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

382 LIFE OF GEOEGE STEPHENSON- Ichap. xxxi.
CHAPTER XXXI.
THE EAILWAT MANIA.
The extension of railways had, up to the year 1844, been
effected principally by men of the commercial classes, interested
in opening up improved communications between particular
towns and districts. The first lines had been bold experiments
—many thought them exceedingly rash and unwarranted ;
they
had been reluctantly conceded by the legislature, and were carried
out in the face of great opposition and difficulties. At
length the locomotive vindicated its power ; railways were re-
cognized, by men of all classes, as works of great utility ; and
their vast social as well as commercial advantages forced them-
selves on the public recognition. What had been regarded as
but doubtful speculations, and by many as certain failures, were
now ascertained to be beneficial investments, the most successful
of them paying from eight to ten per cent, on the share capital
expended.
The first railways were, on the whole, well managed. The
best men that could be got were appointed to work them. It is
true, mistakes were made, and accidents 'happened; but men did
not become perfect because railways had been invented. The
men who constructed, and the men who worked the lines, were
selected from the general community, consisting of its usual
proportion of honest, practical, and tolerably stupid persons.
Had it been possible to create a class of perfect men, a sort of
railway guardian-angels, directors would only have been too glad
to appoint them at good salaries. For with all the mistakes that
may have been committed by directors, the jobbing of railway
a^jpointments, or the misuse of patronage in selecting the persons
to work their lines, has not been charged against them. We