THAI-. VII. 



GROWTH OF MANCIIKSTKIJ. 



405 



service WMS afterwards extended 1<> Runcorn, and from 

 thence to Liverpool, The Duke delighted to travel by 

 his own boats, prd'crring them to any more stately and 

 aristocratic method. He often went by them to Man- 

 chester to watch how the coal-trade was going on. 

 AVI i en the passengers alighted at the coal-wharf, there 

 were usually many poor people about, wheeling away 

 their barrow-loads of coals. One of the Duke's regula- 

 tions was, that whenever any deficiency in the supply 

 was apprehended, those people who came with their 

 wheelbarrows, baskets, and aprons for small quantities, 

 should be served first, and waggons, carts, and horses 

 sent away until the supply was again abundant. The 

 numbers of small customers who thus resorted to the 

 Duke's coal-yard rendered it a somewhat busy scene, and 

 the Duke liked to look on and watch the proceedings. 

 One day a customer, of the poorer sort, having got his 

 sack filled, looked about for some one to help it on to his 

 back. He observed a stoutish man standing near, dressed 

 in a spencer, with dark drab smallclothes. " Heigh ! 

 mester ! " said the man, " come, gie me a lift wi' this 

 sack o' coal on to my shouder." Without any hesi- 

 tation, the person in the spencer gave the man the 

 re< jiiired " lift," and off he trudged with the load. Some 

 one near, who had witnessed the transaction, ran up to 

 ihe man, and asked, "Dun yo know who's that yo've 

 been speaking tull ? " " Naw ! who is he ? " " Why, 

 it's th' Duke his-sen ! " " The Duke ! " exclaimed the 

 man, dropping the bag of coals from his shoulder, " Hey ! 

 wliaf 11 he do at me ? Maun a goo an ax his pardon ? " 

 But the Duke had disappeared. 



I le was very fond of watching his men at work, espe- 

 cially when any new enterprise was on foot. When they 



In the course of a short time the 1 Mints 

 were !<>iiii<l to yield a clear profit of 

 ;l year. '(Sec ' Pnlitiral Ma-a- 



zine,' jiullishiil by John Hurra v, 

 17N',. Vol. xi., 314.) 



