denuded surface of the coal measures; indeed it was afterwards found that it had turned to cinders one part of the seam of coal with which it had come in contact. The appearance of this bed of solid rock was so unusual a circumstance in coal mining, that some experienced sinkers urged Stephenson to proceed no further, believing the occurrence of the dyke at that point to be altogether fatal to his enterprise. But, with his faith still firm in the existence of coal underneath, he fell back upon his old motto of "Persevere!" He determined to go on boring; and down through the solid rock he went until, twentytwo feet lower, he came upon the coal measures. mean time, however, lest the boring at that point should prove unsuccessful, he had commenced sinking another pair of shafts about a quarter of a mile west of the "fault;" and after about nine months' labour he reached the principal seam, called the "main coal.” In the The works were then opened out on a large scale, and Mr. Stephenson had the pleasure and good fortune to send the first train of main coal to Leicester by railway: The price was immediately reduced there to about 8s. a ton, effecting a pecuniary saving to the inhabitants of the town of about 40,000l. per annum, or equivalent to the whole amount then collected in Government taxes and local rates, besides giving an impetus to the manufacturing prosperity of the place, which has continued down to the present day. The correct and scientific principles upon which the mining operations at Snibston were conducted offered a salutary example to the neighbouring colliery owners. The numerous improvements there introduced were freely exhibited to all, and they were afterwards reproduced in many forms all over the Midland Counties, greatly to the advantage of the mining interests. 1 Mr. Stephenson was strongly in favour of working and ventilating coalmines by means of more shafts than He considered the provision of at least a second shaft essential for the one. safety of the persons working in the pit, in the event of the occurrence of any of the numerous accidents incident to coal-mining. At the same time Mr. Stephenson endeavoured to extend the benefit of railways throughout the district in which he now resided. He suggested to Lord Stamford the importance of constructing a branch line from the Leicester and Swannington Railway through his property, principally for the purpose of opening out his fine granite quarries at Groby. The valuable advice was taken by Lord Stamford, and Mr. Stephenson laid out the line for him and superintended the works gratuitously. Another improvement which he effected for Lord Talbot proved of even greater pecuniary value. He contrived for his Lordship, with no slight difficulty, a plan for "tubbing off" the fresh water from the salt at his mines near Tamworth, which enabled the saltworks there to be subsequently carried on to a great profit, which had not before been practicable. Mr. Stephenson was less successful in his endeavours to induce the late Marquis of Hastings to consent to the Birmingham and Derby Railway, of which he was the engineer, passing through the mineral district of Ashbyde-la-Zouch. The Marquis was the principal owner of the colliery property in the neighbourhood, and Mr. Stephenson calculated upon his Lordship's influence in support of a scheme so certain to increase the value of his estate. But the Marquis, like many others of his class, did not yet detect the great advantages of railways, and he threatened his determined opposition if the Derby line were attempted to be brought through his coal-field. The line was consequently taken further to the west, by way of Burton; and thus Ashby for a time lost the benefits of railway communication. Twenty years elapsed before Mr. Stephenson's designs for its accommodation were carried into effect. Nor was Mr. Stephenson less attentive to the comfort and well-being of those immediately dependent upon him-the workpeople of the Snibston colliery and their families. Unlike many of those large employers who have "sprung from the ranks," he was one of the kindest and most indulgent of masters. He would have a fair day's work for a fair day's wages; but he never forgot that the employer had his duties as well as his rights. First of all, he attended to the proper home accommodation of his workpeople. He erected a village of comfortable cottages, each provided with a snug little garden. He was also instrumental in erecting a church adjacent to the works, as well as Church schools for the education of the colliers' children; and with that broad catholicity of sentiment which distinguished him, he further provided a chapel and a school-house for the use of the Dissenting portion of the colliers and their families-an example of benevolent liberality which was not without a salutary influence upon the neighbouring employers. |