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The Great Brassey Keeps his Word
Thomas Brassey (1805-1870), in his mid-forties.
Thomas Brassey (1805-1870), in his mid-forties, just around the time that this little anecdote took place. Although not as well-known as his contemporary and colleague George Stephenson (who had worked on the Sambre and Meuse in its early days), Brassey was a major figure in the development of railways in Britain and around the world.
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Thomas Brassey (1805-1870), in his mid-forties, just around the time that this little anecdote took place. Although not as well-known as his contemporary and colleague George Stephenson (who had worked on the Sambre and Meuse in its early days), Brassey was a major figure in the development of railways in Britain and around the world.
Introduction
Railways came to Belgium when the Brussels to Mechelen line opened on May 5th, 1835. In 1848, the first stage of the Sambre and Meuse line opened at Charleroi, with British engineers in charge of construction, and six years later it reached Vireux. At Olloy-sur-Viroin the company had erected a smithy at no small expense, and employed a local blacksmith. One day, Thomas Brassey arrived to inspect progress on the line.
WHEN the “Sambre and Meuse” was drawing towards completion,* Mr Brassey came along as usual with a staff of agents inspecting the progress of the work. Stopping at Olloy, a small place between Mariembourg and Vireux, near a large blacksmith’s shop,* the man, a Frenchman or Belgian, came out, and standing up on the bank, with much gesticulation and flourish, proceeded to make Mr Brassey a grand oration. Anxious to proceed, Mr Brassey paid him no particular attention, but good naturedly endeavoured to cut the matter short, with “Oui, oui, oui,” and at length got away, the Frenchman apparently expressing great delight.
“Well, gentlemen, what are you laughing at, what is the joke?” said he to his staff as they went along.
“Why, sir, do you know what that fellow said, and for what he was asking?”
* The Chemin de fer l’Entre Sambre et Meuse was established in 1845, and the contract for building it awarded to British engineering firm W. P. Richards & Co.. It was opened in stages, beginning with the stretch from Charleroi to Walcourt on November 27th, 1848; the section from Mariembourg to Vireux, along which the events in this story took place, officially opened on June 15th, 1854.
* It is important for the story to realise that this smithy was established by the railway’s British contractors at their own expense, and did not belong to the blacksmith who worked there.
As the Sambre and Meuse Railway neared completion (it opened in 1854) Thomas Brassey was sent to inspect the line at Olloy-sur-Viroin. There, a blacksmith employed in one of the railway’s forges addressed him in a torrent of French. Brassey broke away repeating ‘Oui, oui’, all the French he had; and as he moved off, wondered why his assistants were laughing. (61 / 60 words)
As the Sambre and Meuse Railway neared completion (it opened in 1854) Thomas Brassey was sent to inspect the line at Olloy-sur-Viroin. There, a blacksmith employed in one of the railway’s forges addressed him in a torrent of French. Brassey broke away repeating ‘Oui, oui’, all the French he had; and as he moved off, wondered why his assistants were laughing.
Variations: 1.increase the length of this precis to exactly 65 words. 2.reduce the length of this precis to exactly 55 words. 3.introduce one of the following words into the precis: if, may, not, or, since, whereas, whether, who.
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