Page images
PDF
EPUB

66

day, whom Metcalf wanted to have for his wife. He contrived to visit her, and soon persuaded her to marry him. They went away on horseback that night, and were married early next morning. He then went back to the house and found them wondering were the bride was. Oh," said he, "she is married. I married her this morning." This wicked trick excited much indignation among the girl's friends, but they soon forgave him. He then became a fishmonger that he might support his wife and family. But the Scotch rebels were coming, and Metcalf, strange to tell, joined Captain Thornton's troop, dressed in blue and buff, and a gold laced hat. They went first to Newcastle and joined General Wade, and then went on to Scotland. He was at the battle of Falkirk, where the English had to run for their lives. Metcalf ran as well as the rest, guided by the sound of the feet of the dragoons' horses on the broad stones. He used humourously to call this exploit the "Falkirk races." His captain was left behind, and he went to seek him-visited the rebel army-was in the company of Prince Charles-and drank a glass of wine with the brave Lord George Murray, who was very kind to him. He had some difficulty in getting back to Edinburgh, where he found Captain Thornton, who had escaped from the closet in which a woman had secreted him in a house occupied by rebels.

He joined the army of the Duke of Cumberland, and was at the battle of Culloden, when the rebels were routed and slaughtered in a most cruel and horrible manner.

After his return home he often visited Scotland, and opened a trade in Aberdeen stockings and in black galloways or ponies, both which articles of commerce he understood the value of so as to make a good profit of them.

But he was not content with gaining a honest living, his love of adventure led him to engage in smuggling,

and he was once nearly shipwrecked on the coast of Norway; and this is the only time when he appears to have had any serious thoughts about the bad life which he had led.

In 1754 he turned his hand to getting a honest livelihood again, and set up the first waggon to convey goods from Knaresborough to York, which city he thus visited twice every week.

Soon after this he entered upon that peculiar employment for which he has been the most celebrated, and which reflects the most credit on his character, as it was a peaceful and useful engagement. A new road was to be made from Knaresborough to Boroughbridge. He undertook to prepare three miles of it, which he executed sooner than was expected, to the satisfaction of all parties.

During his leisure hours he studied measurement in a way of his own, and when certain of the girt and length of any piece of timber, he was able to reduce its true contents to feet and inches, and would bring the dimensions of any building into yards and feet.

About the time this road was finished, the building of a bridge was advertised to be contracted for at Boroughbridge; and a number of gentlemen met for that purpose at the Crown Inn. Metcalf, amongst others, went also. The masons varied considerably in their estimates. Ostler, the surveyor of roads, was appointed to survey the bridge, and Metcalf told him that he wished to undertake it, though he had never done anything of the kind before.

On this the surveyor acquainted the gentlemen with what Metcalf proposed; when he was sent for, and asked what he knew about a bridge; he told them he could readily describe it if they would take the trouble of writing down his plan, which was as follows:"The span of the arch 18 feet, being a semi-circle, makes 27; the arch-stones must be a foot deep, which multiplied by 27, will be 486; and the basis will be

72 feet more. This for the arch; it will require good backing; for this purpose there are proper stones in the old Roman wall at Aldburgh, which may be brought, if you please to give directions to that effect." The gentlemen were surprised at his readiness, and agreed with him for building the bridge. The persons who had given in their estimates, were much offended, and as some of the stone was to be procured from Renton, a sale quarry, belonging to one of the masons who was there, he was unwilling to sell any to Metcalf, on which he went to Farnham, and found good stones which the lime-burners had left, (being too strong for their purpose) got them dressed at the place for little money, conveyed them to Boroughbridge, and having men to take them off the carriages, set them, and completed the arch, and finished the whole in a very short period.

Soon after, there was a mile and a half of turnpikeroad to be made between Knaresborough-bridge and Harrogate, for which Metcalf also agreed. Going one day over a place covered with grass, he told his men that he thought it different from the ground adjoining, and would have them try for stone or gravel, which they immediately did, and found an old causeway supposed to have been made in the time of the Romans, which afforded many materials proper for the purpose of making the road. Between the Forest-lane-head, and Knaresborough-bridge, there was a bog in a low piece of ground, over which to have passed was the nearest way, and the surveyor said it was impossible to make a road over it; but Metcalf assured him he could readily accomplish it. The surveyor said, that if so, he should be paid for the same length as if he had gone round. Jack set about it, cast the road up, covering it with whin and ling, and made it as good as any part he had undertaken. He received about £400 for the road, and a small bridge.

He afterwards contracted for making numerous

roads and bridges in various parts of the country, all of which he completed to the satisfaction of his employers. He was engaged many years in this honourable service, during which time he received and paid away large sums of money.

In the year 1781, Metcalf having heard how beneficial the cotton business was to all who were engaged in it, resolved to have a share in that also. He therefore purchased utensils proper for the purpose, with looms, and other implements for weaving calicoes, jeans, and velverets. Having got his calicoes whitened and printed, his velverets cut and dyed, and spun up all his cotton, he brought about 800 yards of finished goods, and disposed of them in Knaresborough and the neighbourhood.

In 1789, he contracted for making several pieces of road in Lancashire, from Bury to Heslington, and another part from Heslington to Accrington; also a branch from that to Blackburn, the work of two summers, and received £3,500.

In the year 1791, he returned into Yorkshire, and began to speculate in buying and selling hay, measuring the stacks with his arms, and having learnt the height, he could soon tell the number of square yards contained in the whole.

He sometimes bought wood standing, and having got the girt and height, would, in a way peculiar to himself, calculate the solid contents.

In the year 1792, he settled on a small farm at Spofford, four miles from Knaresborough, where he lived with his daughter, in which retirement this extraordinary man finished his life, April 26, 1810, in the 93rd year of his age.

His descendants were then four children, twenty grand-children, and ninety great grand-children.

We have furnished this sketch of this remarkable character, not that any of the boys who read it may

be induced to imitate him. We hope they will not. His wild tricks, when a lad, were very improper, and some of them fool-hardy and wicked; and so was his going a hunting and soldiering and smuggling when he was a man. In making roads, and bridges, his conduct was as surprising as it was commendable.

But it is a sad thing to think that we do not hear one word of his going to any place of worship, or of his sitting still in his house to hear the bible read to him by his children. We would fain hope he did at the end of his long life, though we are not told he did. Many blind men have been men who feared Godmany have been ministers of the gospel, and have not only loved Jesus Christ who died for their sins themselves, but have persuaded others to love him too. And though their bodily sight was immersed in dense darkness, on which no ray shone, their minds were illuminated by the light and life of the Holy Spirit.

[graphic][subsumed][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small]

THE Fern Owl somewhat resembles the cuckoo, but is easily distinguished from all other birds by the structure of its bill and feet. Its legs are very small in proportion, and feathered half way; and its bill, for the size of its body, is small, and rather crooked.

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »