The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-11-02


London, he devoted himself to political topics
and general questions Of social philosophy
fierce opponent of the Reform bin, he seconded
the motion Of General Gasc0igne, in 1881, which
led to the dissolution of the House of Com
mons, and the consequent excitement i'm every
quarter of England. He was also, TO the last,
persistent enemy to Catholic emanCiDation
and he was no less steady and eloquent in his
opposition to every measure IN favor of free
trade. Specially interesting himself on behalf
OF Ireland, he sought TO establish q law for
the allotment of land to all the deserving poor
and that measure be further advocated with
the rich and varied eloquence that character
lZed all his speeches and writing, in treatise
on ireland; its Evils, and their Remedies
lie 1t was, too, who produced the famous Ten
Hour bill, for the protect on OF children en-
plOyed IN factories. He published bis opinions
on that subject in q book on 'The Factory Sys-
tem,n and in another work, on "The Law or
population he undertook TO cOntroyert the
teachings OF Nautilus. WhHe writing supple
ment to that work, on the 29th Of July 1886,
he died at Belfast only five and fifty years
OF age.
survived him; and GOtt, after many years of
peaceful retirement, in the splendid house that
he had adapted to his literary aud artistic tastes
at Armley-years enliVened by pleasant inter
course with friends like Rennie, Watt and
Chantrey and hallowed by many noble acts of
charity died on the l4th of February, 1910. in
his seventy eighth year Marshall was very
nearly eighty when he died. on the 9th of June,
the Ulleswater, whittier he had gone to pass
most OF his clssing years.
II was not only as hearty aud intelligent
philan hropists and leaders, the one of the
woolen trade, the other of flax manufacture in
Yorkshire that Gott and Marshall earned all the
fame they got as beneiactors of Leeds. Re
quiring expensive and intricate machinery for
their factories, they, and the other men who
followed in their steps, brought skilful tool
makers into the town, and so made It almost the
chiefcentre of iron manufacture in England. We
have seen how, in 1883, Matthew Murray had
gone 10 Leeds as a lourneyman seeking employ
ment in Marshal's factory, and in due time had
become master Of great establishment of his
own. Forty years afterwards yet more famous
machinlst went to Leeds, soon 70 attain the
highest possible station in its commercial his
tory. This was Sir Peter FairbaiTn.
He was born at SmNlholme, village few
miles west oil Keso, on the llth OF September,
1889 He was of humble origin. His father,
Andrew FaIbaiIn, who, in his boyhood, had
been for little while half playiellow, half
nurse to Walter Scott, was gardener in the
service OF a Mr. Ballie, Of Mellerston, and lived
during many years at SmailhOlme, gong to and
fro every day to his work. A few weeks after
Peter was born, however, he left RoXburY, to
take somewhat higher employment, as manager
Of a farm of three hundred acres belonging to
Lord SeQOrth Of Brahan Castle, at Moy, in
Ross-shre. There he stayed two years but not
succeeding very WELL went south again in 1901,
to try his luck tor another two years as ste ward
to Mackenzie of Allepgrange, then for a few
at Ripley, in Yorkshire, the property OF Sir
William Ingleby, and finally to settle down as
manager of the Percy Main Coliiery COmpany's
farm near Newcastle-on-Tyne.
Peter Fairbairn was not six weeks old when
he was taken in covered cart from Smailholme
to Moy, a distance of two hundred miles, or
more. He was a weakly child Mt Moy His
brother William, twelve years his senior, acted as
his nurse, and in that capacity he first exer-
clsed his powers as a machinist Tired of
carrying the little boy in his arms, he resolved
to construct a sort of wagon for him TO ride In
.Srhis was a work of some difficulty says Mr.
Smiles, las all the tools he possessed we're
knife gimlet and an old saw. With these
implements, a piece of thin board, and few
nails. he nevertheless coutuved TO make a
tolerably serviceabe wagon-body. His chief
difficulty was with the wheels; but this he con-
trived to surmount by cutting sections from the
stem of q small alder tree, and, with red-hot
poker boring the requisite holes in their cen.
| tres to receive the axle. The wagon was then
! mounted on It's four wheels, and TO the great
! JOY of its maker, was found to answer It's pur-
! pose admirably In il he wheeled his little
! brother in various directions about the farm,
| and sometimes 10 a considerable distance from
! it." Like brotherly help was given, as often as
! it was needed, and IN all sorts OF ways, through
! sixty wears ensuing,
Neifner william nor Peter were able to get
much schooling. The poor estate OF the family
| under the starvation prices OF food and cloth
| rica made it necessary for Andrew Fairbairu
to set his boys to work as soon as eyerthey were
equal to 1t. william began to fight his Owl
| way in the world when he was fourteen. Peter
was only eleven when he was taken from tht
DANES school where he <as learning TO read
write and count, and put to do odd loOs aDou
the colleries and engineering shops IN Ch'
| neiphborhood OF Newcastle In 1913, at the ag'
of fourteen, he was apprenticed to John Capon
! a Newcastle mIllWright, and under him he WORKED
for seven years. IN 1921 he went to be jour
newman during few months, with his brothe
william lately established as an engineer an(
millWright in Manchester. Then he travelled Z
London to spend few more months IN RenLlea
shop. In 1925 he went to France, working hrs
at Charenton and then in Paris. In 1928 he re
! turned to Manchester, and was again employs
by his brother until, in the following year, In
known skill as an engineer brought him an IN
vtatiOn from HOudsWorth Company, OF tn
Anderston Foundry, in Glasgow, to enter int
partnership with them, That offer he accepted
and he lived in Glasgow about four years, maj
rying, in 1927 the daughter of one of its mos
respectable merchants; but seeing small chanc
of prospering there as he desired to prosper,
leli in the autumn of 1928, to establish himsel
| early m 1929, as q machine-maker on his OW
account in Leeds.
To his business he brought the experience
{ fifteen years passed IN some OF the chief centre
! of iron manufacture in Great Britain. In Ne7
| castle where the convenient nearness an
! | abundance of coal was the chief inducement
j | the establishment of iron works, and wher
3 | consequently steam-englnes, and other article
{ | of general rather than OF special utility, WeI
| the things chiefly manufactured, he had hf
D | sharp schooling in the rudiments and Il
2 fundamental principles Of his profession.
= | London he had seen something of tho
: wonderful applications OF engineering SIX
a | to the construction OF docks, harbor
e bridges, and the like, which made the names
Y Rennie and TelfOrd famous. In Manchester an
Glasgow he had found nearly all the energies
p | fbe iron manufacturers devoted to the improv