The Grenada sentinel. [volume] (Grenada, Miss.) 1868-1955, 1868-11-21
WORK OF owe MECHANIC.

% NF't7AFa AtA ~ - ~ NNAANANf - y
York, have issued a work nf great
interest to the young, and in fact to
all, entitled 'IiEe. Of George and
Robert Stephenson by Samtiels
RmiIes. t.Ja Fi 'H~y @
+ George Stephenson, the father Of
the present railway system, was the
son of q fireman, tending q mining
engine, near 2 New CaBtle-on-the-
Tyne. He had been successfully,
herd boy, coal picker, horse driver,
assistant fireman, ''plugInan' and
bTakesman, before he had acquired
the first rude clements of a school
education. Itwas the ambition Of
his youthful life to become an en-
glue nian, and to reaeh this, to, him,
proud elevation, he devoted all the
patient industry, the persevering
application, and the Intelligent in
quiry that boy so eircumstanced
could bring to the work. The steam
engine he had to deal with was n
stationary engine, used 10 raise the
coal from the mine, and rude con-
trivance compared with the grand
stationary steam engines of the pres
ent day. But the uheultured, ,antus
tored, but thoughtful and ambitions
boy, made that rough rnachlne the
study of his young life, He closely
watched its every motion, trying to
trace Ii back I'd the moving cause,
and to understand the use and the
necessity for every part. 70 famil-
iarize himself still further with Its
construction it was his custom once
a week, when all the other workmen
were enjoying their holiday, to take
1t apart and clean and repair II as
thoroughly as he could, It was one
of those early specimens, moved
partly by the force ofsteam and part
| ly by the pressure of the atmosphere.
III his constant inquiries on the sub
jaet, he had heard Of the new and SUI
perior engines Of Boulton and Watt,
and these stimulated his eager de-
sire to know all about gteam ma
chimes, But none of the Watt en-
gines were within his reach, and he
found that the only way to get fur
ther knowledge of them was by
means of books. This was a great
shock to him, for he could not read.
70 master this difficulty was his first
great task. Attending his engine
thewhole Of the day he began to take
lessons at poor village school at the
rate of threepence aweek. Studying
his lessons at night, and looking at
them as opportunity offered during
the day, it took him two or three
years to acquire an ordinary knowl-
edge ofTeading, writing and arith-
metic. Meanwhile he was constant
| ly gaining ground as a steady, In
| telligent, indushious and temperate
workman. Before he was of age he oc-
oupied higher rank than his poor
father. Not satisfied with the mea-
gre wages he made at his regular
employment at the mine, he made
himself handy at other kinds of work,
and In the intervals OF his mining
duty he mended the shoes of his conn
rades and their families, He then
got to making shoes, and soon learn
ed to make them well. His own
clock having been damaged by acei-
dent, he took it to pieces and repair
ed it, and then added clock and
watch cleaning and repairing to his
other resources. He even cut oul
| the clothes of his fellow-woFkmen,
and when all other means Of doing
"extra work. failed, he put In his
spare hours by unloading ballast
! from vessels that had come for coal
This gave him money for school, fol
books, and for tools, and all the whilt
he was carrying on his studies Of th'
steam engine, modelling machiRe'
| and eoutrivanees of his own, anC
advancing in grade and Character AZ
a workman, A pumping engine II
the neighborhood having failed for {
whole year to keep the mine clear o
4 water, he expressed his belief that ht
could get IL all right IN week, ant
i his patiently acquired knowledge q
! the machine enabled him to do it
/ This was the most important stroke
of his life, for itgave him acknowl
/ edged position as mechanic, AI(
his services were soon in demand
throughout the whole district. SteI
| BY step he advanced, improving eve
lrything be touched, economizlng tn
! labor Of men and horses, increasing
/. the amount Of their production, unt
til at last he undertook and accom-
plished the work that had been 8,
often tried and that had as often fail
ed, ofsupereeding horsepower on tht
/ |eoiliery railways, by inyenting 10
eomotive engine that would draw {
heavy train oyer a smooth rail. Tht
| mighty results Of that improvement
we see around US every day, but i
may be a profitable lesson to trao,
them back once more to that pa
tient, observaht, ambitious and III
| domitably Industrious boy watch
ing hisrude engine and studying hi
alphabet when he was nearly a MAJ
grown. aa .a tt..4
Mrs. +. D. e. N Southworth, tl,
7 4 T.