Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1870-02-25
Early Railroads i'm and out Of Par
lament.

Early Railroads in and out Of Par.
| Lament.
The distance between Liverpool and
Manchester is about thirty miles. BY turn
pike road it was thirty-six by each of the
two canals and the river it was at least fiji.
ty. The monopolizing navigation compan-
les charged what they liked, told merchants
they might do better if they ceuld, and
gave warning that the goods of those who
did not pay promptly would not be carried
at all. Shares in the Old Quay Navigation
cost originally f70 and sold for FL, go
each. Sometimes cotton was delayed so
long that the transit from Liverpool to Man
| chester took more time than the tedious
| voyage from New York to Liverpool in
those days Of sailng-ships.
Mr.. William James and his party when
| surveying the railroad between these two
great cities encountered much personal VIC.
lence. At 81. Helens a mob Of collers
laid hold Of one of the chain-men and
threatened to hurl him down coal-p pit
Wherever the surveyors appeared mob
of men, women and children assembled
and ran after them bawling nick-names
and throwing stones. AS one of the chain
men was climbing over gate a laborer ran
a pitchfork through his clothes into his
back. Fortunately the chairman was vet
able to run, for more of the same sort as
his assailant rapidly came to attack him.
The theodolite especially excited the
fiercest fury of the natives, who concentra-
ted on the man who carried it their fie1cest
fury and most offensive nicknames A no.
ted bruistr, the most powerful fellow the
surveyors could fin1, was hired to carry it.
The Manchester and Liverpool scheme
seemed to have fallen to the ground. Mr..
James, who besides being its surveyor, was
one of its chief promoters, was increasing
ly embarrassed, and was confined for debt
in the Queens Bench Prison. where he
wrote an essay in favor of railway commu-
nicaion. As the promoters of the road
could not depend upon having the services
of the worthy but unfortunate Mr.. James,
they looked for another engineer and en-
ployed George Stephenson. One Sandars,
who was now chief among the promoters of
this road, wrote to the miserable man, tell
ing him that Stephenson was engaged, and
heartlcssly adding to the victim of unnerit-
ed misfortune, ~ ou have forfeited the con-
iidence of the subscribers.
The old aristocracy had an instructive
hatred OF the innovation, and their opposi-
ton was neary as rough as that of the
farming and laboring classes. Lords Der
by and Seton, and the Duke of Bridgewa-
ter were conspicuous, and FARMERS and
men" were turned out to watch the survey.
ing party and drive them off. At Knows
Law cplIonI,- o,J IL
went with surveyor and assistants, who out
numbered Lord Derby's keepers and farm
ers, and this time was only threatened with
legal proceedings for trespass.
Mr.. Bradshaw, manager of the Duke of
Bridgewaers cana! property, was one of
the most vigorous and obstinate opponents
to the road. He had a large staff of game
keepers, and declared he would shoot or
apprehend any ole attempting to make
the survey. So. one moonlight night.
some guns were fired in a particular direc-
ton; a. d while the game-keepers were in
pursuit Of supposed poachers, a rapid sur
vcy was made. Stephenson was watched
BY day and night, and much Of the survey
was taken when the people were at dinner
Pamphlets were published and newspa-
pers bired to revile the railway 1t was de-
clared that It's formation would prevent the
cows from grazing, aud the hens from lay
ing while the horses passing over the road
would be driven distracted. The poisoned
air from the locomotives would Kill the
birds that flew over them, and rcnder no
loagcr possible TIE preservation Of lheas-
ants and .fores. Househoders were told
their houses would be burned up by the fire
from the engines, and the air be polluted
by clouds of smoke. Horses would become
extinct, and oats and hay be no longer
salea BILE. Travelling would be extremely
dangerous, and country inns would lie ruin
ed. Boilers would burst and blow passen-
gers all to atoms. But even then, this con-
ISOLATION was always announced to wind up
wlh-that the weight of the locomotive
would completely prevent its moving, and
that railways, if made coald nerer be work
ed by seam-power.
Sir John Barron, Of the Admiralty, on
the 10th ofVanuary, 1925, expressed accu-
rately the general opinion of the public as
to railroads when he wrote "You will at
once see host OF enemies in the proprie-
tors of coaches, post-coaches. inn keepers,
&C., whose interests will be attacked, and
who, have no doubt, will be strongly sup.
ported and for what? Some thousands of
passengers, you say-but, few hundreas |
l should say-in year."
Mr.. William Brougham, who was ooun-
sci on behalf of the road, before the Com
mittee of the House of Commons, frankly |
told Stepenson that if he did not moderate |
his views as to the.locomotives at the rate !
of twenty miles an hour, and bring his en-.
CINE within reasonable speed, he would |
"inevitably damn the whole thing, and be
himself regarded as maniac, fit only for
Bedlam.'
Even that very able review--the Quarter
~ said: ''What can be more palpably alb |
surd and ridiculous than the prospect held
out of locomotive travelling tecice as fast
as stage-coaches! We would as soon ex-
pect TIE people of E. to suffer them
selves to be fred off upon one of Con-
greve's ricoched rockets, as trust themselves |
to the mercy Of such n machine, going at
such rate. We will back old Father
Thames against the Woolwich Railway for
any sum- We trust that Parliament will, |
in all railways it may sanction, limit the |
speed to eight or nine miles an hour, which |
is as great as can be vcn,ured on with
safety"
When Stephenson was examined before
the Parliamentary Committee he was sub
iected to the cross-eXamination of eight or
ten barristers, pu-posely, rs fnr as possible.
to bewildcr him. One member Of the |
committee snubhingly asked him if he was
a foreigner. and another howled he WIS
mad. When he said he could make his |
locomotive 90 at the rate of twelve miles
an hour. honorable members said ''the man
must certainly be laboring under delu
sion"
One member pressed him a little further.
and said suppose, now, one Of these |
engines TO be going at the rate Of nine or
ten miles an hour. and that a COW were to
stray upon the line. ani get in the way of
the ENGINE would not that, think you, be a |
very awkward circumstance "Ies," re-
Piled the witness, with a twinkle in his eve, |
''very akward for the GOVT" Another ask |
ed il animals would not be very much |
frightened hy the engine passing in the
night, especially by the glare Of the red |
hot chimney? bat how could they know
that it was not paintcd?' said the witness.
Besides much personal abuse of Stephen
son. the advocate employed by the canal |
companies said his evidence was "cbash
and confusion.'
On the third reading in the House Of !