The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1896-08-29
HARDD ABERTAWE
Y DYDDIAU GYNT
History Of the Men Of Swansea Of
Long Ago.
NEW EDUCATION BILL BY Mr.. GEE
He Has Constructed a Bill That Will
Prove Godsend to Mr.. BaIfour and
Sir John GOrst, and Will Secure for
the Author the Gratitude Of His
Countrymcn.

full bay, comparable with that OF
Naples, with the unequalled position
OF the place, an accessible coast. the
mineral treasures so abundant in all
quarters-but little reference has been
made to the men who have made 1t
the metallargical center Of the world.
In this respect II Is very different to that
of Cardiff. and both places can well be
excused from any rivalry. Each is po-
tent In its own sphere-one as the great
coal port, the other distinguished for
the number and the variety OF its In
dustries. But about the men we may
well be excused for commenting awhile
ere treating at length upon the con-
spicuous features Of the place. Mr..
Charles wilkins, F. G. s.. says that the
native population, yet represented In
the rural districts, were Welsh and
Flemings. and between these the ami
mostly was intense. the Flemings hav-
ing been planted by the English King
as thorn in the side Of the Welsh. This
antagonsim Of races may have had
something to do In later years in re-
tarding the development Of the mineral
and other wealth. which. however, In
due time, forced by the overwhelming
riches of the district, was brought
about. Among the old natives. Swansea
men are proud to enumerate such as
Cover, d. d., bishop Of st. Davld's, who.
biographers state, was celebrated not
less for the elegance of his taste than
for his munificent patronage Of the fine
arts. Then there was Henry de Swine
sey Abbot of Glastonbury, whose name
~ vrrvf
ing Swansea" in the Middle Ages, and.
amongst others, Bean Nash, the eccen-
trio whose mother was a niece Of the
unfortunate Colonel Poyer, and may
thus be claimed by the present bishop Of
Llandaff among his ancestry.
The first movers for good in the Swan
sea district came from without, and
were neither bishops nor eccentrics.
Carbery Price, by his energy in matters
Of coal and copper, gave a start; Lock-
wood, Morris, and Co. followed; next
Mansel Phillips, with his colliery, and
then came Chauncey Townsend. who
originated the coal trade on the Kilvey
side of the Tawe. accompanied by one
of the native population. Mrs. Nor
gan, who about the same time had
colliery known as the Birchgroves. Mrs.
Morgan in the Swansea Valley and Mrs.
Lucy Thomas in the valley Of Merthyr
were pioneers of the trade in their
several districts, and gave an excellent
start, though the development in both
instances needed the lapse of time and
able men at the head. Men from with
out" and English capital-these were
the essentials; and, looking back to the
annals of most of the Welsh districts,
it Is remarkable how much of these
came from the great Metropolis. Craw-
shay, though Of Yorkshire parentage.
came in direct contact with Wales only
after he had been for some time set
tied in London. Thompson. who was
materially interested in several works
on the hills, was a London alderman.
Forman, one Of the old ironmasters, was
an official of the Tower Of London, and
Chauncey Townsend, the Swansea pio-
neer, was an alderman Of the city of
London, and man, not only of position.
but Of ability and means. He was not
content, having acquired a status In
the city, to follow simply the routine
of the corporation. measure out small
modicums OF legal justice with large
VI CVuity thV oShSh' a'ss"S
speeches at city meetings, and attend
to periodical turtle banquets He looked
farther ahead. One Of the great needs
Of London in the last century was coal,
and the eyes OF many a capitalist were
directed towards Wales, from where
came rumors of coalfields and iron
measures such as no other part Of the
land could compare. 1t was these ru-
mors, as shown in my History OF the
Coal Trade" which gave a start to
Cardiff, which brought Anthony Bacon
to Merthyr and Plymouth, and enticed
the good Alderman Townsend from the
attractions of London down to the west.
There was a great similarity In early
movements Lockett and Marychurch.
London men, visited the widowed coal
dealer of Merthyr, Mrs. Lucy Thomas.
and embarked upon the. great coal trade
of that district. Townsend made over
lures to the Swansea widow, Mrs. Nor
gan, and began his long and prosperous
career from that event and date. His
beginning was also. like the others,
very small. The sample OF coal that
went from Merthyr was tubful, that
from Aberdare parcel In the form OF
a brick, and that from Swansea In
small bag of the proportions OF horses
nose-bag. His collieries-the Birch
groves--were for a long time on q small
scale. He shipped the produce at White
Rock in small bags, conveyed to that
place from the collieries on the backs
of mules and horses.
As Townsend prospered, and his fam
ily grew up around him, he became the
accidental means Of introducing an
other man Of note to the district, who
was destined, also, to found one Of the
honored family of the neighborhood.
This was John Smith, Of Diapers hall,
London, who married Townsends
daughter, and soon had an interest in
the Llansamlet colliery, which had
grown under Mr.. Townsend's rule to
the greatest importance in the district.
It had cost large sums Of money to
bring the place to Its full develop
ment, but had amply repaid. and was
one of the sights of the West for its
fine engines, in the making of which
for the ironworks and collieries Of
Wales the Quakers Of Meath Abbey
were so worthily famed. As showing
the "long" life and nature Of these old
western collieries. It may be stated that
fifty years afterwards it was consid-
cred as yielding a revenue Of over $4,000
a year. Townsend left his son-in-law
one-fifth part of his colliery, and Mr..
Smith, by steady work, in time ac-
quired three other parts, which. in 1897.
he. in turn, left to his sons. Charles
and Henry. Very few people Of that
time have handed down worthier rec
ords than the Smiths. of Llansamlet.
Charles Smith was one Of the most
popular Of men. and what is more,
deserved popularity. Me was by no
means built up on public lines as public
orator or useful busy body in all de-
tails Of corporate work-life. On the
contrary, his nature was retiring. He
was very studious. a capital geologiat.