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0 U It SUPPLE M ii N T

Itotes oit ^uitLMn] (Shntfs.

OUR LETTER BOX.I .I

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""'■■VlilB—T^———— 1'-of gaiUg.…

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"■■V lilB—T^———— 1'- of gaiUg. I It is this week our painful duty to record the deathl of a gentleman whose name in this neighbourhoo isi j" familiar as a household word." Mr. Crawshay^ Bailey died on Tuesday mo ning last, at his residence | sLlanfoist House, near Abergavenny, in his eighty-1 • third year, and after a life of energy and enterprise to .which our local annals scarcely furnish a parallel. jFor a few years prior to his death Mr. Bailey felt, ;although but in a comparatively slight degree, the ^pressure of the infirmities which usually attend the :later stage of a long life yet his quick insight, his ^rare shrewdness, and the remarkable aptitude he| !possessed in seizing upon the essential points of| ^questions that came under his attention, were scarcely, |if at all, diminished. Lately, however, the weight off [years necessitated withdrawal from active business! (pursuits; and to this fact probably the recent trans-i I1 ference to other hands of the Nantyglo and Beaufort! Iron Works was attributable. Lack of physical! strength, rather than diminished interest in the impor-1 strength, rather than diminished interest in the impor-1 tant business pursuits which had occupied him for more than half a century, forbade the exertion which would probably still have been agreeable if within his power. But a brief period, however, was spent in retirement; and when this comparative seclusion became inevitable, and he was relieved from the direc- tion of the Works which had so long flourished under his management, his thoughts still turned, with characteristic considerateness, to the workmen and others who had been brought together through his instrumentality, and many of whom, in age and in. firmity, were, with their families, dependent upon his bounty. Mr. Bailey was held in high esteem I among his agents and work-people, and many who have grown grey in his service will shed tears of genuine sorrow over the grave of one whose secret! acts of kindness and proofs of sympathy will now be I remembered with unwonted vividness. 1 We have said that Mr. Bailey was a man of ;energy and enterprise. This will not be questioned! by any one familiar with his active and useful life 1 He possessed a most marvellous faculty for over.l coming difficulties. Gigantic undertakings, thati |\vould startle and appal men of more limited grasp, n jW'ere contemplated by him with calmness and resolu-^ jtion. Accustomed to surmount obstacles that some! 'would deem insuperable, he would, when any great scheme was to be floated, infuse into others, as far as Possible, his own sanguine and confident spirit; 'and by this method, accompanied in some instances by almost superhuman effort, many of our local railway, | dock, and other undertakings have been originated and carried to completion. With regard to such en- terprises, it is impossible to say to what extent the locality is indebted to Mr. Bailey's genius and spirit and for many years to come others will be gathering the fruits of his wonderful business capacity and his equally-wonderful foresight and energy. He was an eminently practical man. "Deeds, not words," seemed to be his motto. Indeed, the use of many! words in business—especially cloudy, pompous, orim-i pertinent words—was his special abhorrence. He was swift in thought and prompt in act. While others were devising, he was already executing his plans. Viewing his character under this aspcet, and looking at the vast influence he was able to exert ill pushing forward any enterprise to which he devoted himself, it is scarcely too much to say, We ne'er shall look upon p his like again." That he amassed a colossal fortune none will be surprised but the process by which hefl did it rendered him a public benefactor. The monu-E ments of his skill and effort are seen in all directions|| in this district in works of public utility aud unob-g| trusive acts of kindness extending over 40 or 50 years will keep his memory green in many loving hearts. i§ For 16 years and a half Mr. Bailey represented theg Monmouthshire Boroughs in Parliament. He wasj first elected, by a large majority over Mr. W. S. if Lindsay, in April, 1852. He was subsequently re-1 turned four times without opposition; and in No-| vember, 1868, he retired from Parliamentary He was a staunch Conservative, but not a mereil partisan, the fearlesfs independence of character which j|f marked his general conduct being apparent in his If votes in the House of Commons. While anxious tofj| remove real grievances, he would consent to nol tampering in a wild and speculative spirit, with the» valued institutions of the country. To these institu- If tions he was warmly attached, and consistently sup-t' ported them during his Parliamentary career. R The deceased gentleman has left a son, Mr. shay Bailey, residing in this county, and who married some years since a daughter of the Count Metaxa ;]f and a daughter, relict of the late Major Gwyn. f| The following brief summary of Mr. Bailey's career 1 ha3 been furnished to us from a reliable source :— ,1 Mr. Crawshay Bailey was born in the North of u1 England, in October, 1789, and whilst still very young, | was brought into this neighbourhood with his younger! brother, Sir Joseph Bailey, by Mr. Richard Craw-ip shay, his uncle, at the time he came to Cyfarthfa.l and founded the celebrated firm which first commenced^ in South Wales the manufacture of iron on a largeSj scale. On the death of Mr. Crawshay, upwards of|l 60 years since, Sir Joseph Bailey came in for a some legacy under his uncle's will; and, upon thell strength of this, commenced business as an ironmaster/pi at Nantyglo Works, in partnership with Mr. Matthew^ Wayne. In a very short time Mr. Wayne retired]! from the partnership, Mr. Crawshay Bailey taking». his place, and in conjunction with Sir Joseph, liejf jarried on the works under the well-known title of J| Messrs. J. and C. Bailey. At the outset the brothersff lad many and great difficulties to contend against but d ifter a time, owing to the improved position of the iron! ;rade, and the indefatigable activity of Mr. Crawshavii Buiey the works became prosperous Soon after thei fear 1830, the Beaufort Iron Works were put into thef! narket, and Messrs. J. and C. Bailey purchased themi "77 a(lva»tageous terms. These works were suc-B essfully earned °n by the firm in connection with! Nautyglo Works down to 1871, when they were! transferred to the Company now carrying them on. Itl! ^as at Beaiuort that Mr. Bailey found the celebrated^ alack band—a mineral of great value in the manufac- Aire of iron, and by turning this valuable discovery ;0 good account the profits of the firm were greatly enhanced. The walls of many of the houses were found to contain large quantities of this material, andBj the houses were destroyed that it might be more fullyls utilised. ||jt Many facts might be given illustrating the activity and indomitable spirit of Mr. C. Barley-amongst others we may name the construction of the line of tramway--kllown as Messrs. Bailey's tramway-from NTantyglo to join the Brecon Canal, thus sending theg traffic from the works by a circuitous route to New-B' port, iu order to avoid the then high tolls exacted byli the Monmouthshire Canal Compauy. ff| In process of time, Mr. Bailey, having accumulated » large fortune for himself as well as for his partner,! purchased the Aberaman Iron Works, in Glamorgan-^ shire, and resided there until a short time previous tofi Sir Joseph Bailey's death, in 1858. Having carried oni these works with his wonted energy for some years H be recently disposed of them to the Powell's Dufiryn Lompany, and then went to reside, first at Nantydo H )nd afterwards at Llanfoist, where he remained up Do the time of his death. In addition to his connec- H tion with the works already mentioned, Mr. Bailey ilso for many years carried on the Golynos and Peu- Dewyn Works, besides being connected with several ither large firms. The panic and commercial crisis in 1866 seriouslylf inected Air. Crawshay Bailey but instead of suc-|| jumbing to it, as did some of the most eminent firmsjE in the kingdom, he manfully faced the difficulty, andp' by bis tact, business address, and application wasM able to tide over it. We have also learned from an|l intimate friend of Mr. Bailey's, that during the seri- )us depression which occurred in the iron trade about ;hree years ago, he was counselled by other meiubers )f the Company to shut up the works but he replied 4 No, as long as I live the poor men shall be kept )n. ?' In his character as an iron master and employer of vast numbers of persons who were in a manner (le- I pendent upon him for their daily bread, Mr. Baileya1 has left few equals. The people employed in the worksls' were encouraged and assisted in building themselvesM' houses, thereby strengthening the ties which attached!! them to the field of their labours. In their old agell md helplessness they were also provided for, and wei ire informed that to the very last the deceased gen-lf tlemaa was accustomed to inquire after the welfare of his pensioners. f|. Notwithstanding the large amount of time and htteution it was necessary for Mr. Bailey to devote to t. the business connected with the works, this did not ^absorb the whole of the energy of this remarkable pan for he was actively counected with many of the |largest and most important undertakings which have f during the past thirty years, been carried out with a |view to developing and encouraging the trade of the ^district. He was one of the leading supporters aud ^promoters of the line of railway connecting Newport 1 with Monmouth, Usk, Coleford, and Pontypool. Be- Ifore that he had taken a principal part in the promotion &and execution of the scheme for the construction of tthe Pknarth Docks, and was Chairman of the Company; |until it was leased at fire per cent, to the Taff Vale] Railway Company. He it was who planned and, with' |the assistance of his brother and the late Sir Charies^ gplorgan, succeeded in carrying out the old Rhymneyj gRailway scheme, which was always one of his favorite; "lines, and of which be was proud to boast that it had |been constructed at a cost of £ 2,000 per mile. He |was deeply interested iu the Monmouthshire Railway: gand Canal Company, of which Compauy he was for jjjmany years vice-chairman. He was one of the chief asupporters of the Merthyr, Tredegar, and Abergavenny iRailway, and was chairman of the Company up to the itime of its being leased. It was Mr. Bailey, with Mr. a David Jone» for engineer, who made the short line Ifrom Aberdare to the Junction of the Taff—called the I" Aberdare .Junction," which was afterwards leased to[ Ithe Taff Vale Company in perpetuity, at an annuab Irate of ten per cent. This piece of railway, although! |not more than five miles in length, is one of the most! Aberdare .Junction," which was afterwards leased to the Taff Vale Company in perpetuity, at an annuab rate of ten per cent. This piece of railway, although not more than five miles in length, is one of the most I important iu the South Wales system, as it serves as] a feeder to the Taff Vale Railway from the whole of the Aberdare Valley. Mr. Bailey was also a large! shareholder in the Old Dock at Newport, and in the! Alexandra Docks, now in course of construction.! Besides being largely concerned in all the local rail-1 ways, he was also a great promoter of railway enter-J prise, not only throughout Great Britain, but iu the] United States, and, indeed, throughout the world In connection with Mr. Gratrex, Mr. Williams, and other gentlemen, Mr. Bailey was also engaged for many years in banking operations iu this county. Partaking very much of the energy and activity of his uncle, Mr. Richard Crawshay, Mr. Crawshay the Aberdare Valley. Mr. Bailey was also a large! shareholder in the Old Dock at Newport, and in the! Alexandra Docks, now in course of construction.! Besides being largely concerned in all the local rail-1 way, he was also a great promoter of railway enter-I prise, not only throughout Great Britain, but in the] United States, and, indeed, throughout the world In connection with Mr. Gratrex, Mr. Williams, and other gentlemen, Mr. Bailey was also engaged for many years in banking operations in this county. Partaking very much of the energy and activity of his uncle, Mr. Richard Crawshay, Mr. Crawshay Bailey was enabled by his promptness, application, and method, to accomplish, through life, an amount of work which would have been enough for half-a- J lozen men of ordinary capacity. His word was ever las good as his bond, and he always had the greatest I abhorrence for vague technicalities and unnecessarily tprollx details. His letters, like his public utterances, i were thoroughly characteristic — short, clear, and concise, and, not unfrequently, humorous and witty. J His face was familiar at many of the business meet-| ings held periodically in this district—amongst others at the half-yearly meetings of the Monmouthshire Railway Company, where he was ever ready with the r.er»e response to any questions from critical or dis-' satisfied shareholders and it will be a long day before the name of Crawshay Bailey is forgotten at such meetings, or indeed, throughout Monmouthshire and South Wales. Other aspects of Mr. Bailey's character than those we have already dwelt upon, shall be depicted in the vigorous language of the Rev, J. Griffiths, the rector of Merthyr, who knew him well and who has fur- nished many interesting anecdotes of his life in the columns of a contemporary. Mn £ Griffiths says "Crawshay Bailey was not a toadstool of commerce. He was the last and among the first of our great Iron Kings. He helped to develope this country before an iron rail was ever laid down on it. To the very last moment of his life he gave the whole of his energies to increase its manufacture. From the moment he joined his uncle at Cyfartlifa, a boy of twelve, till he died the other day at Llanfoist House, an aged man of 84, he never left the iron country, nor lost sight once of its steam and smoke. No manors, or parks, or aldermanic honours, or castles, or sea side palaces, ever drew him away from the grime and the soot of the smoky "Welsh Hills." Like old Anthony Hill, of Plymouth, he lived amongst us, and died amongst us, doing his best to the very last, gaining a pound may be for the master, but nevertheless a penny jfor the man. When all the world was about to start for California, well do I remember his saying to the imen at Aberdare, "Don't go to California; stay at Ihoine There is no Sacramento Valley in all the world like the Aberdare Valley, if you only work | steadily, cease to drink beer, send your children to school, and don't beat your wives. Here's the place for making money. There is no gold dust like ours, black as it is All you have to do is to keep sober, J and not make beasts of yourselves I "In his own way, Crawshay Bailey was, in my opinion, a religious man. He hated the show and | cant of religion. As far as he went, he was strict 'even to the letter. I have known iron-masters who tnever went to church; others whom the smallest! [excuse would be enough to keep them from church | [and others who took care that a Sunday should never J 'come round without the excuse being ready to make J the absence from church inevitable. They were not honest enough to say they did not care to go. But 1 this was not the case with Crawshay Bailey. During the whole time that he resided in Aberaman, I really do believe there never occurred an instance once that prevented him from going to church, let the weather be what it might be, and he had two miles to make before he could reach the church. I remember well, on one Sunday morning, there was a great flood in the valley. It set afloat nearly a whole field of hay belong-a ing to him. It was in the early morning. There were' scores and hundreds of men trying to save it. This they | 'worked at most manfully until the hour came, when the| 'old man said, "Now, lads, it is time for church aud| chapel; let us all go, and let the rest take its chance. iWe have done well in what we have done. It isf 'right now to thank God for it." His Common g Prayer" was dotted all over with emendations byl 'himself. They had been made forty and fifty years If lago. 1 saw them five and twenty years ago. Heij r was much laughed at for it. But many of the alter- |j ations were such as the Archbishops and Bishops re-t| i solved on the 6th of last month to recommend to I |Convocation this year for adoption. I should like tof fknow if the old book still exists. 1 have often [over it in the Aberaman pew in the Old Church atfj ;Aberdare. One especial emendation was the vain* repetition" of the Lord's Prayer. K I speak of him only as he was known to me. I K always found him most ready to assist whenever need was fairly and honestly put before him. He wasS not hasty in his measures, it is true, either for build-g ing or enlarging. "You are in too great a hurry, "M he often used to say to me. Wait a bit, man. Take warning from the Dissenters. Look at them, they areg always in debt if they have only half-a-crown giveu them, they are down stone in a moment. That won't do for us Churchmen. It is not respectable." K It was very rarely he recurred to his early days, and the construction of his own and his brother's great fortune. Yet there were moments when, alone a with him, he would unbend himself, and take plea-ji sure in talking of those early days. I remember onejji remarkable occasion. It was soon after he left Aber-g aman to take charge of Nantyglo, after Mr. Henry g Bailey left it the first time. He was showing the Nan-g tvglo House. It was my first visit, and OD" a Sunday g afternoon. We stood in front of an old lumber roomg at the back yard, iu the back of Nantyglo House. Itg was then full of firewood aud all sorts of old scraps, B Looking like a dilapidated old maniac storehouse, g There, my boy, look at that," said he "that usedg bo be our best parlour in the old days—Joe's (SirB Joseph) and mine. Alany a time of an evening haveg [ and Joe kept our spirits up by pouring spirits down B in that old room." I really believe that he had no g idea he was quoting Theodore Hook when he said this. B That was iu the old days when times were dreadfully S bad with us. Joseph had spent all his money here. It was a fortune in itself. So had I every farthing ourg uncle left us. Did I ever tell you the story? Well, I'll tell it you now." Then he told me a great deal which I am not called upon to repeat here. Well, g man, we thought it was all up with us. The creditors were very kind, and all that but what could we do ?f| The measures couldn't be found. I had the under- ground work and Joseph looked after all that was above ground, the accounts and everything. I seldom 53 came up to dinner. I always, or on most days, dinedg underground, and then we had a glass at night. you know what my dinuer was? It was capital. IE9 used to enjoy it more than many a grand dinner I have sat down to since. It was half a sheep's head between two great clouts of bread and However bad our affairs were, my appetite was|| always good. But I shall never forget the day'|I on which the discovery of the coal, I think, || was first made. 1 had started for Abergavenny 1| early on a Saturday morning. As I was going down f| the steep hill slowly I was reckoning in my minds! "■hether the bank would give us the money to pay the^J men all we owed that day. The whole thing wasi| very down-hearted, when I heard a man on horseback^ shouting behind me, and galloping as hard as heH sould. I saw it was oueof our men, and wondered! what was the matter. When he came up he told 1 me the seam had been struck at last." Joscmh hadf sent him after me in hot haste) with r^^toi strengthen my application at the bank. The moneyi same then fast enough and, using phrase often| 3a his hps, Bless us, man, hasn't it poured ever aince ? §&

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