His reputation as a man of figures stood as I have just said very high, but, whilst I was at Derby, and before he moved to the Great Eastern, he was prominent also as the happy possessor of the best coloured meerschaum pipes in the county, and this, in those days, was no small distinction.  But a man does not achieve greatness by his own unaided efforts.  Others, his subordinates, help him to climb the ladder.  It was so with Mr. Swarbrick.  There was a tall policeman in the service of the company, the possessor of a fine figure, and a splendid long sandy-coloured beard.  His primary duty was to air himself at the front entrance of the station arrayed in a fine uniform and tall silk hat, and this duty he conscientiously performed.  Secondarily, his occupation was to start the colouring of new meerschaums for Mr. Swarbrick.  Non-meerschaum smokers may not know what a delicate task this is, but once well begun the rest is comparatively easy.  The tall policeman was an artist at the work; but it nearly brought him to a tragic end, as I will relate.

Outside Derby station was a ticket platform at which all incoming trains stopped for the collection of tickets.  This platform was on a bridge that crossed the river.  One Saturday night our fine policeman was airing himself on this platform, colouring a handsome new meerschaum for Mr. Swarbrick.  It was a windy night and a sudden gust blew his tall hat into the river, and after it unfortunately dropped the meerschaum.  Hat and pipe both!  Without a moment’s hesitation in plunged the policeman to the rescue; but the river was deep and he an indifferent swimmer.  The night was dark and he was not brought to land till life had nearly left him.  He recovered, but lost his sight and became blind for the rest of his life.  Mr. Swarbrick provided for him, I believe, by setting him up in a small public house, where, I am told, despite his loss of sight, he ended his days not unhappily.

In 1867, compared with 1851, the Midland had made giant strides.  It worked a thousand miles of railway against five hundred; its capital had doubled and reached thirty-two millions, about one-fourth of what it is to-day; its revenue had risen from about a million to over a million and a half; and the dividend was five and a half compared with two and five-eighths per cent.

The opening of the Midland route to Saint Pancras; the projection of the Settle and Carlisle line; the introduction of Pullman cars, parlour saloons, sleeping and dining cars; the adoption of gas and electricity for the lighting of carriages; the running of third-class carriages by all trains; the abolition of second-class and reduction of first-class fares; and the establishment of superannuation funds were amongst the most striking events in the railway world during this period.