Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1873-05-17

that you have persevered with it, but I
shall not alter your price. 1t must re-
main as it is, but the rock must be
measured for you twice. VIII that do
for you2"
" Yes, very well indeed, and I am
very much obliged to you, sir"
" Very WELL" rejoined Mr.. Brassey /;
go on you have done well in perse-
vering, and 1 shall look to you again"
One of these walks along a line of
railroad would sometimes cost the con-
tractor thousand pounds in rectifying
similar mistakes. He greatly liked the
principle of giving men pecuniary in
terest in the work they were doing. He
not only gave his chief agents a share
in the profit of his contracts, but he
liked very much the plan of letting out
small contracts of mere digging to a
dozen laborers, the proceeds to be equal
ly divided among them, except little
extra allowance to the foreman. Several
of his agents made considerable for
tunes in his service.
Like many other men who have made
colossal fortunes, he seemed to care
very little about money. He was inter-
ested in his a0Ork, took pride and de-
light in doing it well, and was perfectly
aware of the necessity of money as a
means to THAT end but when once the
game had been won, he never seemed to
value the stakes much for their own
sake. And, in fact, to a man in his
profession, millions are only what
oh oion1c and 10 30
tools that he must have. One conse-
quence of his being so free from the
taint of avarice was, that he could bear
a large pecuniary loss, not without
equanimity merely, but with cheerful
ness and gayety.
Mr.. Brassey," said one of his
agents, "never appeared so happy as
when he had lost twenty thousand
pounds"
One night, during terrible fnancia
crisis in London, which threatened to
sweep away his whole fortune, he went
home fully convinced that he must lose
at least a million pounds sterling.
'Never mind" said he. eve must
be content with little less; that is all. u
On another occasion, in Spain, he re-
ceived a telegram, saying that q certain
bridge had been washed down. Three
hours after came another, stating that
large bank had been washed away.
Other messages followed of similar
purport, and begging him to come at
once to the scene. He turned to a
friend, and said, laughing:
81 think had better wait until
hear that the rain has ceased, so that
when I do go, may see what is left OF
the works, and estimate all the disas.
ters at once ; and so save a second jour.
ney."
On such occasions he often quoted
the old proverb: cit is no use crying
over split milk"
Thomas Brassey had none of those
early struggles which mark the career
of most able men of business. His
father was a rich farmer of ancient
family, and he served a regular ap.
premiership to the business of land sur.
veyor and agent. He gave such sginal
proofs of ability, that his employer took
him into partnership when he was but
twenty-one and he was already q
thriving man, married, and twenty-nint
years of age before he ever thought OF
building a railroad. He was accident.
ally thrown into company, one day
with George Stephenson, who urged
him to engage in the new enterprise.
Being well established in business he
hesitated to change, and especially fol
a business so new and untried. His
wife's advice turned the scale, and he
became the greatest contractor of his
time.
He died in 1870, aged sixty-fve
leaving three sons, one of whom is {
member of the British Parliament
His life has been lately written by Sil
Arthur Helps, who edited the works Of
Queen Victoria. 1t is not creditable tC
our publishers that work so peculiar
and interesting has not been made ac
cessible to the people of the United
States. 1t ought to be universally dis
seminated especially in some factory
towns that I could mention, where the
mill-owners are brutally Indifferent tS
the rights and feelings, the comfort ant
dignity, of those whe work for them.-
| James Parton.