Once railway engineer Thomas Brassey made a promise he kept it — even if he wasn’t aware that he’d made one.
bySamuel Smiles1812-1904
Character and Conduct
Not Worth a Shilling
Jack Curran’s career as a defender of victims of political
prejudice got off to a stuttering start.
bySamuel Smiles1812-1904
Character and Conduct
An Unpopular Popular Reform
Statesmen promise to make the country a better place, but
they never mention the one thing that would do some good.
bySamuel Smiles1812-1904
Character and Conduct
Inordinate Saving
Samuel Smiles warned that taking care of the pennies should not
come before taking care of living.
bySamuel Smiles1812-1904
Discovery and Invention
A Rush to Judgment
As a young man, surveyor Thomas Telford was a red-hot political activist
who yearned for revolution, but admittedly he had read just one book on the matter.
bySamuel Smiles1812-1904
Discovery and Invention
A False Economy
Thomas Telford told the parish council of St Chad’s
Church in Shrewsbury that their leaky roof was the last thing they should worry about.