and Birmingham Railway, with which line Robert Stephenson maintained his connection up to the time of his death, acting as its consulting engineer with a salary of £100 per annum, and his expenses when called to attend on the line. It was the first of our great metropolitan railroads, and its works are memorable examples of engineering capacity. They became a guide to succeeding engineers; as also did the plans and drawings with which the details of the undertaking were plotted' in the Eyre Arms Hotel. When Brunel entered upon the construction of the Great Western line he borrowed Robert Stephenson's plans, and used them as the best possible system of draughting. From that time they became recognised models for railway practice. To have originated such plans and forms, thereby settling an important division of engineering literature, would have made a position for an ordinary man. In the list of Robert Stephenson's achievements such a service appears so insignificant as scarcely to be worthy of note.

CHAPTER XI.

AFFAIRS, PUBLIC AND PRIVATE, DURING THE CONSTRUCTION

OF THE LONDON AND BIRMINGHAM RAILWAY.

(ÆTAT. 29-35.)

Stanhope and Tyne Railway Company - Robert Stephenson appointed their Engineer - Opening of the Line and its rapidly increasing Embarrassments - Robert Stephenson visits Belgium with his Father Offices in Duke Street, and George Street, Westminster -The Session of 1836 - Various proposed Lines between London and Brighton: Sir John Rennie's, Robert Stephenson's, Gibbs's, Cundy's-London and Blackwall Railway, and the Commercial Road Railway-Robert Stephenson strongly opposes the Use of Locomotives in Towns-Life at Haverstock Hill-Reading, Friends, Horses, Sunday Dinners Newcastle Correspondence - Mrs. Stephenson's Accident to Knee-Cap-Professor Wheatstone's and Robert Stephenson's Adoption of the Electric Telegraph - Robert Stephenson assumes Arms - That 'Silly Picture.'

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LTHOUGH the terms of Robert Stephenson's agree

ment with the directors of the London and Birmingham Railway Company precluded him from undertaking the personal superintendence of any other engineering work during the construction of that line, he was at liberty to act as a consulting engineer in the civil department of his profession, to advise on questions of parliamentary tactics, to appear as a professional witness before committees, and to visit any part of the kingdom or continent, for brief periods either to superintend the interests of his private undertakings, or inspect the

scene of new public works. Haverstock Hill was his home; and the course of the London and Birmingham line was the route on some part of which he might, on five days out of six, have been seen getting over rough ground on horseback-or walking from point to point, at such a pace that his companions, puffing at his heels, were frequently compelled to cry out for breathing time. But by careful distribution of his time he made leisure for many matters distinct from the first Metropolitan Railway.

His connection with the Stanhope and Tyne Railway had already become to him a source of serious uneasiness. As it for years caused him grave anxiety, and at one time threatened to plunge him in pecuniary embarrassment, it is fit here to speak at some length of that signal instance of rash speculation and grave mismanagement of amateur directors.

As early as 1831, a scheme was concocted by certain speculators to work some lime-quarries near the town of Stanhope, in the county of Durham, and certain portions of the extensive coal field at Medomsley, in the same county, and to connect the two works by a railway. The chance that such a line would answer was very slight; for the fifteen miles of rugged country through which it ran by a succession of unusually steep inclines was sparsely populated, and (for Durham) poor in minerals. company was nevertheless formed, and the iron road was laid down. A few months' trial was sufficient to prove what ought to have been foreseen, that such a line could never pay. Two of the original projectors slipped out of the affair on profitable terms, leaving their companions to adopt a bold, and by no means unwise, suggestion, for making good their loss. The line from Stanhope to

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Medomsley was a failure for obvious reasons; but it was argued that if the way were carried on twenty-four miles further, to South Shields at the mouth of the Tyne, it would pass through the heart of an extensive and productive coal field, and find abundance of business. This second scheme was just as sound as the original undertaking was bad; and had it only been carried out with prudence, it would have been eminently successful.

The new scheme immediately took, and the shares were subscribed for by people of credit, and in some cases of wealth, for the most part residing in London. The capital of the new Company was stated to be £150,000, consisting of 1,500 shares of £100 each. Of these shares, however, only 1,000 were ever paid upon, the remaining 500 being gratuitously allotted to the two projectors of the undertaking, who, in addition to this remuneration for their services, secured for themselves one half the profits of the line, after the proprietors had received 5 per cent. on their shares. Power was given to the directors to raise £50,000 more capital by the creation of new shares, and £150,000 on loan.

In the North of England it has been an ancient custom for speculators to lay down colliery tramways, without going through the tedious and costly process of parliamentary incorporation. Running from coal fields to neighbouring ports, these lines are never very long. As a general rule they run through the lands of but few owners, the value of whose property they enhance. It is therefore usual for projectors of such tramways to make their own agreements with landowners, paying a certain annual rent for right of way, or way-leave as it is called, and taking such way-leave for ninety-nine years, with

a reserved power to abandon on giving twelve months' notice. The Stanhope and Tyne line was made on this plan; but so badly were the negotiations with landowners managed, that when the line (in all thirty-five miles long) was completed it was burdened with a way-leave rental of more than £300 per mile. This was bad.

But a far worse consequence of the arrangement was one inseparable from the system above described. Having no act of incorporation, an ordinary way-leave railway is a simple partnership affair, in which every shareholder is a partner. And that meant, in times prior to the Limited Liability Act, that every shareholder in an ordinary wayleave tram company was personally responsible for all the liabilities of the company.

From first to last, method and business exactness were neglected in the affairs of the Stanhope and Tyne line. The new Company's deed of settlement was not executed till February 1834, but the first way-leave agreements were entered into with landowners in April 1832; and as far as confused accounts can be trusted, it would appear that nearly the whole of the capital was paid up and expended, and heavy debts were incurred before the execution of the deed. One of the first acts of the Company was to draw a bill of exchange; and when the prietors at length decided to dissolve the association, the bills in circulation for which the Company were responsible amounted to £176,000.

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In an evil hour for Robert Stephenson the directors of the Stanhope and Tyne line agreed to consult him as an engineer. At first he was well pleased with the summons. The remuneration for the services required of him was to be £1,000; but he was persuaded to accept in payment