The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1858-04-21
EXTRACTS FROM NEW BOOKS.
GEORGE STEPHENSON.

From "The Life Of George Steplensonn
HIS leisure moments thus carefully improved il
will be inferred that Stephenson was necessarily a
SOBER man: Though his notions were never extreme
| on TINS point, he was systematically temperate 1t
appears that on the invitation of his master Ralnh
| Dodds-and an invitation from a master to a work
man Is not easy to resisthe had on one or two oc-
caslonss been induced to join him in forenoon
glass OF ale In the public house of the village But
one day, about noon, when Mr.. Dodds had got him
as far as the public house door, on his invitation to
come and take glass O. yil," Stephenson made a
dead stop and said firmly: NO. sir you must excuse
| this time of day." And he went back. He desired
to retain the character of steady workman; and
the instances of men about him who had made ship
wreck of their character through intemperance
| were then, as now, unhappiy, but too frequent
Perhaps, too he was sober with an eve to thrift
! He still steadily kept in mind the resolution which
ne had formed to give his son good education and
| Robert was now of an age to be sent to a better
school than that which the neighborinp VILLAGE of
Long Benton provided. There he had been some
time under the charge of Rutter the parish clerk,
VINO Kept roadside school, where the instruction
was OF very limited kind-scarcely extending be
| yond the child's primer and s'pot-books" About
the year 1914, Robert was accordingly sent to
Bruces academy at Newcastle, where he common
ceq course OF sound elementary instruction.
by dint OF extra labor during his by-hours, with
TINS object, George Stephenson had managed to
save sum OF 1901, which ne accumulated in quin-
cas-, each of which he afterwards sold to Jews who
went about buying up gold coin (then dearer than
slver) at twenty-sx shillings apiece; and he lent
out the proceeds at good interest He was now
therefore, a comparatively thriving man. The first
guinea which he had saved with so much difficulty
at Black Gallerton had proved the nes-egg of flu
ture gulneas; and the habits of economy and sobri
ETY. which he had early cultivated now enabled
him to secure irmer foothold in the world and to
command the increased esteem and respect of his
fellow workmen and employers.
At this time, and for many years after Stenben-
cottage STANDING nv he cir IF tha
road, leading from the West Moor Pit to Killing
worth. The railway from the West Moor Pit cross
es tins road close by the easernmost end of the cot
tage. The dwelling originally consisted of but one
apartment on the ground floor, with garnet over
head, to which access was obtained by means of a
step-ladder. But with his own bands Stephenson
built an oven and in course of time he added rooms
to the cottage, until it grew into comfortable four
roomed dwelling, in which he continued to live as
long as he resided at Killingworth
There was a little garden attached to the cottage
IN which, while workman, Stephenson took pride
In growing gigantic leeks and astounding cabbapes
There was great competition amongst the villagers
IN the growth of vegetables, all of whom he excell-
ed, excepting one of his neighbors whose cabbages
sometimes outshone his
In the protection of his garden-crops from tho
ravages of the birds, he invented strange sort of
"fey-craw," which moved its arms with the wind:
and he fastened his garden-door by means of
piece OF ingenious mechanism, so that no one but
himself could enter it. Indeed, his odd and eccen-
trlc contrivances excited much marvel amongst
the kilngworth villagers. Thus he won the
womens admiration by connecting their cradles with
the smoke-jack, and making them selfacting
Then, he astonshed the pitmen by attaching an
alarum to the clock of the Waterman whose duty il
was to call them betimes in the morning. The cot
tage OF stephenson a sort of curiosity shop of
MODELS, engines, self-actng planes, and perpetual
motion machines,-which last contrivance however.
bafed him as effecually it had done hundreds of
preceding inventors. He also contrived a wonder
ful lamp which burned under water with which he
was afterwards wont to amuse the Branding family
at Gosworth-,going into the fsh-pond at night,
lamp In hand, attracting and catching the fish.
wnlch rushed wildly towards the subaaueous flame
Dr. Bruce tells of a competition which Stephenson
mad with the joiner at Killngworth as to which of
them could make the best shoe-last; and when the
former had done his work, either for the humOr of
the thing, or to secure fair play from the appointed
Judge he took it to the Morrisons in Newcastle and
got them TO put their stamp upon it. So that it is
possible the klllingworth brakeman, afterwards
tne inventor of the safety lamp and the originator
Vi the railway SYSTEM and John Morrison the last
maker, afterwards the translator of the Scriptures
INTO the Chneselanguage, may have confronted each
other In solemn contemplation over the successful
last, winch won the verdict coveted by its maker.
Sometimes he would endeavor to impart to his
lellow-workmen the results of his scientific reading.
Everything that he learnt from books was so new
and so wonderful to him, that he regarded the
facts he drew from them in the light of discoveries
as II they had been made but yesterday Once he
tried to explain to some of the pitmep how the