Page:A tour through the northern counties of England, and the borders of Scotland - Volume II.djvu/163

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giving scope to his genius, he quickly astonished his master and the workmen with improvements upon the old principles of the trade, and new ideas in the line of mill-machinery; talents which ac- quired him the management of his master's busi- ness till the old man's death. After this event Brindley established himself in business, and met with deserved success. The sphere of his repu- tation gradually extending itself, Brindley was at length applied to in order to undertake a work in that line which afterwards compleated his fame and made his fortune, the driving of a tunnel through a solid rock nearly half a mile in length at Clifton in Lancashire. It was not long before the Duke of Bridgwater became apprised of Mr. Brindley's merits; and with his well-known judg- ment and discrimination, immediatel) saw the im- mense advantages that would accrue to his specu- lations by the employment of such a mind in their erection; he, therefore, immediately engaged Mr. B. in the projected labour of forming the canal ot which we are now speaking; v. ho, with a boldness of genius peculiar to himself, which scorned the assistance of parallel river-,' or an) aid thai na-

��* During an examination in the House or Common- on in navigation busine?s, wherein Hri I iken contemptu-

ously of rivers, being asked for what purpose he thought th.\ been created; he answered, " for that of feeding cr.u 1 -:."

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