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 IX