WehavespokenoftheprinciplesofMr。Bianconi。Theyweremosthonourable。Hisestablishmentmightbespokenofasaschoolofmorality。Inthefirstplace，hepracticallytaughtandenforcedthevirtuesofpunctuality，truthfulness，sobriety，andhonesty。
Healsotaughtthepublicgenerallythevalueoftime，towhich，infact，hisownsuccesswasinagreatmeasuredue。WhilepassingthroughClonmelin1840，Mr。andMrs。S。C。HallcalleduponBianconiandwentoverhisestablishment，aswellasoverhishouseandfarm，ashortdistancefromthetown。Thetravellershadaverypressingengagement，andcouldnotstaytohearthestoryofhowtheirentertainerhadcontrivedto“makesomuchoutofsolittle。““Howmuchtimehaveyou？“heasked。
“Justfiveminutes。““Thecar，“saysMr。Hall，“hadconveyedustothebackentrance。Bianconiinstantlyrangthebell，andsaidtotheservant，’Tellthedrivertobringthecarroundtothefront，’adding，’thatwillsaveoneminute，andenablemetotellyouallwithinthetime。’Thiswas，intruththesecretofhissuccess，makingthemostoftime。“[4]
ButthesuccessofBianconiwasalsoduetotheadmirableprinciplesonwhichhisestablishmentwasconducted。HisdriverswerenotedasbeingamongthemostcivilandobligingmeninIreland，besidesbeingpleasantcompanionstoboot。Theywerecareful，punctual，truthful，andhonest；butallthiswastheresultofstrictdisciplineonthepartoftheirmaster。
Thedriversweretakenfromthelowestgradesoftheestablishment，andpromotedtohigherpositionsaccordingtotheirrespectivemeritsasopportunityoffered。“Muchsurprise，“
saysBianconi，“hasoftenbeenexpressedatthehighorderofmenconnectedwithmycarestablishmentandatitspopularity；butpartiesthusexpressingthemselvesforgettolookatIrishsocietywithsufficientgrasp。Formypart，Icannotbettercompareitthantoamanmergingtoconvalescencefromaseriousattackofmalignantfever，andrequiringgenerousnutritioninplaceofmedicaltreatment“[5]
Toattachthementothesystem，aswellastoconferuponthemtheduerewardfortheirlabour，heprovidedforalltheworkmenwhohadbeeninjured，wornout，orbecomesuperannuatedinhisservice。Thedriverscouldthenretireuponafullpension，whichtheyenjoyedduringtherestoftheirlives。Theywerealsopaidtheirfullwagesduringsickness，andattheirdeathBianconieducatedtheirchildren，whogrewuptomanhood，andafterwardsfilledthesituationsheldbytheirdeceasedparents。
Everyworkmanhadthusaspecialinterestinhisowngoodconduct。Theyknewthatnothingbutmisbehaviourcoulddeprivethemofthebenefitstheyenjoyed；andhencetheirendeavourstomaintaintheirpositionsbyobservingthestrictdisciplineenjoinedbytheiremployer。
Sobrietywas，ofcourse，indispensable——adrunkencar-driverbeingamongstthemostdangerousofservants。Thedriversmustalsobetruthful，andthemanfoundtellingalie，howevervenial，wasinstantlydismissed。Honestywasalsostronglyenforced，notonlyforthesakeofthepublic，butforthesakeofthementhemselves。Henceheneverallowedhismentocarryletters。Iftheydidso，hefinedtheminthefirstinstanceveryseverely，andinthesecondinstancedismissedthem。“Idoso，“hesaid，“becauseifIdonotrespectotherinstitutionsthePostOffice，mymenwillsoonlearnnottorespectmyown。
Then，forcarryinglettersduringtheextentoftheirtrip，themenmostprobablywouldnotgetmoney，butdrink，andhencebecomedissipatedandunworthyofconfidence。“
Thustruth，accuracy，punctuality，sobriety，andhonestybeingstrictlyenforced，formedthefundamentalprincipleoftheentiremanagement。Atthesametime，Bianconitreatedhisdriverswitheveryconfidenceandrespect。Hemadethemfeelthat，indoingtheirworkwell，theyconferredagreaterbenefitonhimandonthepublicthanhedidonthembypayingthemtheirwages。
WhenattendingtheBritishAssociationatCork，Bianconisaidthat，“inproportionasheadvancedhisdrivers，heloweredtheirwages。““Then，“saidDr。Taylor，theSecretary，“I
wouldn’tliketoserveyou。““Yes，youwould，“repliedBianconi，“becauseinpromotingmydriversIplacethemonamorelucrativeline，wheretheircertaintyofreceivingfeesfrompassengersisgreater。“
Bianconiwasasmercifultohishorsesastohismen。Hehadmuchgreaterdifficultyatfirstinfindinggoodmenthangoodhorses，becausethelatterwerenotexposedtothetemptationstowhichtheformerweresubject。Althoughthepriceofhorsescontinuedtorise，heneverthelessboughtthebesthorsesatincreasedprices，andhetookcarenottoworkthemovermuch。Hegavehishorsesaswellashismentheirseventhday’srest。“I
findbyexperience，“hesaid，“thatIcanworkahorseeightmilesadayforsixdaysintheweek，easierthanIcanworksixmilesforsevendays；andthatisoneofmyreasonsforhavingnocars，unlesscarryingamail，plyinguponSundays。“
Bianconihadconfidenceinmengenerally。Theresultwasthatmenhadconfidenceinhim。EventheWhiteboysrespectedhim。Atthecloseofalongandusefullifehecouldsaywithtruth，“I
neveryetattemptedtodoanactofgenerosityorcommonjustice，publiclyorprivately，thatIwasnotmetbymanifoldreciprocity。“
Bybringingthevariousclassesofsocietyintoconnectionwitheachother，Bianconibelieved，anddoubtlesswithtruth，thathewasthemeansofmakingthemrespecteachother，andthathetherebypromotedthecivilisationofIreland。AtthemeetingofthesocialScienceCongress，heldatDublinin1861，hesaid:
“Thestateoftheroadswassuchastolimittherateoftravellingtoaboutsevenmilesanhour，andthepassengerswereoftenobligedtowalkuphills。Thusallclasseswerebroughttogether，andIhavefeltmuchpleasureinbelievingthattheintercoursethuscreatedtendedtoinspirethehigherclasseswithrespectandregardforthenaturalgoodqualitiesofthehumblerpeople，whichthelatterreciprocatedbyabecomingdeferenceandananxietytopleaseandoblige。Suchamoralbenefitappearstometobeworthyofspecialnoticeandcongratulation。“
Evenwhenrailwayswereintroduced，Bianconididnotresistthem，butwelcomedthemas“thegreatcivilisersoftheage。“Therewas，inhisopinion，roomenoughforallmethodsofconveyanceinIreland。WhenCaptainThomasDrummondwasappointedUnder-SecretaryforIrelandin1835，andafterwardschairmanoftheIrishRailwayCommission，hehadoftenoccasiontoconferwithMr。Bianconi，whogavehimeveryassistance。Mr。DrummondconceivedthegreatestrespectforBianconi，andoftenaskedhimhowitwasthathe，aforeigner，shouldhaveacquiredsoextensiveaninfluenceandsodistinguishedapositioninIreland？
“Thequestioncameuponme，“saidBianconi，“bysurprise，andI
didnotatthetimeanswerit。Butanotherdayherepeatedhisquestion，andIreplied，’Well，itwasbecause，whilethebigandthelittlewerefighting，Icreptupbetweenthem，carriedoutmyenterprise，andobligedeverybody。’“This，however，didnotsatisfyMr。Drummond，whoaskedBianconitowritedownforhimanautobiography，containingtheincidentsofhisearlylifedowntotheperiodofhisgreatIrishenterprise。Bianconiproceededtodothis，writingdownhispasthistoryintheoccasionalintervalswhichhecouldsnatchfromtheimmensebusinesswhichhestillcontinuedpersonallytosuperintend。Butbeforethe“Drummondmemoir“couldbefinishedMr。Drummondhimselfhadceasedtolive，havingdiedin1840，principallyofoverwork。
WhathethoughtofBianconi，however，hasbeenpreservedinhisReportoftheIrishRailwayCommissionof1838，writtenbyMr。
Drummondhimself，inwhichhethusspeaksofhisenterprisingfriendinstartingandconductingthegreatIrishcarestablishment:——
“Withacapitallittleexceedingtheexpenseofoutfithecommenced。Fortune，orrathertheduerewardofindustryandintegrity，favouredhisfirstefforts。Hesoonbegantoincreasethenumberofhiscarsandmultiplyroutes，untilhisestablishmentspreadoverthewholeofIreland。Theseresultsarethemorestrikingandinstructiveashavingbeenaccomplishedinadistrictwhichhaslongbeenrepresentedasthefocusofunreclaimedviolenceandbarbarism，whereneitherlifenorpropertycanbedeemedsecure。WhilstmanypossessingapersonalinterestineverythingtendingtoimproveorenrichthecountryhavebeensomisledorinconsiderateastorepelbyexaggeratedstatementsBritishcapitalfromtheirdoors，thisforeignerchoseTipperaryasthecentreofhisoperations，whereintoembarkallthefruitsofhisindustryinatrafficpeculiarlyexposedtothepowerandeventothecapriceofthepeasantry。Theeventhasshownthathisconfidenceintheirgoodsensewasnotill-grounded。
“Byasystemofsteadyandjusttreatmenthehasobtainedacompletemastery，exemptfromlawlessintimidationorcontrol，overthevariousservantsandagentsemployedbyhim，andhisestablishmentispopularwithallclassesonaccountofitsgeneralusefulnessandthefairliberalspiritofitsmanagement。
Thesuccessachievedbythisspiritedgentlemanistheresult，notofasinglespeculation，whichmighthavebeenfavouredbylocalcircumstances，butofaseriesofdistinctexperiments，allofwhichhavebeensuccessful。“
Whentherailwayswereactuallymadeandopened，theyranrightthroughthecentreofBianconi’slong-establishedsystemsofcommunication。Theybrokeuphislines，andsentthemtotherightandleft。But，thoughtheygreatlydisturbedhim，theydidnotdestroyhim。Inhisenterprisinghandstherailwaysmerelychangedthedirectionofthecars。Hehadatfirsttotakeaboutathousandhorsesofftheroad，withthirty-sevenvehicles，travelling2446milesdaily。Butheremodelledhissystemsoastorunhiscarsbetweentherailway-stationsandthetownstotherightandleftofthemainlines。
HealsodirectedhisattentiontothosepartsofIrelandwhichhadnotbeforehadthebenefitofhisconveyances。Andinthusstillcontinuingtoaccommodatethepublic，thenumberofhishorsesandcarriagesagainincreased，until，in1861，hewasemploying900horses，travellingover4000milesdaily；andin1866，whenheresignedhisbusiness，hewasrunningonly684
milesdailybelowthemaximumrunin1845，beforetherailwayshadbeguntointerferewithhistraffic。
HiscarswerethenrunningtoDungarvan，Waterford，andWexfordinthesouth-westofIreland；toBandon，Rosscarbery，Skibbereen，andCahirciveen，inthesouth；toTralee，Galway，Clifden，Westport，andBelmulletinthewest；toSligo，Enniskillen，Strabane，andLetterkennyinthenorth；while，inthecentreofIreland，thetownsofThurles，Kilkenny，Birr，andBallinasloewerealsodailyservedbythecarsofBianconi。
AtthemeetingoftheBritishAssociation，heldinDublinin1857，Mr。Bianconimentionedafactwhich，hethought，illustratedtheincreasingprosperityofthecountryandtheprogressofthepeople。Itwas，thatalthoughthepopulationhadsoconsiderablydecreasedbyemigrationandothercauses，theproportionoftravellersbyhisconveyancescontinuedtoincrease，demonstratingnotonlythatthepeoplehadmoremoney，butthattheyappreciatedthemoneyvalueoftime，andalsotheadvantagesofthecarsystemestablishedfortheiraccommodation。
AlthoughrailwaysmustnecessarilyhavedonemuchtopromotetheprosperityofIreland，itisverydoubtfulwhetherthegeneralpassengerpublicwerenotbetterservedbythecarsofBianconithanbytherailwayswhichsupersededthem。Bianconi’scarswereonthewholecheaper，andwerealwaysrunencorrespondence，soastomeeteachother；whereasmanyoftherailwaytrainsinthesouthofIreland，underthecompetitivesystemexistingbetweentheseveralcompanies，areoftenrunsoastomisseachother。
ThepresentworkingoftheIrishrailwaytrafficprovokesperpetualirritationamongsttheIrishpeople，andsufficientlyaccountsforthefrequentpetitionspresentedtoParliamentthattheyshouldbetakeninhandandworkedbytheState。
Bianconicontinuedtosuperintendhisgreatcarestablishmentuntilwithinthelastfewyears。Hehadaconstitutionofiron，whichheexpendedinactivedailywork。Helikedtohaveadozenironsinthefire，allred-hotatonce。Attheageofseventyhewasstillamaninhisprime；andhemightbeseenatClonmelhelping，atbusytimes，toloadthecars，unpackingandunstrappingtheluggagewhereitseemedtobeinconvenientlyplaced；forhewasamanwhocouldneverstandbyandseeothersworkingwithouthavingahandinithimself。Evenwhenwellontoeighty，hestillcontinuedtograpplewiththeimmensebusinessinvolvedinworkingatrafficextendingovertwothousandfivehundredmilesofroad。