New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1899-05-28
MEN WHO HAVE MADE TOWNS.
ENGLISH INDUSTRIAL CENTRES REoOHi-
ING FROM INDIVIDUAL INITIATIVE
From The London Mail


From The London Mail
Although 1t falls to the lot OF few men 10 pe.
like Cecil Rhodes "empire- builders, there are
many men living to-day who have either iounod ,
ed large and fiOuri5hing towns or nave huis01
them from small beginnings into great Things.
,JarrOw -on-Tyne, with its population vi oSVI
thirty four thousand is the child OF Sir Charles
Mark Palmer, still hale old man % seventy
six. In the forties young MI. rainier was
clerk in his fathers office. and Jarrow was
tiny village with never dream OF the g!o"l"
which was awaiting it.
1t was in 1852 that Mr.. Palmer, VINO hao az
ready blossOmed into coke MANUFACTURED ana
colliery owner built the small screw steamer
John Bowles which was the cradle OF the lori
unes of Jarrow, and largely or Newcastle ISL
Its success so full or promise that MI
Palmer in partnership with his brother George
commenced shipbudng on small scale Win
the result that to-day their works cover one
hundred acres. seven thousand men ma EN-
ployment in building ships. as many more are
supported by the Palmers' mines OF coai ana
IRON and Jarrow has developed to unnreameu-oi
proportions. ,.
lust as Sir Charles Palmer made Jarrow. Lord
Armstrong is the father OF Elswick, with It's
busy thousands Of workers When Sir Charies
Palmer was acting his fathers CLERK ne
future founder of Elswick was Newcastle
solicitor, without any suspicion OF the fame a;.d
fortune which were awaiting him In quite an
other field OF labor.
He had already invented the hydraulic crane
and the hydro-electric machine. and his BRAIN
was teeming with other important Inventions.
Elswick Iron Works to develop his inventiohs'
but II was the discovery of the famous Arm
strong gun that brought fortune to him and 10
Elswick
To-day Mr. Armstrong; works on the
Tyneside spread over seventy acres and give
employment to more than fifteen thousand
hands thus supporting population OF some
thing like sixty thousand people
Burton Trent with a population OF nearly
fifty thousand owes its existence and prosperity
TO old William Bass the carrier. Of the last CEN
fury and his capable descendants. II was in
1777 that William Bass, while acting as carr er
for small brewer called Printon. saw the FORT
une that lurked in Burton beer. He opened
small brewery on his own account. and thought
his fortune made when his yearly output
amounted to 5000 barrels. To-day. through
the skill and enterprise Of his descendants the
900 barrels have grown to nearly 1.JOOOOo
while nearly $50 100000 bottling labels are used
every year The minimum stock-in-trade n
100000 casks, 5000 acres are required to pro-
duce the supply of barley and hops. and an army
of $3.50 men are employed in the brewery
and its offices.
Manringham. with its population OF over
thirty-Gve thousand. scattered village
when Lord Masham. then plain Sam Lister.
breathed on II and made 1t live and grow.
Young Mr. Lister. in spite Of all legends to the
contrary. began his business life with a consid-
cradle endowment of wealth.
He was industrious and inventive and chose
TO lead a labOriOus business life. His WOOL
combing machine. which cost him in expert
ments more than s1OO.OOD was the basis OF his
fortune; but it was his discovery of the method
of converting silk waste into rich velVets.
plushes and silks that made millionaire Of him
and prosperous town of Manningham, where
he built his colossal mills.
Even Birmingham scarcely realizes the debt II
owes 10 the present Colonial Secretary. Quite
apart from the impetus which Mr. Chamber
lain's prosperous business gave to its growth
he has infused new life into all its veins. When
Mr. Chamberlain first came on the municipal
scene Birmingham was faithfully described as
"a miserable insantary. Overgrown village.
To-day thanks principally 20 it's most gifted
citizen il is a city of fine streets, stately build
ings and excellent sanitation