The life of George Stephenson, railway engineer - Lighthouse ...

CHAP. xiv.J THE STOCKTON AND DARLINGTON LINE. 157
Eailway, some five and thirty years since, i was .
already fifty
years old. Nobody could then have dreamt what railways would
have grown to, within one man's lifetime."
In projecting a railway from Witton Colliery, a few miles
above Darlington, to Stockton, in the year 1817, Edward Pease
at first stood almost alone. Long before this railway was pro-
jected,—as early as the year 1768,—the scheme of a canal had
been discussed, and Brindley, the engineer, who had at one
period of his life worked in the neighbourhood as a labourer,
was consulted. The project, however, proceeded no further,
probably from want of support. In 1812, Mr. Eennie, the engineer,
was employed to make a survey of a trararoad. But
the commercial distress which then prevailed in the county of
Durham prevented the project from ripening to maturity. The
necessity for finding an outlet and new markets for the Bishop
Auckland coals continued, however, to be felt. What was at
first contemplated by Mr. Pease, was merely the means of effect-
ing land sales of coal at the stations along the proposed railway.
The shipment of coal from the Tees was not taken into account
as a source of profit. It was not expected that coals could be
led there to advantage, or that more than 10,000 tons could be
disposed of at Stockton, and those merely for the purpose of
ballasting ships disembarking goods at that port. The con-
veyance of passengers was not even dreamt of.
In getting up a company for the purpose of surveying and
forming a railway, Mr. Pease had great difficulties to contend
with. The people of the neighbourhood spoke of it as a ridi-
culous undertaking, and predicted that it would be the ruin of all
who had to do with it. Even those who were most interested in
the opening out of new markets for the vend of their coals, were
indifl^rent, if not actually hostile. The Stockton merchants and
ship-owners, whom the formation of a railway was calculated to
benefit so greatly, gave the project no support ; and not twenty
shares were subscribed for in the whole town. Mr. Pease
nevertheless persevered with the formation of a company ; and
he induced many of his friends and relations to subscribe for
shares. The Eichardsons and Backhouses, members, like him-
self, of the Society of friends, influenced by his persuasion.