Bird and Company of Calcutta: A history produced to mark the firm's centenary 1864-1964.

351 Pages·1964·45.071 MB·English

by  Godfrey Harrison

i
BIRD AND COMPANY OF CALCUTTA

BIRD AND COMPANY
OF CALCUTTA
BY GODFREY HARRISON
A History —
BS
5
produced to mark the firm’s centenary
1864-1964
Ill
42ND oe 7 BY
The glitter of modern civilization dazzles the sight
But it is only a clever piecing together of false gems.
IQBAL
The ancient civilization of India had its own ideal of perfection. . .
Its aim was not attaining power, and it neglected to cultivate to the
utmost tts capacities, and to organize men... for co-operation in the
acquisition of wealth...
RABINDRANATH TAGORE
Contents

List of Illustrations page viii
Preface 1
Introduction 3
CHAPTER I In the Beginning 7
CHAPTER II Birth of a Business 14
CHAPTER III New Blood, New Ventures 25
CHAPTER IV Out of the Storm 45
CHAPTER V Clouds and Sunshine 75
CHAPTER VI First World War 93
cHAPTER VII _‘ Troubles of Peace 121
CHAPTER VIII New Hand on the Helm 166
CHAPTER IX Second World War and After 194
CHAPTER X The New India: the First Eight Years 244
CHAPTER XI Into the Future 286
Partners and Directors 337
VIL
List of Illustrations

The old print reproduced inside the front cover shows Fairlie
Place, Calcutta, in 1848. That inside the back cover depicts the
S.S. Oriental, Calcutta, 1849.
COLOUR PLATES
Lord Cable (Baron Cable of Ideford) frontispiece
Kumardhubi Fireclay and Silica Works page 65
Part of the Loyabad ropeway 83
Broad looms weaving jute carpet backing 141
Super-calendering plant at Titaghur No. | mill 159
Drilling limestone for blasting at Birmitrapur 233
Kumardhubi Engineering Works: machine shop 307
DRAWINGS
Coolies carrying grain 15
Bullock train 17
5 Clive Row 70
101 Clive Street 71
Dealings in a Calcutta bazaar 145
Parajutes at the battle of Kohima 213
A re-rolling operation 313
PHOTOGRAPHS
Sam Bird 9
Paul Bird 10
Loading tea into up-country boats 27
Strand Road, Calcutta, 1848 27
A typical Indian colliery scene 28
An early hand-baling press for jute 28
Weighing jute for export at a press-house -37
Jute being delivered to a press-house: another early scene 37
Unloading jute from country boats at the Kinnison mill jetty 38
Overside loading jute from country boats at Kidderpore docks 38
Chartered Bank Buildings, Calcutta 55
VII
Machinery in an early jute mill 56
W. A. Ironside, B. A. White and a colleague with their staff 56
The old office of the Bisra Stone Lime Company at
Bisra, 1915 101
Lime kilns at Bisra, 1915 101
Metal tokens used to pay labourers 102
Kali Prosanna Dutta (‘Kali Babu’) 102
An early paper-making machine in Titaghur No. | mill 102
Frederick William Heilgers: a bust by Onslow-Ford, R.A 119
37 Ballygunge Park 120
Lindridge 120
B. A. White during his later years at 108 Cannon Street 129
Sir Edward Benthall, K.C.S.I. 130
Screening iron ore by hand at Thakurani 131
Breaking manganese ore to size by hand 131
Iron ore transport: the traditional method 132
Bolani hill and the Bara Jamda/Barabil area taken
from Panposh hill 177
Kaplas west quarry, Birmitrapur 177
The Loyabad memorial 178
A coal mines rescue squad 178
In a bamboo forest 179
Rafting bamboo on the Mahanadi 179
Titaghur No 1 mill with bamboo stocks in the foreground 180
Bamboo crusher house at Titaghur No 1 mill 180
Another view of the Loyabad ropeway 197
K. E. W. structural shop in the 1930's 197
Sir Paul Benthall, K.B.E. 198
The winning basketball team, 1954 215
One of Scott & Saxby’s well drilling rigs 215
Some issues of The Cable 215
Unloading tea from a river steamer 216
River scene at Narayanganj 216
Cutting jute 251
A roll of jute carpet backing for shipment to the United States 251
A modern jute spinning frame 252
Laminated sacking manufacture at Dalhousie mill 252
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