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

CHAP. II.] FEATS OF STRENGTH. 27
He was now fifteen years old. His ambition was as yet
limited to attaining the standing of a full workman, at a man's
wages ; and with that view he endeavoured to attain such a
knowledge of his engine as would eventually lead to his employment
as an engine-man, with its accompanying advantage of
higher pay. He was a steady, sober, hard-working young man,
and nothing more, according to the estimate of his fellowworkmen.
One of his favourite pastimes in by-hours was trying feats of
strength with his companions. Although in frame he was not
particularly robust, yet he was big and bony, and considered
very strong for his age. His principal competitor was Robert
Hawthorn, with whom he had frequent trials of muscular
strength and dexterity, such as lifting heavy weights, throwing
the hammer, and putting the stone. At throwing the hammer
George had no compeer ; but there was a knack in putting the
stone which he could never acquire, and here Hawthorn beat
him. At lifting heavy weights off the ground from between his
feet,—by means of a bar of iron passed through them, the bar
placed against his knees as a fulcrum, and then straightening the
spine and lifting them sheer up,—Stephenson was very success-
ful. On one occasion, they relate, he lifted as much as sixty
stone weight in this way—a striking indication of his strength
of bone and vigour of muscle.
When the pit at Mid Mill was closed, George and his com-
panion Coe were sent to work another pumping-engine erected
near Throckley Bridge, where they continued for some months.
It was while working at this place, that his wages were raised
to 12s. a week,—an event of no small importance in his esti-
mation. On coming out of the foreman's office that Saturday
evening on which he received the advance, he announced the
fact to his fellow-workmen, adding triumphantly, " I am now a
"
made man for life !
The pit opened at Newburn, at which old Robert Stephenson
worked, proving a failure, it was closed ; and a new pit was
sunk at Water-row, on a strip of land lying between the Wylam
wagon-way and the river Tyne, about half a mile west of
Newburn Church. A pumping-engine was erected there by