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more of them on pay-nights at Newcastle, when he and all the clever mechanics of the country round met together, and exchanged views on the difficult 'jobs' then engaging the attention of the local engine-wrights; the simple workmen thus unconsciously creating the earliest and the finest school of practical engineering. When, however, either Hawthorn or Steele did make an appearance at the West Moor, the favourite topic was the possibility of employing steam for purposes of locomotion. Every word that came from Steele-Trevithick's pupil and workman, who had himself within six miles of Killingworth built a machine which, with all its defects, had actually travelled under the influence of steam George Stephenson stored up in his memory. Steele was never weary of prophesying, that the day would come when the locomotive engine would be fairly tried, and would then be found to answer.' No wonder that George Stephenson caught enthusiasm from such a teacher.

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CHAPTER III.

ROBERT STEPHENSON, THE SCHOOLBOY.

(ÆTAT. 9-15.)

Robert and the Pitman's Picks-Mind the Buiks'-George Stephenson's pecuniary Position whilst his Son attended Rutter's School - George appointed Engineer to the Collieries of 'The Grand Allies' The Locomotive on the Wylam Line - George Stephenson's first Locomotive - His Appointment to the 'Walker Iron-works-Bruce's Academy '-The Cost of Robert's Tuition at the School - Robert Stephenson's Reception by his new Schoolfellows The Boy's delicate Health — The Purchase of his Donkey— John Tate-Rival Safety Lamps-Testimonial and Public Dinner to George Stephenson for his Lamp-Home Gossip-Throwing the Hammer' George Stephenson's Views with regard to the Education of his Son-Robert Stephenson's Plan of a Sun-Dial.

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S soon as little Robert was strong enough to help his father, he was put to do such jobs as were suited to his powers. One of his earliest recollections in after life was of having to carry the pitmen's picks to the smith's shop in Long Benton, when they needed repair. This commission he executed on his way to Tommy Rutter's school, and as he returned home he used to bring the implements back. Two years before his death, after his brilliant career of adventure and success, he visited Long Benton with some friends, and pointed out to them the route over the fields, along which he used to trudge laden with the hewers'

implements. But George's chief injunction to his only child was to mind the buiks.' The father was determined that his boy should not commence the real battle of life, as he had done, unable to cipher, or write, or even to read.

An erroneous impression exists that George Stephenson denied himself the indulgences appropriate to his condition in order that he might give his boy a superior education, and that in sending his son to school he showed his superiority to most of his fellow-workmen. He felt personally the disadvantages of a very defective education, and he determined that his son should not labour under the same want.

In 1812, on the death of Cree, the engine-wright of the Killingworth colliery, George Stephenson was appointed engineer, with a salary of £100 per annum, to the contiguous collieries possessed by Sir Thomas Liddell, Mr. Stuart Wortley, and the Earl of Strathmore-the 'grand allies,' as they were called in the neighbourhood. In addition to this salary, George had the proceeds of his clock-mending and clock-cleaning business a much more important source of gain than has hitherto been supposed. He not only kept in order the clocks of the pitmen and superior workmen, but performed the same service for surrounding farmers. Farmer Robson paid him half-a-crown for cleaning watch or clock. He was also regularly employed at a fixed annual sum to attend to the clocks in the establishments of several wealthy gentlemen of the vicinity. Moreover, throughout the term of his Killingworth residence, he lived rent-free and had his fuel from the pit. During the year, also, he increased his income considerably by jobs connected

with the repair of machinery. His income therefore amounted in 1812 to about £150. With such means at his command it was only natural that he should give his son the rudiments of education at the village school. Thus in sending Robert Stephenson to Rutter's school, George Stephenson only did as every reputable father of his own station and of similar means in the parish of Long Benton did as a matter of course.

On gaining the important post of engineer to the collieries of the grand allies,' George Stephenson's advances towards success became quicker, and at the same time easier. Watchful of all that was going on in the neighbourhood relative to the steam engine, he knew the result of the memorable experiments on the Wylam line, as soon as they were accomplished. On that line it was first proved by Mr. Hedley, the viewer of Mr. Blackett's colliery, that the adhesion of smooth

*About this time Mr. Blackett had considerably improved his engines, and by experiments had ascertained the quantity of adhesion of the wheels upon the rails, and had proved that it was sufficient to effect the locomotion of the engine upon railroads approaching nearly to a level, or with a moderate inclination. His railroad was a plate-rail, and would consequently present more friction, or resistance, to the wheels than the edge-rail, and on that account the amount of adhesion would be greater than upon the other rail. Still the credit is due to Mr. Blackett for proving that locomotion could be applied by that means only.' - Mr. Nicholas Wood's Treatise on Railroads, third ed. p. 285.

'It was, however, a question of the utmost importance to ascertain if the adhesion of the wheels of the engine upon the rails were sufficient to produce a progressive motion in the engine, when loaded with a train of carriages, without the aid of any other contrivance; and it was by the introduction and continued use of them upon the Wylam railroad that this question was decided and it was proved that upon railroads nearly level, or with very moderate inclination, the adhesion of the wheels alone was sufficient, in all the different kinds of weather, when the surface of the rails was not covered with snow.

'Mr. Hedley informs us that they first tried by manual labour how

wheels on smooth rails would afford sufficient resistance to enable an engine to drag a train of loaded carriages. And it was on that same line, between Wylam and Lemington, that engines with smooth wheels, running on smooth rails, first took the place of horses and oxen for purposes of

traffic.

The alacrity with which George Stephenson, the selftaught engineer, comprehended the importance of the Wylam discoveries, and put them in practice upon the Killingworth line, in locomotives of his own construction, which were fully equal in efficiency to those on the Wylam way, attracted general attention to his proceedings. It was seen that he was a man who, with favourable opportunities, would become a distinguished engineer. The Wylam way was laid with plate rails, whilst the Killingworth line had edge rails. George Stephenson therefore built the first locomotive engine that propelled itself by the adhesion of its wheels on edge rails.' The first trial of the engine took place on July 25, 1814, with marked When the training and antecedents of the young workman (then only thirty-three years of age) are taken into consideration, the achievement seems almost incredible.

success.

Amongst the gentlemen of the neighbourhood who watched the progress and hailed the success of George Stephenson's first engine, no one was more enthusiastic than Mr. Losh, the senior partner of the firm of 'Losh,

much weight the wheels of a common carriage would overcome without slipping round upon the rail; and having found the proportion it bore to the weight, they thence ascertained that the weight of the

engine would produce sufficient adhesion to drag after it, upon their railroad, a requisite number of carriages.'-Wood's Treatise on Railroads, third ed. p. 287.

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