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

374 LIFE OF GEORGE STEPHENSON. [chap. xxx.
Derbyshire in 1841, by the adoption of visits to each other by
railway. The civilizing and educating influences of this great
machine were thus carried on under Mr. Stephenson's own
auspices, and almost at his very door. The Mechanics' Institu-
tion of Belper paid a visit, three hundred strong, to that of
Chesterfield ; and in a few weeks the latter returned the visit
with interest. On both occasions Mr. Stephenson was the hero
of the day. One after another the speakers acknowledged, that
to him, the most distinguished mechanic living, they had been
indebted for the improved means of transit, which enabled them
thus to hold intercourse with each other. Mr. Stephenson was,
of course, a speaker on both occasions, and threw out many
shrewd remarks and suggestions for the consideration of his
friends, the young mechanics present. After describing the
great difficulties which he had to encounter in connection with
the locomotive, he said, " but that has been little compared with
the difficulty I have had in the management of man. I have
found the engineering of railways to be light work, compared
with the engineering of men.'' A favourite subject of his ob-
servations at those mechanics' meetings was, the properties of
the Crank, and the mistakes which mechanics had so often made
with respect to it. At Chesterfield he concluded with a piece of
sound practical advice : " As an encouragement to young me-
chanics, I may state to them, that I commenced my mechanical
career with very scanty means ; and by close application and
study, I have succeeded in establishing a 'manufactory which
sends machinery to almost every kingdom in Europe. I may
add, that nothing conduces, in my opinion, so much to the suc-
cess in life of a thinking mechanic as sobriety, coupled with a
steady and persevering application to his employment; never,
however, in the midst of all his engagements, forgetting to con-
tribute, by every means in his power, to the comfort of his wife
and family." At both Belper and Chesterfield, Mr. Stephenson
invited the members, at any time when they thought they had
found out any new invention, to bring their discovery to him,
and he would always be ready to give them his opinion and as-
sistance. This invitation got into the newspapers, and the con-
sequence was, that he was very shortly flooded with letters.