post　between

Limerick　and　Tralee；　then　carried　by　a　mail…coach。　　Before

tendering；　Bianconi　called　on　the　contractor；　to　induce　him　to

give　in　to　the　requirements　of　the　Post　Office；　because　he　knew

that　the　postal　authorities　only　desired　to　make　use　of　him　to

fight　the　coach　proprietors。　　But　having　been　informed　that　it

was　the　intention　of　the　Post　Office　to　discontinue　the

mail…coach　whether　Bianconi　took　the　contract　or　not；　he　at

length　sent　in　his　tender；　and　obtained　the　contract。



He　succeeded　in　performing　the　service；　and　delivered　the　mail

much　earlier　than　it　had　been　done　before。　　But　the　former

contractor；　finding　that　he　had　made　a　mistake；　got　up　a　movement

in　favour　of　re…establishing　the　mail…coach　upon　that　line　of

road；　and　he　eventually　induced　the　postage　authorities　to　take

the　mail　contract　out　of　the　hands　of　Bianconi；　and　give　it　back

to　himself；　as　formerly。　　Bianconi；　however；　continued　to　keep

his　cars　upon　the　road。　　He　had　before　stated　to　the　contractor；

that　if　he　once　started　his　cars；　he　would　not　leave　it；　even

though　the　contract　were　taken　from　him。　　Both　coach　and　car

therefore　ran　for　years　upon　the　road；　each　losing　thousands　of

pounds。　　〃But；〃　said　Bianconi；　when　asked　about　the　matter　by　the

Committee　on　Postage　in　1838；　〃I　kept　my　word：　　I　must　either

lose　character　by　breaking　my　word；　or　lose　money。　　I　prefer

losing