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30 August 1895 — Talygarn, nr. Llantrisant, Glamorgan | |
Friday. 30th [August 1895]. The Du Canes & I went off to Cardiff by train after breakfast & were met at the station by young Luff an engineer at the Dowlais-Cardiff works which belong to my brother Lord Wimborne & have been at work for about 4 years. Luff is the son of our old faithful servant who came to my father’s house when I was 8 months old & died 2 years ago. The son seemed a quiet & intelligent man & I am glad to think I helped him to get into the works as I asked Mr Clark to do so. The boy was at the very beginning in the carpenter’s shop 12 years ago. Mr James the Manager received us at the works & we saw it all & walked from marvel to marvel for 2 hours. The great characteristic of the works is their extraordinary cleanliness. Accustomed to see at Dowlais black & dirt it is very striking. There is such wonderful machinery in use & all is done by hydraulic & electric powers with so much ease that fewer men are required for the work & there is a great economy of hands. It was beautiful to see the molten iron flowing out of the great furnaces into moulds of white sand—all so simply & easily. The machinery is very fine & all seems so easily done. Tho’ tired we were sorry when we had come to an end of seeing all. We drove back to Cardiff town to the Park Hotel & had luncheon & then walked to the Castle & went over it. We had a long chat with the old lodge porter a charming old scotchman who was pleased to talk about the Bute family—knew Mr Clark & was very civil to us. He gave me & Nela the key of the old keep to the top of which we climbed while Maria & Richard rested & talked to him. Then we walked back to the station & returned to Talygarn by 5 o’cl train. | |
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