The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1868-11-05
The Work Of One Mechanic.

What vast results may flow from the
patient, persevering industry of one hum
bic mechanic, has seldom received more
forcible demonstration than in book now
before the public in a new edition. How
thoroughly railways and locomotive en-
gines have reyolutionized the land traffic,
transportation and travel of the whole
civilized world within the last forty years
need not be told, for it is within the
knowledge of every one. Still there are
considerable numbers who have no ade-
quate idea ofthe tremendous magnitude of
that revolution. 1t is but thirty-eight
years since the Liverpool and Manches-
ter railway was opened, by trial trip,
with the first rude attempt at a locomo-
tive for passenger travel, and yet there
are now not less than a hundred thous-
and miles of railway track in operation
Of this enormous length of iron roadway
the United States possess greatly larger
proportion than any other country, as
great indeed as nearly all others com
bined But the statistics of the English
roads furnish the readiest means for po-
pular illustration of the vast change, and
the immense increase in transportation
and travel within the period named. In
1866 there were in Great Britain be-
tween thirteen and fourteen thousand
miles OF railway, requiring 1925 locomo-
tives, 1925, passenger carriages, and
242, ,947 burden cars and trucks, FOR NOV
ing goods and merchandise, and all that we
in this country denominate as sfreight" F"
In that year the number of passengers
carried over the Britain railways, amount
ed to the enormous aggregate of three
hundred and thirteen millions six hund-
red and ninety thousand two hund-
red and sixty-eight, or number of pas
sengers equal to one third of the popula-
tion of the globe. The aggregate dis
tance run by the passenger and freight
trains, was IA, ,S07 1858 miles. This is
probably not more than a quarter Of the
whole amount of railway work done in
the countries where they are in use.
Having made this very brief reference
to the extent of the railway system, and
the revolution it has brought about, we
may trace back the briet but wonderfully
rapid course of its progress, until We fud
at the other end of the line poor boy
engaged IN the coarsest manual labor, at
the mouth Of coal mine, who in the
year 1900, at the age of eighteen, did not
known the letters of the alphabet. Thi:
boy was Geo. Stephenson, the father oi
the present railway system. lie was thc
son of fireman, tending engine, near
New Castle on the Tyne. He had beer
successfully herd boy, coal picker, horse
driver, assistant fireman, 'plugman' anC
breakesman, before he had acquired the
first rude elements Of a school education
1t was the ambition of his youthful lift
to become an engine man, and to reacl
this, to him, proud elevation, he devot
ed all the patient industry, the persever
ing application, and the intelligent in
quiry that a boy so circumstanced eoul'
bring to the work The steam engin
he had to deal with was a stationary en-
CINE, used to raise the coal from tn
mine, and a rude contrivance compares
with the grand stationary steam engine
of the present day. But the uncultured
untutored but thoughtful and ambi
tious boy, made that rough machine th
study of his young life. He closely watch
ed its every motion, trying to trace
back to the moving cause, and to under
stand the use and the necessity for every
part. To familiarize himself still furthe
with its construction, it was his custoi
once week, when all the other work
men were enjoying their holiday, to tax
it apart and clean and repair 1t .
thoroughly as he could. 1t was one {
those early specimens, moved partly b
the force of steam and partly by the pre-
{ sures of the atmosphere. In his constar
( inquiries on the subject he had heard I
r the new and superior engines of Boulto
and Watt, and these stimulated his eagC
desire to know all about steam machine
. But none of the Watt engines were witt
1 in his reach, and he found that the on
! way to get further knowledge OF the
i was by means of books. This was gre
y shock to him, for he could not read.
v master this difficulty was his first gre
:. task. Attending his engine the who
g of the day, he began to take lessons at
: poor village school at the rate of thre
+ pence week. Studying his lesson
d night, and looking at them as opportunl
r offered during the day, it took him t'
or three years to acquire an ordina
! knowledge of reading, writing and ART
i metic. Meanwhile he Was constant