PROM PEASANT-BOY TO KNIGHT.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 41, 13 March 1909, Page 3

PROM PEASANT-BOY TO KNIGHT.

STORIES 01' Sill RICHARD TANGYE. Seventy-five (sirs ago there wa» bum ul llloguu, a tiny L'oniisli mining near the undent market town' of Kcd-

ruth, a boy who was destined to provide one of (he most remarkable examples ,if self-made fame and fortune of the uiieteenth century. And ,\et he was but the son of a Cornish peasant, and the grandson of a miner who was such a glutton for work that he labored seventeen hours a day. and then complained that he wasted seven iu sleep. Furthermore, this same boy met with a serious calamity— at least, so it was regarded at the time, although it really proved! a blessing in disguise —iu his early boyhood, tie broke his arm, and the accident rendering him unlit tor much manual labor, he was put to extra schooling. Nothing could have been more to the boy's liking. He loved books and

learning, and was quit,- happy when at fifteen he earned the magnificent sum of os a quarter as a pupil-teacher at llr; Sideot School, getting up at live o'clock in the morning, responsible for the boys till nine at night—sixteen solid hours—

ami then working overtime to keep himself a lesson or two in advance of his pupils lest his incapacity should be round out. lilS FIRST WORKSHOP. But after a time he saw no better prospects, gave up the teaching profession, and worked for four years as a clerk in a small engineering firm in Birmingham. And then he .el up business for himself in a little ollice, "four feet square," partitioned oil' by walls of "stout brown paper" from the four-shil-ling-a-week workshop of his brothers, who were almost as penniless as liim-

But the brothers had brains, pluck, and integrity. They were one and all teetotallers, and~they were ready for their great opportunity when it came. LAUNCHLXG THE GREAT EASTERN'. Brunei had built his mammoth vessel, the Great Eastern, but he could not launch it. Then he bethought himself of an imnroved hydraulic jack, invented by an unknown young man, James Tangye by name. And what all the engineers in the world could not do was accomplished by the little firm who were (struggling to keep body and soul together in their four-shilling-a-weck ollice in a Birmingham back street. That was the turning-point iu their career, and it is a fascinating and romantic story which Mr. Stuart J. Reid tells in his 'Life of Sir Richard Tangye (Duckworth and Co.) regarding the manner in which the great firm ot Tangye Brothers, which could "turn out steam-engines as fast as a gardener could grow daisies," rose from that improved! hydraulic jack, it is but a glimpse of that story of business acumen and energy, however, which we can give here, and to fully appreciate aud understand its value it should be read in its entirety.

"INDUSTRY AM) UTIUGHTXESS." Tangye's chosen motto was "Industry and Uprightness," but he was no nionevgrabber. He was interested in art, many political and social movements—he declined to stand for Parliament on no fewer than twenty occasions had a great genius for friendship and a keen sense of humor, and he well understood

the value of advertisement. 1 When the brothers Tangye built thci>- I first large workshops at Soko the new .] property was duly labelled, iu letters i six feet high, "Cornwall Works, Tangye ■Brothers, Hydraulic Engineers." Shortly i afterwards Kiehard met the leading en- < »incer of Birmingham in Xew-street. i ° "I see you are in full swing in your new works, Mr. Tangye," and then 1 ■added, with just a toutli of sarcasm, i "By the way, what very tall letters you ■: have put your name up in. I should say ', they are taller than yourself/' "Yes," was the reply; "they are almost double my height." Some time later he met the same gentleman again, who ex- : claimed, "I say! I hear you have got ' that Yankee pump to manufacture, and \ tliat vou are making a good thing out ■ of it." Then he added, "It was ottered i to us, but we could not sec anything ra it. How did you get itr" "Well," was the response, ""we got it by those same ] letters which you thought were so ab- < surdly tall." , , ' The inventor had seen the name lrom i the train as he travelled into Binning- ■■■ fcani. An idea of the profit made on ] that pump, by the way, may be gathered a (from the fact that whilst the patent Hasted Tangyes paid the inventor . £33,000 in royalties. '1 JOHN BURNS "IMPOSSIBLE." It was once said of Kiehard Tangye that he could see as far through a brick : wall as anyone. And certainly his keen judgment of men and matters, together , with his foresight, had much to do with hi« success in life. He was one ol the < lirst men to recognise the sterling uuali•ties of Mr. John Burns, and sixteen , years ago suggested, in a letter ad- < dressed to one of the chief lieutenants of Mr. Gladstone, that Mr. John Burns should be appointed to a Secretaryship. Air. Burns had only just then been re- i turned as member for Battcrsea, and ■ the adoption of such a course as Tangye proposed was set aside a* impossible; and vet Kiehard Tangye lived long enou-'h to see Mr. John Burns promoted to the rank of Cabinet Minister. THE LOST MEAT CHOP. In latter years Sir Kiehard travelled a "reat deal, and 1 has told, with considerable zest, a number of stones of people he met on board ship. -On one of hi* voyages to Australia he saw a good deal of an In* priest, who proved to lie a genial and amusing man. One dav on deck the priest told him he had had a disappointment that morning. The sea had given linn » hearty appetite, and he had. ordered a chop for breakfast, to which he sa down with much satisfaction. He had just taken up his knife and fork when two nuns, who were seated in the saloon opposite'to him, looked at him witn amazement aud reproach. -Slime, and what's the mailer now J* Baid he. Inc nuns remindeu him that he had xoigotten the day of the Veek, which was Friday. The disappointed priest pushed his plate from him with the most unnatural exclamation, and je might have tould me afther.'' OXE AtiAINST THE PREMIER. Nr Richard was greatly amused m his travels by colonial waiters m the hotels. The ne«vo attendant iu the cloakroom of n palatian establishment oi this sort in San Francisco was uncommonly sharp Several prominent, men in Australia had come to California to inspect the irrigation colonies there, and amongst them wis the Premier of Victoria. He was told during his visit that this particulvr ne-ro could, without a moments hesitation, hand out the right hat to evcrv visitor. The colonial statesman was 'a little incredulous at such a statement, and was determined to put the man to the test. So he went up to the counter and asked the man for his hat, which he turned over and over, as i m doubt, and regarded critically. At last he said. "Are yon sure this is my hat? "Xo sail" was the instant response; "1 don't know whose hat it is but 1 do know you gave it me." The Ethiopian scored, and the Australian was con-vinced-Tit Hits.