. . schemes and to those towhom allotments of scrip were made. Its demoralizing effect upon all classes was terrible andmade hosts of defaulters. Clerks who were receiving salaries ofj08O or iGlOO per annum would reason thus : Here am I servinga whole year for the paltry salary of £100, while my nearneighbour, by a lucky stroke of railway speculation, makes his1,000 pounds in one day. When the great crash came, and scrip went down, downevery minute of the day, men groaned, and went about withblanched cheeks ; thousands upon thousands
. . schemes and to those towhom allotments of scrip were made. Its demoralizing effect upon all classes was terrible andmade hosts of defaulters. Clerks who were receiving salaries ofj08O or iGlOO per annum would reason thus : Here am I servinga whole year for the paltry salary of £100, while my nearneighbour, by a lucky stroke of railway speculation, makes his1,000 pounds in one day. When the great crash came, and scrip went down, downevery minute of the day, men groaned, and went about withblanched cheeks ; thousands upon thousands were ruined, manycommitted suicide. Directors and speculators ran off to the 80 Railways and Other Ways. Continent. The scene \vas described by a noted writer, inimitation of the well-known words of the poet: Oh ! many a stag late blithe and brave,Forlorn, mounts the ocean wave ;And many a * letter has been torn,And countless scrip to trunks be borne ;And many an antlerd head lies low,Which whilome made a glorious showAnd many a fast coach now crawls slow !. GROUP OF i860. Henry Hardman. Walter Shaxly. Myles Pennington. Reminiscences of Early Days of G. T. R. 81 CHAPTER YI. REMINISCENCES OF THE EARLY DAYS OF THE GRAND TRUNK RAILWAY. A START FOR CANADA. IN Jul}, 1853, I sailed from Liverpool with my wife and familyby the auxiliary screw steamer and full-rigged sailing shipSarah Sands for Quebec. James Hardman, John Roberts andI came out on a five years engagement with Mr. S. P. Bidder,General Manager of the Grand Trunk Railway of Canada, andunder the auspices of Peto, Brassey,* Betts and Jackson, thenoted railway contractors and builders of the Victoria Bridge,and East of Toronto. Jas. Hardman was auditor of theNorth Staffordshire Railway for five years, during which time Iwas its goods manager. Mr. H. was afterwards auditor on theGrand Trunk Railway about nine years. JOHN ROBERTS. When I first knew Mr. Roberts he was goods manager ofthe Chester & Birkenhea
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