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

368 LIFE OF GEOEGE STEPHENSON. [chap. xxx.
near at hand as the trains speed past. The gardens and pleas-
ure grounds adjoining the house were in a very neglected state
when Mr. Stephenson first went to Tapton ; and he promised
himself, when he had secured rest and leisure from business,
that he would put a new face upon both. The first improvement
he made, was in cutting a woodland footpath up the hillside,
by which he at the same time added a beautiful feature to the
park, and secured .a shorter road to the Chesterfield station.
But it was some years before he found time to carry into eifect
his contemplated improvements in the adjoining gardens and
pleasure grounds.
He was a man of so active a temperament, had so long been
accustomed to laborious pursuits, and felt himself still so full of
work, that he could not at once settle down into the habit of
quietly enjoying the fruits of his industry. There was, as we
have seen, almost a complete lull in the railway world towards
the end of 1837, principally caused by the monetary pressure ;
and this continued for several years. He had, for some time
previously, been turning over in his mind the best mode of em-
ploying the facilities which railways afforded for the transport of
coals to profitable markets ; and, after careful consideration, he
determined to enter as a master miner into the trade with which
he had been familiar from his boyhood. Accordingly, early in
1838, conjointly with other parties, he had entered on a lease of
the Clay Cross estate, for the purpose of working the coal which
was known to exist there. He had an impression that a ready
sale might be found for this coal at the stations of the Midland
and London and Birmingham Eailways, as far even as London
itself. He invited, one day, to his house at Tapton a small
party of gentlemen, consisting of Mr. Glyn, Sir Joshua Walms-
ley, Mr. Hudson, and Mr. Sandars, to take their opinion as to
the qualities of the Derbyshire coal for household purposes.
The coals were heaped upon the fire, and they burned so well,
that all the gentlemen concurred in the opinion that a ready sale
might be expected for coals of such a quality. Thus encour-
aged, sinking operations were commenced, a rich bed of coal was
found, and the mineral was sent to market. The article, how-
ever, would not sell in the districts of the Midland Counties,