The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1869-02-03
Robert Stevenson.
BY JAMES PARTON.

BI JAMES PAkIOH.
Robert Stevenson, the celebrated
!. railroad engineer, born in England il
1903, was the son of George Steven
son, the great mechanic who perfected
the locomotive. 1t was in an humble
cottage, such as English coal-miner,
usually inhabit, ). that he first saw the
light for his father was then brake
man to a coal mine. By the time the
boy was old enough to go to school,
George Stevenson was beginning to
prosper, and was both able and dis
posed to give his son the advantages
Of education which he himself had
not enjoyed. This child Of the coal
mime had to face good deal of ridi-
cule when, at the age of twelve, he
presented himself among the daiatier
boys of New Castle school.
1 "a thin-framed, thin-faced, delicate
boy" says his biographer, "with his
face covered with freckles, dressed in
corduroy trowsers and q blue frock
coat-the handiwork of the tailor EN-
ployed by the coal miners-the new
conner presented many marks for play
ground satire. On his shoulder he
carried bag containing his books
and dinner of rye bread and cheese.
The Gathering made by the heavy
iron cased soles of his boots on the
school floor did not escape the notice
OF the lads. The master was on the
lookout to see that he was not i'm
properly annoyed bu there was no
occasion for his interference. In
Roberts dark eyes there was a soft
light of courtesy that conciliated the
elder boys"
When school was out and the boys
began to talk te him, his replies
made them laugh outright, for he
spoke with the deCp gutteral tone
caught from the Northumberland mi
ners. He could not imagine what
they were. laughing at. Puzzled and
ashamed. he walked away to another
part of the playground, and spoke no
more until they were recalled to the
school-room. Gradually, however,
he and his school-tellows became go d
friends, and he gradually overcame
those peculiarities of dialect and de-
meanor which had called forth their
ridicule. For long time he walked
to school every morning, distance OF
five miles, and walked home at night.
AT length his father bought him a
donkey, upon which he used to ride
to and from the Newcastle Academy.
He was not a bright boy at school,
and gave no promise of future emi-
nence At sixteen years of age, his
father having prospered in the world,
he was apprenticed to the engineer Of
an extensive series of coal mines with
which his father was connected in the
capacity of mach1nist. The apprent
ice, we are told, never spent penny
until he had asked himself three
questions:
Is is worth the money? Do I want
it? Can l do without it
Twice a month he accompanied his
master into the coal mine, traversing
every part of it. and spending the
whole of long morning down deep
in the bowels o the earth. During
his apprenticeship, he made with his
own hands mining compass. which
is still in existence. and learned to
play so we'll on the flute that he was
permitted to perform in the band of
the village church.
1t was hard to make George Ste
venson think that his son would be
benefited by attending the lectures
given at the University of Edinburgh.
It was not his wish. he said, "to make
his son gentleman"
"Robert must wark, wark," said he
''as I hae warked afore him."
His son, no Sevsr, had displayed 80
much ability during his apprentice
ship, that his friends persuaded the
old man to let him 90 to Edinburgh
for one term of six months. Short as
his residence was in Edinburgh, the
lectures were of considerable advan-
tage to him.
He had given such striking proofs
of possessing engineering talent, that,
at the early age of twenty-one, he was
ofere' the post ofengineer to wealthy |
company, formed in England for the
pur ose of re-opening and working
some silver mines in South America
silary five hundred pounds a year.
His father giving q reluctant consent,
he accepted, and spent three years in
the vain endeavor to prevent a compa-
ny of foolish capitalists from throwing
their money away. The scheme was
founded on most erroneous informa-
tion. On one occasion the young en-
gineer spent several days in following |
a guide who promised to bring him !
to a fssure in o rock filled with |
quicksilver. The fssure was found, |
and, behold the quicksilver was there.
He was unable to account for its pres |
enee until he was informed that sew
eral years befo e, wagon-load of
quicksilver had been upset upon that
spot 49,.
After struggling for three years. he
abandoned the enterprise and return
ed to England by way of New York. |
Within a days sail of our city, at
midnight the wind blowing hurricane,
the vessel struck and could not be
got OF She held together just long |
n 4