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wards his assistants. No great master ever possessed a more devoted band of assistants and fellow-workers than he did. And, indeed, it was one of the most marked evidences of his own admirable tact and judgment that he selected, with such undeviating correctness, the men best fitted to carry out his plans. The ability to accomplish great things, to carry grand ideas into practical effect, depends in no small measure on an intuitive knowledge of character, which Mr. Stephenson possessed in a remarkable degree. Thus, on the Liverpool and Manchester line, he secured the able services of Messrs. Vignolles and Locke; the latter had been his pupil, and had laid down for him several coal-lines in the North. John Dixon, trained by him on the Stockton and Darlington Railway, afterwards ably carried out his views on the Canterbury and Whitstable, the Liverpool and Manchester, and the Chester Railways. Thomas Gooch was his able representative in superintending the execution of the formidable works of the Manchester and Leeds line. Swanwick on the North Midland, Birkenshaw on the Birmingham and Derby, and

An unhappy difference afterwards occurred between Mr. Stephenson and Mr. Locke, on the latter being appointed the principal engineer of the Grand Junction Railway, during the progress of the works. Considerable personal feeling was thrown into the affair, which had no small influence upon the railway politics (so to speak) of the time; and in determining the direction of the new lines of railway between Manchester and the South. The projectors of the Manchester and Birmingham Railway—a rival line to the Grand Junction- --at once invited Mr. Stephenson to act as their engineer; and it was alleged that a personal feeling actuated him in the professional support which he gave to the undertaking. The declared object of the promoters, however, was to secure a more direct communication between Manchester and London than was afforded by the circuitous route riâ Warrington. Mr. Crawshay, at one of their meetings, asserted, that he for one would never cease going to Parliament until they had got the nearest and best way to the metropolis. In like manner, the Trent Valley line, projected with the same object, had the strong support of the Manchester men: indeed, the project originated almost entirely with them.

Cabrey on the York and North Midland, seconded him well and ably, and established their own reputation while they increased the engineering fame of their master. All these men, then comparatively young, became, in course of time, engineers of distinction, and were employed to conduct on their own account numerous railway enterprises of great magnitude.

He

At the dinner at York, which followed the partial opening of the York and North Midland Railway, Mr. Stephenson, as was his wont, prominently acknowledged the merit of his engineering pupils and assistants, and accompanied the recognition with many encouragements drawn from his own life and experience. On this occasion he said, "he was sure they would appreciate his feelings when he told them, that when he first began railway business, his hair was black, although it was now grey; and that he began his life's labour as but a poor ploughboy. He was only eight years old when he went to work, and he had been labouring hard ever since. About thirty years since, he had applied himself to the study of how to generate high velocities by mechanical means. thought he had solved that problem. But when he afterwards appeared before a Committee of Parliament, and stated that, in his opinion, a locomotive machine might, with safety, travel upon a railway at a speed of ten miles an hour, he was told that his evidence was not worth listening to. That, however, did not prevent him going forward with his plans, and they had for themselves seen, that day, what perseverance had brought him to. He was, on that occasion, only too happy to have an opportunity of acknowledging that he had, in the later portion of his career, received much most valuable assistance, particularly from young men brought up in his manufactory. Whenever talent showed itself in a young man, he had always given that talent encouragement where he could, and he would continue to do so."

That this was no exaggerated statement, is amply proved by facts which redound to Mr. Stephenson's credit. He was no niggard of encouragement and praise when he saw honest industry struggling for a footing. Many were the young men whom, in the course of his useful career, he took by the hand and led steadily up to honour and emolument, simply because he had noted their zeal, diligence, and integrity. One youth excited his interest while working as a common carpenter on the Liverpool and Manchester line; and before many years had passed, he was recognised as an engineer of distinction. Another young man he found industriously working away at his bye-hours, and, admiring his diligence, engaged him for his private secretary; the gentleman shortly after rising to a position of eminent influence and usefulness. Indeed, nothing gave Mr. Stephenson greater pleasure than in this way to help on any deserving youth who came under his observation, and, in his own expressive phrase, to "make a man of him."

CHAP. XXVIII.

SURVEYS OF LINES TO SCOTLAND AND HOLYHEAD.

HAVING now supplied the more important districts of Yorkshire and Lancashire with efficient railway communication, connected with the metropolis by means of the London and Birmingham Railway, and the Midland lines which radiated from it, Mr. Stephenson's attention was next directed to the completion of the system, so as to embrace Scotland on the north, and Ireland on the west, and place the capitals of those divisions of the United Kingdom in more direct communication with the great heart of the nation—the city of London.

He had already, with the assistance of his son, been instrumental in carrying the great main line of road as far northward as Newcastle-on-Tyne; and his advice was from time to time anxiously solicited as to the best mode of completing the remaining links. As early as 1836, he had been called upon, by the committee of a proposed railway between Edinburgh and Dunbar, to inspect the route, and report thereon, with a view to the line being afterwards connected with Newcastle. He proceeded to comply with this request, and, at the same time, he personally examined the other routes by which such a line could pass from Edinburgh to the south-traversing the vale of the Gala, and the mountainous district of Carter Fell,-while he also carefully inspected the coast route, by way of Berwick-uponTweed. In his report to the directors of the projected line,

he stated his opinion to be in favour of the latter route, on account both of the more favourable nature of the gradients, and the less expensive character of the works.*

The project, however, slept until August, 1838, when Mr. Stephenson was requested to make a further careful inspection of the country between Newcastle and Edinburgh, and “report his opinion on the best line of railway between those places, upon levels to which locomotive steam power can be advantageously applied, preparatory to such line being more minutely surveyed, and ultimately adopted." After again making a careful inspection of the country, he sent in his report. He went at great length into the comparative merits of the routes by Carter Fell and by Berwick, and expressed a decided opinion, as before, on the superiority of the latter route. As the report presented by him on this subject contains many points of interest, and may be taken as a fair specimen of the character of his railway reports, we venture to give the following extract:

"In laying out a line of railway from England to the two principal cities in Scotland, and as a great thoroughfare between the two countries, there are many circumstances to be taken into consideration. The first and most important of all, considering it as a great national work, and desirable for the convenience and advantage of the whole community, is to endeavour to obtain a railway with such inclinations as will secure a certain, speedy, and safe conveyance between the two countries, not merely for the conveyance of passengers, but more especially for the mails. We should endeavour to obtain a railway on which the engines should at all times be enabled to perform the duties required of them, without

* Report to the Directors of the Edinburgh and Dunbar Railway, dated Alton Grange, September 11th, 1836.

† Report, September 13th, 1838.

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