Adventures and Recollections Part 17

A VISIT TO CLIFFE CASTLE

Mr Leach, I know, fondly treasured in his memory a visit which he paid to Cliffe Castle, in 1886, on the occasion of the "White Ball" given by Mr b.u.t.terfield. I was not a little astonished when Mr Leach told me one morning, "Tha'll hev ta goa wi' me ta t' ball, Bill; ah've bowt thee a ten-an'-sixpenny ticket." However, I did not care to intrude my presence on such a "flash" gathering as I knew there would be, and when the time arrived for my "master" to start, I was missing. Mr Leach was, nevertheless, determined "ta visit t' Cliff," and as a last resort he summoned his old friend "Little" Barnes to accompany him. The two attended the "White Ball;" but I don't think either of them partic.i.p.ated in the dancing. Mr Leach afterwards told me that they were nicely entertained by Mr b.u.t.terfield, who had a long chat with him, and expressed a wish to have a chat with him at some other time on public matters. One of the topics which engaged Mr b.u.t.terfield and Mr Leach was a public park for the town.

MR LEACH AND DEVONs.h.i.+RE PARK

It is an acknowledged fact that to Mr Leach was due no small measure of credit in connection with the securing of Devons.h.i.+re Park for Keighley.

His pet idea for a public park was originally the Showfield in Skipton-road. On one occasion Hawkcliffe Wood came into the market, and was suggested as a suitable park for the public. Mr Leach opposed this scheme tooth and nail-"ther wor too monny hoils an' caves abaat. They'd be capt if somebody gat dahn one o' t' hoils an' wor nivver seen ageean."

A public meeting was held in the Drill Hall to test the public feeling as to the purchase of Hawkcliffe Wood. Mr W. A. Robinson, I believe, was the princ.i.p.al speaker on the affirmative side, and Mr Leach strongly opposed the scheme of purchase. Next day, however, the question was settled by the announcement that Mr b.u.t.terfield (whose estate agent, Mr James Wright, had attended the meeting) had successfully negotiated with Messrs Dixon, of Steeton, for the purchase of the Wood. Having practically scored on this point, Mr Leach next turned his attention very vigorously to the Showfield. He superintended the making-out of a pet.i.tion to the Duke of Devons.h.i.+re, asking his Grace to make a grant of the Showfield for a town's park. The pet.i.tion was numerously signed, and was duly forwarded through the Local Board to the Duke. His Grace could not see his way to accede to the pet.i.tioners' wishes, but it was some gratification to Mr Leach to hear that the Duke would probably see his way to do something later-a promise consummated in the presentation to the town of what is known as Devons.h.i.+re Park. Mr W. Layc.o.c.k (the Duke's steward) a.s.sured Mr Leach that he was the first man whom the Duke of Devons.h.i.+re had recognised in this way, and that he was the means of securing the first public park for Keighley.

MR LEACH'S EPITAPH

The last request which Mr Leach made to me was to write an epitaph to be engraved on the south side of the tombstone over his grave. I have penned the following lines:-

O! Pa.s.ser-by, pray cast an eye Upon this ponderous dome, Where lieth one of nature's sons Inside the vaulted tomb.

For weel, I wot, it took a lot To weigh him from his birth, But nature thought she'd send him back To join his Mother Earth

So now he's quiet, both day and night, No one can hear his speech; And waiting to be reckoned up,- Alas! poor Mr. Leach.

CHAPTER XXII

EXILED FROM KEIGHLEY

With an apology for digressing for the last two weeks from my own Recollections, I now hasten to continue my story. Going back to 1872, it was in that year I pa.s.sed my second term of residence in Bradford. This time I was, to some extent, an exile-driven from home. It was brought about in this way. I was keeping a grocer's shop in Westgate at the time, and one day, while I was away at my employment for Messrs Lund in Heber-street, a traveller for a Leeds firm of drysalters called at the shop, and forced upon my wife, who was in charge, several pounds' worth of goods. Of course, when I got home I kicked up a "s.h.i.+ne," and distinctly said I should not accept the goods, which I sent back to Leeds. My returning the goods, however, did not mend my case, and I was summoned to Leeds to "show cause," &c. But I treated the court with contempt by not attending, and an execution was issued against me forthwith. I have a keen remembrance of the visit which Mr John Scott, the bailiff at the Keighley County Court, paid to my house. Mr Scott said he had got Sheriff's orders to sell me up or arrest me. I told him that I had a great fear of going to gaol, and asked him if he would go and ask his brother, Mr W. M. Scott, the high bailiff, to allow me until 9 o'clock on the following morning in which to make an effort to raise the money. The "b.u.m" had scarcely got out of sight ere I was in consultation with John Parker, the landlord of the Bay Horse Inn. John rather pitied me. He agreed to lend me his horse, and I borrowed a van from Mr Joseph Wright, cabinet maker, determined to give my would-be captors the "leg bail." Early next morning I was, so to speak, doing a moonlight "flit"-the van, containing my furniture, in charge of two men, was on the road to Bradford. Mrs Wright I left with friends at Keighley, and myself, accomplished the journey by rail. I spent some time at the top of Manchester road, Bradford, looking for a suitable house, and had almost resolved to give up the search in that quarter when I made the acquaintance of an old lady, who said she had a nice house-which vacant house isn't a nice one?-to let at 9s 6d per week. This was a large figure, but, under the trying circ.u.mstances, I agreed to rent the house.

An hour or so afterwards the van arrived, and having got my goods and chattels into the house, I dismissed the two men, enjoining them to strict secrecy as to my whereabouts. Having got the house into something like s.h.i.+p shape order, I set about devising a _nom de plume_ and eventually fixed upon "James Wrightson," which seemed to fit best, seeing that I was James Wright's son.

IN BRADFORD-AS PATTERN DRESSER

Next day I managed to secure employment as pattern dresser with Messrs Ward and Bottomley, manufacturers. My stay there, however, was only short, owing to a disagreement with my foreman on a political subject. I then called upon Mr Wade, manufacturer, for whom I had worked at Morton.

Mr F. S. Pearson, now of Keighley, was the manager of the warp sizing department in the fancy trade. Mr Pearson set me on, and I continued in Mr Wade's employ for about twelve months, having a very profitable situation.

AS WARP-SIZING INSPECTOR

One day I was met by a gentleman who asked me if I would act as his warp-sizing inspector, promising me a very comfortable salary. This gentleman, or his firm, carried on the business of warp-sizing, and he explained that it would be my duty to go round to different factories to a.s.sess the damage, if any, done to warps which had been sent from those factories to be sized. I was pressed very much to take this position, and ultimately I accepted it. The business, I learned, was in the hands of Mr Ward, and was formerly owned by Mr t.i.tus Gaukroger. My new duties were accompanied with difficulties, though after a time I got along fairly well. I found out many little things, among which were not a few cases of manufacturers-bosom friends, socially-defrauding each other. I had occupied the position of warp-dressing inspector about six months, when the hand of-Fate, shall I say? was again placed upon me. An old friend of mine-Christopher Brown, a native of Haworth-popped in to see me. He had been away for some time in Canada, where he had made a good sum of money.

He spoke to my master, and obtained for me two or three days' leave of absence. This proved the greatest breakdown that ever happened to me. I stayed a day or two with Mr Brown, who then suggested that I should extend my holiday. I was always easily persuaded, and this time was no exception. There was plenty of money to go at, and Mr Brown induced me to travel to Middlesbro' with him. From there we visited many places, being absent from Bradford about a fortnight. On returning to my employment, I found that my place had been filled. Mr Ward, after hearing my story, expressed himself very sorry for me. He said he kept my place vacant for eight or nine days, but was then compelled to fill it up.

AS "b.u.m" BAILIFF

I was thus again a workless worker. But not for long. I fell in with an auctioneer, who set me on as a sort of "b.u.m" bailiff. This auctioneer had Douglas Mills and Victoria Mills, Bradford, on his hands for sale, and required someone to watch them. I was in charge of Douglas Mills for three weeks, and a fine time I had. The spinning frames and other machinery had been sold to Messrs Binns and Masker, brokers, of Keighley, but there were many odds and ends left, which I was given permission to realise. These "odds and ends" included all the leather, cotton waste, and loose wood about the place, and the proceeds from the sale of these, in addition to my weekly wage, tended to a not inconsiderable sum.

Perhaps it was this extraordinary "flush" of money that caused me to have sufficient courage to venture back to Keighley. (I may say that I had not during my absence from the town encountered my friend, the drysalter.)

BACK TO KEIGHLEY

It was 1876 when I returned home. It was just before the Liberal club was opened by the Marquis of Hartington. The occasion, I may say, was made a great "to do"-what with the elaborate opening ceremonial, the procession in the street, and the great banquet at Dalton Mills (which had just been built). I wrote some twenty verses descriptive of the event, and these I had printed and ready for distribution before the banquet commenced. I was introduced to the ducal party, which, in addition to the Marquis of Hartington, included his brother, Lord Frederick Cavendish, Lord Houghton, and others. Perhaps I shall not be thought unduly egotistical for mentioning that Lord Houghton, who is a poet of no mean order, commended my verses.

THE ORDER OF BUFFALOES

While in Bradford, I became acquainted with many members of the Royal Order of Ante-diluvian Buffaloes. A lodge was held at the Hope and Anchor Inn, and the meetings were attended by many professional gentlemen, including Wallett, the Queen's jester, at times. Before I left Bradford I was made a "primo" of the lodge. Back to Keighley again, I found that a Shakspeare Lodge of "Buffs" was held at the s.h.i.+p Inn. The saying is, "Once a Buff., always a Buff.," and I at once allied myself with the lodge in my native town. During my office as primo I initiated upwards of 200 members, among whom I may mention Mr James Walsh, the late Mr David Hudson, Mr Joseph Town, Mr John Fortune, and Mr James Blakey. Being the only officer who could initiate a member, I "had my hands full," and I at last decided to communicate with the Bradford lodge as to the installation of a few primos in Keighley. Accordingly, several primos came down one Sunday afternoon and installed half-a-dozen primos; so that for the future I was relieved of much work in connection with the lodge.

There is one very laughable incident I have to chronicle. The townspeople had got across with a certain gentleman, of whom Alfred Harris and I made an elaborate effigy, which we intended to burn. It was a beautiful looking figure and no mistake. We took the effigy to the lodge-room until such time as we required it, hanging it behind the door. One night the landlord (Mr Patrick McShee) had occasion to go into the lodge-room; he knew nothing about the effigy, and as soon as the poor landlord saw the "figure of a man hanging himself behind the door," he gave a series of the most weird and penetrating howls. It was not long before he was downstairs, and asking his wife in an excited voice, "Does ta know whoa wor at t'last lodge meetin' an' didn't c.u.m dahnstairs?" "Noa," said his wife, "What's up?" "Ther's somebody hung thersel a back o' t' door," said the trembling landlord. "Oh! nonsense," said Mrs McShee. Nevertheless, she went up into the room; and fine fun there was, you bet, when it was discovered that the "man" was a dummy. The incident caused unlimited amus.e.m.e.nt for the customers, but the landlord was not able to appreciate the fun, and, indeed, was some weeks before he got over the shock.

CHAPTER XXIII

A TRAMP INTO LANCAs.h.i.+RE

After a short stay in Keighley, my roving nature again a.s.serted itself, and I set off on a tramping expedition, with two companions, in to Lancas.h.i.+re. Going over The Moss we were overtaken by a severe thunderstorm, and were soon drenched to the skin by the torrential fall of rain. We made some attempt to dry our clothes at the Monkroyd Tavern, a hostelry immortalised by the Lancas.h.i.+re poets, and then pushed on to Colne, where we were accommodated at the club-house until morning, when I made my way to Burnley. It was there I fell in with my old friend Dave Hey. I obtained a situation in Burnley at a sizing establishment occupied by Mr Alfred Lee, and retained it for seven weeks, by which time I had got thoroughly disgusted with Lancas.h.i.+re life. The people I came across seemed to me to be about forty years behind Keighley folk in many particulars, but especially in regard to dress and general mode of living. So that when I got back to Keighley I resolved in my mind that I would not stir out of the town again.

LOCAL ELECTION EPISODES

On my return I found the town "involved in the trouble and turmoil" of its first Town Council election. I interested myself in the election campaign, and attended a meeting which was held in the West-lane Primitive Methodist School, was in support of the candidature of Messrs W. Mann, I. Emmott, and J. Walsh, for the West Ward. In all there were seven compet.i.tors for the three seats in this ward, and in addition to those mentioned there were the other candidates present. I plied each candidate with questions, until one Thomas Hey made a proposition that I should be put out of the meeting if I did not cease asking questions. I insisted on my right to question the candidates, and told Mr Hey that I had only to give the word to my "supporters" behind me and he, instead of me, would find himself ignominiously carried out of the room. The meeting was in such a state of confusion that it was closed without a vote as to the fitness of the candidates being taken. On another occasion the late Mr James Leach, and Bill Spink and myself were the chief means of getting the poor rates put on the property owners. We had a vestry meeting called, and by drumming up our "party" were able to carry the vote.

BOYCOTTED!