Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1882-05-03
The Invention Of Railroads.
ll' ANNA CONTENT.

Do The little boys and girls who dali,
sec the trains dashing along ON their lrol
roads across he country, and now and thel
= I on them for short trip of sixty mile!
or SO, which will only take them q few
hours think of the little boys Of @ hundred
wears ago. WHO were days in mtking the
same Journey. and who. il they bud seer
locomotive crossing the country, w.ruld
We run home in terrible fright, dcoar
ing that fiend of darD ness had Just passed
by? For hundred years ago. Locomotives
we're unknown. All the work which they
now do WAS hen done bv horses A har,
lme the pror things had. especially in tht
mining districts Of L gland, where th,
,oal was drawn many miles 10 q seapor
bwn, whence it was carried by ships to
he various great citios. 1t was owing t.
he efforts made to Tighten tho work oI
he hoI SEES that railroads were invented
FIRST pIanks wero laid down !Orthe Wagon
wheels to run on. These were moi alto
.rther convenient, and good many
improvements were mado. Mr. Outran
VAS foremost in Ihis,and for him tho road
Vere called Outram roads This was
lftorwards shortened down to tram roads
which name is still used tor them in some
mrts of England This was how the rail
road came INTO existence. In 1881, in q
rtle couago among the mines of North
umber and, George Stephenson was born
Almost the first thing his baby eyes rested
upon was The horses dragging the heavy
coal wagons along the tramway that pass.
d tho door. Tho release of the poor mi
hn Df
haby eyes vas to change the entire method
# conveyance and travel As his parents
we're poor ne was ono Of many chi
iren, George Stephenson was born to hard
work. When very young, he picked Goals
at the mouth of the pit Thon he watched
cattle for some neighboring farmer. Al
fifteen he became y fireman, and not long
afterward m engineer. He had no chance
to go to school, but he made little models
Of engines while tending the cattle, and
learned to read by the light of his engine
fire. He would never spend his evenings
1t the public house, wasting tmo and
money drinking and smoking, but in the
kitchen at homo or bv his engine fire he
mended shoes and clocks, by which he
might lay by littlo for tho future. OF
studied the works on mechanics of which
he was SO fond. At this timo there was
much discussion about the possibility oi
using steam power to movo the coal wag
nns. Stationary engines wero placed al
intervals along the line, to wind up the
ropes TO which the wagon was attached
This proved to be expensive and gained
no hing in speed so it was given up
In
tempted but they were too clumsy and
heavy TO be of any use. The attempt was
not to make new engine, but by
means of cogged rail and wheel. and q
side movement, to turn their stationary
engines (Which were of course too clumsy
into locomotives. A trial trip was made
with one of the engines. to tho great hor
ror Of the inhabitants round about, who a
sight of the Kissing monster. splitting smoke
and fire fled to their homes with the dire
conviction that Satan had como to take
possession Of the earth.
During this time George Stephenson hat
been making calculations, and he now de
clared that he could mako an engine which
would move great weight und 20 witt
great speed, yet run with smooth rails on
smooth track. This provoked grea
ridicule from other engineers, but with The
help of friend, he proved his words true
bv manufacturing a couple Of engines t.
run on enc OF the narrow tram roads
These were in way successful, but wei
still clumsy, for tho workmen wero al
unsk lied.
George Stephenson was now convinced
4. 4.
success, bul it was hard to get others tC
agree with him, for the people were narrow
minded and superstitious, and did not like
giving up the old ways. The great engi
neer met W th much opposition, and wa,
called fool. mailman, and many hare
names Still. he did not give up liz
persuaded n number OF wealthy men tt
Iay railroad between london and Man
| 'hester Bur after msking the survey,
they could not get their bill through
parliament. 1t was opposed in every way
People declared that the smoke and steam
wonld Cause all the animals to die, and tht
birds to leave the country, and all lht
children would IN come idiots because o
the terrible frighls they would receive
After several trials, the bill passed botl
houses of parliament. and the road Wa
built. The company offered prizs fol
the best engine that onuld ba produced
This pr'ze was gained by George Stephen
son s Rocket which ran against i've
engines and beat them all People soor
came TO SEC the value OF the new invention
and instead Of driving off the surveyors
with sticks and clubs, brihed them to com,
as near as possible. after the establishment
OF the first successful railroad.
They came into common use very rap
idly, and George Stephenson was called
what he truly was, "a gleat inventor.
and yet he was hut simple, self-taugh
engineer. But he was man who spen
bis spare moments in thought and study
instead Of drinking and frolicking. as die
many OF the other men, and the result wa
this most wonderful invention.-Churcl
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