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


THOMAS BRASSEY, CONTRACTOR.
ME, Carlyle invented happy phrase
TO describe the great employers of labor,
VINO play so important part in our
modern world. He called them "Cap-
talns of Industry" But this Thomas
Brassey, the famous English railway
contractor, might more properly be
styled Generalissimo of Industry; for
he and his partners had in their en-
ployment, at ore time, eighty thousand
men, whose wages amounted to sixty
or seventy thousand dollars day. He
thoughf nothing of giving an order for
tnfee thousand wagons, or ten thousand
"heelbarrows. In the course of an -ac-
i've life of nearly forty years he con-
'Structed, in whole OR in part, hundred
and fifty railroads-in England, France,
Germany, Spain, Italy, South America,
Australia, Canada-which cost, in all,
about four hundred millions of dollars.
lie had, at one time, as many as ten
thousand men employed in Spain alone,
besides thousands more in other eoun-
tries.
AS specimen of this grand way of
ooln8 business, take this anecdote. In
arranging the details of contract with
Spanish banker, the Marquis of Sal
amanca, the nobleman proposed to issue
bonds before the shares were taken a; but
to this Mr.. Brassey, the nobleman by
nature, objected, as not honorable.
After much discussion Mr.. Brassey said
to the Marquis:
look here, Mr.. Salamanca if you
and your friends will put five hundred
thousand pounds down on the table any
Gay you like to name, [ and my friends
Will do so too. Then the shares will be
paid up, and there can be no possible
objection to the bonds being at once
issued"
The Marquis did not see the matter
IN that light, and the project was given
up. This incident shows something
besides the mere magnitude of Thomas
Brassey's operations. 1t is one more IL
lustratlon of a truth which the whole his
tory OF business exhibits, thatno business
OF the first class which has endured
thirty years, has had any other founda-
ton than fair dealing. There never was
more striking case in point than the
success OF this man. On one occasion
when he was hurrying to completion an
important railway in France, an enor-
nous brick viaduct, one-third of a mile
long, hundred feet high, and built at
cost of quarter of million dollars,
suddenly fell in, and was utterly ruined.
Wlthln few minutes after hearing of
the disaster, he set on foot measures for
the reconstruction of the work and,
although the downfall was not his
fault, he refused to represent the facts
TO the company, in orderto induce them
to bear their fair share of the loss.
No" said he, "I have contracted
to make and maintain the road, and
nothing shall prevent Thomas Brassey
from being as good as his word"
That was the great secret of his last
ing success. He was absolutely trust
worthy. His word was as good as his
bond. He put as good work in the
bowels of the earth where no one would
ever inspect it, as he did on the surface,
V,
Ii he had engaged to open line Of rail
road on certain day, his part of the
work was invariably done in time. In
the whole OF his career he never missed
once.
Next to this, the most important
secret was, his admirable treatment of
those who assisted him. The greatest
captains of industry, like the greatest
captains of war, all excel in this par
tlcular. Brassey, besides taking great
pains to surround himself with theright
men, made their interest and honor his
special and thoughtful care. He trust
ed them great deal, liked to have them
to do their work in their own way, and
luged them by results only. Nor would
he ever hold one of his b-contractors
to ruinous bargain. It frequently
happens in constructing railroad that
cutting turns out to be rock instead
of earth, and the literal fulfllment of
the contract would ruin q man. Brassey
always took upon his own broad shoul-
ders such losses as would cripple or
crush q sub contractor.
One example of this will suffice to
show his way Of doing it. Inspecting a
IOou OhO uoJJ hO CdllO W CuJJluB
of this kind, the price which had been
fixed on the supposition that only clay
had to be removed. Upon coming up
to the work, and perceiving that the
wagons were all loaded with rock, he
said to the "sub :"
"This is very hard"
eyes" replied the man, "it is pref
ty deal harder than [ bargained for."
"What is your price for this cutting?"
asked Mr.. Brassey.
so much yard sir"
" 1t is very evident" said the master,
"that you are not getting it out for that
price. Have you asked for any advance
to be made to you for this rock ?"
" Yes, sir, answered the man "but
/ can make no sense of them.
i" If, said Brassey, "you say that your
price is so much, it is quite clear that