A RAILWAY PIONEER.

Northland Age, Volume IV, Issue 48, 20 July 1908, Page 7

A RAILWAY PIONEER.

Lord Brassey, who has boldly tug* gested the nationalisation of tin British railways as panacea for th< troubles that are from time to timi threatened, is tho son of a rnilwaj pioneer. His father, Thomas Bras sey, the son of a Cheshire farmer, built more lines of railway than any other contractor, and was among tha first and the most successful exploiters of labour by navvies in tho lay< ing down of great tracks. Ho not only constructed tho Groat Northern Railway, and thousands of other English railways with his army ol 75,000 navvies, but he also built huge stretches of railway on tho Continent and in America. Nearly 7,000 miles 0/ railwaj* wore laid down under his direction, and the cost ran to close on £80,000,000 In Franco, on one occasion, he had a largo contract to fulfil, in tho execution of which ho employed French navvies. They did not give satisfaction, however. In the English navvies he had great faith, and thousands of thsso he imported into France. They cost twice as much in wages as the Frenchmen, but fed on roast beef and English beer they did three times tho amount of work. Thomas Brassey was himself a simple man, but he left all his children very wealthy. Two of his granddaughters are Countesses, and one will one day bocomo the Duchess of Richmond and tho chatelaine o 4 Goodwood. His son, the present peer, has directed hJs enorgios in public works of other descriptions than that in which hia father manic his fortune, but he has iJ.own his confidence in th<# lines which he built by investing largely in British railway stock.