THE STORY OF TELFORD
By Sir Alexander Gibb Telford was one of the most interesting and characteristic figures of his age, It has often:been remarked that the eighteenth century was distinguished at once by the vigqur of its men and the feebleness of its institutions. Never was there, less life in its Universities ; never was there more capacity among its self-made men. Telford was well suited by his character and his genius to represent the force and versatility of which the Industrial Revolution was the grand climax. It is fitting that his biography (Maclehose, 16s.) should be written by Sir Alexander Gibb, for Sir Alexander is not only a great engineer ; he is also descended from one of Smiles' chief assistants, John Gibb. He has told the story of his life in this book with great skill, and its pages are adorned by some beautiful illustrations. Most of the men who came to the front in this age might have taken Burke's Niter in adversum for their family motto. Telford, a shepherd's son, believed to the end of his life that it is an advantage to be born poor. Yet famous as are the achievements that gained for Telford the title of Pontifex Maximus in Smiles' biography, there is an air of tragedy over this vivid book. For much of his genius went into great schemes for water transport which were rendered useless almost from their birth by the ill-regulated rush of the railway.
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