Helen C. Knight

“ A learned man once said that crossing the Atlantic by steam was impossible.
"For the good of the race, we must have something truer than wind and tougher than sails," said Trade. And it was not many years before ships steamed into every port.
"Carriages travelling at twelve, sixteen, eighteen, twenty miles an hour! Such gross exaggerations of the power of a locomotive we scout. It can never be!" cries a sober Quarterly.
"You may scout it as much as you please," rejoins Trade; "but just as soon as people need a cheaper, pleasanter, swifter mode of travel, it will be done." ”

“ People were horrified at the thought of "turning the locomotive loose on the country." They drew dreadful pictures of the evil it would do. Families sitting by their own firesides, it was said, would not be safe. A runaway engine, twenty tons in weight, would dash through a whole line of houses, toppling them down one after the other like houses built of cards. How was such a monster to be controlled? A screw loose, or a wrong turn of the handle, and it would bound out of the control of its driver. Then, again, others would ask, who wanted to travel more than ten miles an hour? ”

“ Men make good tools and instruments for themselves. They forget they are perfecting them for God also, who is using them, and who will use them, to make known the precious gospel of his Son, "peace on earth, and good-will to men."
What powerful preachers for the Sabbath are the railway and the telegraph, doing away with all necessity and every excuse for Sabbath travelling as they do! Long journeys and the most urgent business can be done between Sabbath and Sabbath, giving a rest-day to the nation. ”

“ In pondering upon the powers of "Puffing Billy," George Stephenson saw that the efficiency of locomotives must, in a great measure, depend on what kind of roads they had to run upon. Many were sanguine that steam-carriages would some day come into use on common roads. After a long series of experiments, George Stephenson said, "No; the thing wouldn't pay." For a rough surface seriously impairs the powers of a locomotive; even sand scattered upon the rails is sufficient to slacken, and even stop an engine. The least possible friction is desirable, and this is found on the smooth rail. ”

“ The time is coming when it will be cheaper for a working-man to travel on a railway than to walk on foot. There are big difficulties in the way, I know; but it will surely come to pass. I can hardly hope to live to see that day, much as I should like to do so; for I know how slow all human progress is, and how hard it is to make men believe in the locomotive, even after our ten years' success in Killingworth. ”

“ For all our institutions, all our civil and religious interests, we need the morality of the Bible, the conscience and the self-restraint which the Bible enjoins; and for this purpose we must vigorously support the institutions of the Bible. Foremost in the foreground is the Sabbath. It has come down to us through the ages, the great commemoration-day of a finished creation and a completed atonement, summoning men to call on the name of the Lord, and bless and praise his holy name. ”

“ Again he is off, inspecting the labours of his men all along the line from point to point, pushing the works here, advising there, and inspiring everywhere. Bobby is a living witness that one beast, at least, is not to be scared by a locomotive. He can face the snorting monster without so much as a shy step, or a prick of the ears. He afraid! not Bobby. ”

“ What is to become of coach-makers and harness-makers, coach-masters and workmen, inn-keepers, horse-breeders, and horse-dealers? Iron would be raised one hundred per cent., or more probably exhausted altogether! The price of coal would be ruinous. Why, a railroad would be the greatest nuisance, the biggest disturbance of quiet and comfort, in all parts of the kingdom, that the ingenuity of man could invent."
Not content with belittling his engine, they could not stop short of abusing Stephenson himself. ”

“ But keep ever in mind that these virtues, however useful and important for your work in this world, have no saving power in them—they form no plea for the favour of God; the key which unlocks the door of Heaven is not found among them. Like the young man in the Gospel, you may have the loveliness of every natural virtue, and yet be lost. ”

“ Remember this, boys—for we sometimes despise little particulars and the day of small things—that the secret of effective doing lies not only in making wise plans, but in filling up the minutest parts with promptness and fidelity. There must be detail, to achieve any great and good work. If you would possess the fruits of learning, you must get them by the toil of daily drudgery. ”

“ The great men of England did not know that, in a far-off nook of the realm, there was slowly generating a power, under the persistent thought of an humble working-man, which before many years would revolutionize the trade of the kingdom, and create a new source of wealth. ”

“ The world would never improve much under such counsel. Edward Pease was hampered on all sides. Nobody convinced him that his first plan was not the right one by all odds; but what can a man do in any public enterprise without supporters? So he reluctantly was obliged to give up his rail-road, and ask Parliament for liberty to build a tram-road—horse-power instead of steam-power: he could seem to do no better, and even this was gotten only after long delay and at considerable cost. ”

“ Before breakfast you might find him on a morning round, visiting the extensive workshops where the machines and tools were made; or perhaps Bobby is brought to the door, and mounted on this his favourite horse, he is off fifteen miles to inspect the progress of a viaduct—a ride long enough to whet the appetite for a tempting breakfast, one would think. But nothing tempts him from his frugal habits: he eats "crowdie"—and that made by himself—which is nothing more or less than oatmeal hasty-pudding and milk. ”

“ Well, we know what Stephenson did: he invented an engine that attained fifteen miles an hour; and then, unresting and unhasting, he addressed himself to the task of extending—or, rather, creating—our railway system.
He succeeded: and now there are eighteen thousand miles of railway in England; [1] and our ordinary trains make thirty miles, our express trains fifty and sixty miles an hour; and millions of men and women travel where formerly only hundreds went; and journeys that occupied a day and a night, like the journey from London to Exeter, are accomplished in half-a-dozen hours. ”

“ One day the cottage chimney got on fire, and the neighbours, with friendly zeal, not only poured water enough down the chimney to put out a much bigger and more alarming fire, but enough to deluge the poor little home of the brakeman with soot and water, making a pitiful sight to the young husband when he reached it. ”

“ It has the life and limbs of thousands upon thousands intrusted to its charge, at the mercy of its employés, engineers, firemen, brakemen, switchmen, the recklessness or unfaithfulness of any of whom may bring sudden death to scores, and plunge a nation into mourning. These men, to be kept the right men, need the Sabbath. To be honest, responsible, vigilant, true, God-fearing men, fit for their posts of duty, they must have the Sabbath. ”

“ They stationed themselves at the field gates and bars with pitch-forks, rakes, shovels, and sticks, and dared the surveyors to come on. A poor chain-man, not quite so nimble as his pursuers, made his leap over a fence quickened by a pitch-fork from behind! Even women and children joined the hue and cry, pelting the strangers with stones and dirt whenever they had a chance. The colliers were not behind the farmers in their foolish hostility. A stray surveyor was caught and thrown into a pit. ”

“ The directors were moved. The rich Quaker, Cropper, however, headed the stationary-engine party, and insisted upon adopting it. "But," answered the others, "ought we to make such an outlay of money without first giving the locomotive a fair trial?" And Stephenson pleaded powerfully, as you may suppose, in its behalf. "Try it, try it," he urged; "for speed and safety there is nothing like it." And the words of a man with strong faith are strong words. "Besides," he said, "the locomotive is capable of great improvements. It is young yet; its capacities have never been thoroughly tested. ”

“ George rapidly shot ahead of his father, a kind old man, who always stayed fireman, while his boy climbed one round after another up the ladder of promotion. At seventeen we find him plugman. What duty is that? A plugman has charge of a pumping-engine, and when the water in the pit is below the suction-holes, he goes down the shaft and plugs the tube, in order to make the pump more easily draw. The post required more skill and knowledge of machinery than any he had filled before, and he proved himself equal to it.
Indeed, he loves his engine as he loves his birds. ”

“ The institution of the Sabbath was founded with the human race. It was meant to be the rest-day of the entire world. It was set up as a blessing: "The Lord blessed the Sabbath-day, and hallowed it." The bodies of man and beast need it. The muscles, bones, nerves, sinews, and brain cannot endure the strain of constant and uninterrupted work. It is the day for making up the waste of the animal frame caused by continual labour and excitement. Night rest is not enough. The God of Nature and of the Sabbath has fitted the one to the other. ”

“ One, two, three years passed by, and the Liverpool and Manchester project started up again. It was not dead, it had only slept; and the three years had almost worn out the patience of both merchants and manufacturers. Trade between the two cities must have speedier and easier transit. Trade is one of the great progressive elements in the world. It goes ahead; it will have the right of way; it will have the right way—the best, safest, cheapest way of doing its business. Yet it is not selfish; its object is the comfort and well-being of men. ”

“ Stephenson said the space between the cart and waggon wheels of a common road was a good criterion. The tram-roads had been laid down by this gauge—four feet and eight inches—and he thought it about right for the railway; so this gauge was adopted.
One thing which hampered Stephenson not a little was the want of the right sort of workmen—quick-minded, skilful mechanics, who could put his ideas into the right shape. The labour of originating so much we can never know. ”

“ It is a break in the hurrying whirl of this life's interests, to consider the solemn issues of eternity, and that atoning love which is mighty to save all who by repentance and faith accept its terms of mercy. ”

“ There was nothing in a simple horse rail-road, or tram-road, as it is called, to provoke an opposition so bitter from the people. It was a new thing; and new things, great improvements though they may be on old ones, often stir up a thousand doubts and fears among the ignorant and unthinking.
Nor did the project generally take among those who would be most benefited by it. Mr. James and his friends held public meetings in all the towns and villages along the way; enterprising men in Liverpool and Manchester talked it up, and tried to create a public interest ”

“ George next rose to be assistant fireman with his father, at a shilling a day. He was fourteen, but so small of his age that he used to hide when the inspector came round, lest he should be thought too small for his wages. If small in body, he was large in heart, intent in all things to do his best. And this made his work so well done, that it could not escape the notice of his employers. When he went to the office on Saturday night to receive his wages, double pay was given him—twelve instead of six shillings! George could scarcely believe in his good luck. ”

“ Many roads are Sabbath-keeping. Some of those which do run on that day are poorly paid. Carrying the mail helps them out. They run, perhaps, for that purpose. But is it necessary to keep up Sabbath violation on our great routes in order to forward the mail? Does not the Saturday telegraph do away with that necessity? Every important item of business can be put through on the wires in time.
The side of the Sabbath is the side of God.
What became of George Stephenson and his son Robert? the boys will have the curiosity to ask. ”

“ When he left, he said to his friends, "When you build a road, build a railroad, and get George Stephenson to do it."
The Darlington and Stockton enterprise could not fail to be known at Liverpool; and a drift of opinion gradually began to set in strongly in favour of the railway. People talked about it in good earnest.
"A railway!" cried the canal owners. "It is absurd; it is only got up to frighten us; it will slump through, as it did before." They were easy.
"Let us go to Darlington and Killingworth and see for ourselves," said the merchants ”

“ Every railroad corporation is bound to be a Sabbath-keeping corporation. It makes time enough to do its work. The nature of its work demands responsible men. An immense amount of property is in its hands, requiring officers of scrupulous integrity to manage its interests. ”

“ When the rough and tumble of life began to subside, and he became a more stationary engine, with greater leisure for the enjoyment of his now ample home, his old love of birds, dogs, horses, and rabbits revived. ”