230 JAMES SHANKS 



people, and who did all in his power to 

 elevate their lot, and to make their lives 

 purer, brighter, and happier. 



The Shanks family still reside at John- 

 stone, and carry on the engineering business 

 which their father founded. The concern 

 has attained high repute ; it supplies all kinds 

 of machines for engineers and shipbuilders, 

 and, from its shop, work of the heaviest class 

 is turned out. Shanks' brother, Thomas, a 

 man over eighty, still survives, and appears 

 to share something of his eldest brother's 

 freshness and vivacity. There is a letter of 

 his in the Paisley Paper of the iQth February, 

 this year, in which he says : " I have been 

 in Johnstone since 1808. I think it will 

 be interesting to both old and young, as well 

 as to many who are strangers, and may serve 

 as instruction to the rising generation, as to 

 when our now thriving borough made a 

 commencement in 1780, when the first mill 

 was built, and only a few houses required for 

 workers, now having a population of about 

 ten thousand." 



James Shanks' qualities are, we believe, to 

 some extent, shared by others of his race ; 

 men, hardy, industrious, intelligent, and high 

 principled. 



