THE YOUNG COW-KEEPER.

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the locomotive, as Watt was of the steam engine not, indeed, the first inventor, but the man who rendered practicable the rude conceptions of that inventor-was GEORGE STEPHENSON, the Railway Engineer; to whose remarkable career we would now direct our young readers' attention, as a signal illustration of the success in life which results from the concentration of one's powers upon a Steady Aim.

GEORGE STEPHENSON.

1. George Stephenson, the son of Robert Stephenson, an engineman at the Wylam Pit, was born in a small labourer's cottage in the village of Wylam, on June 9, 1781. As his father's earnings did but amount to twelve shillings weekly, the early years of the future engineer were necessarily passed amid all the discomforts of extreme poverty. No advantages of school instruction were within his reach, and George's time was spent in birds'-nesting, running errands, playing with the village children, assisting in nursing his younger brothers and sisters, and watching the coal-wagons drawn by horses along the wooden tramway of Wylam.

When he was eight years old, his father obtained employment at the Dewley Burn Colliery as an enginefireman, and young Stephenson made his début in life as cow-keeper for the widow Ainslie, the occupant of a neighbouring farm-house. He received as reward for his labours-which were light enough-twopence a day. Having many idle hours to dispose of, he spent them in the company of his boon companion, Bill Thirlwall, and his amusements even at this early age were curiously indicative of his scientific tastes. In the water-courses of that marshy country-side he erected numerous little mills. He fashioned engines out of clay, employing hemlocks to represent their tubes and pipes. And further, he constructed a winding machine, which his imitation engines were supposed to work, and pretended to lower 'the corves' into an imaginary coalpit, and draw them up again.

2. Advancing in years, he advanced in responsibilities, and was promoted from cow-tending to farm labour-to

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A MADE MAN FOR LIFE!

hoe the turnips, lead the plough-horses, and make himself generally useful, at 4d. per day. But his ambition was only content when, at last, he was employed in the colliery where his father worked. Here, his first vocation was that of a 'corf-bitter' or 'picker,' and for 6d. a day he cleared the coals of all stones and refuse. But, at the wage of 8d. daily, he was promoted to drive the gin-horse. His pastimes at this period were principally associated with birds and animals, and his blackbirds and his rabbits were the wonder of the countryside. He was full, we are told, of fun and tricks; and 'there was nothing under the sun but he tried to imitate.'

3. At fourteen years of age, he made a great stride forward in his career, being appointed, at the daily wage of 1s., assistant fireman at Dewley-a post not usually given to one so young. The Dewley Pit being soon afterwards worked out, the Stephensons removed to Jolly's Close, near Newburn, where the Duke of Northumberland had recently opened a fresh mine. In due time the assistant fireman became, at a neighbouring pit, fireman on his own account. He received no increase of pay, but had a better opportunity of studying the mechanism and properties of an engine, and so fitting himself to eventually occupy the position which, as yet, was the most daring conception of his imagination—that of engineman, at a man's full wage.

This pit, in its turn, having been exhausted, George Stephenson, who had already acquired a character for industry, steadiness, and honesty, was next employed upon an engine near Throckley Bridge, and his weekly pay was raised to the enormous sum of 12s.! An inexhaustible Pactolus seemed to be now at the young engineman's disposal. 'I am a made man for life!' he joyously exclaimed, as he left the foreman's office after receiving the intelligence of his good fortune.

4. Some months passed, and a new pit being opened at Water Row, half a mile west of Newburn, a pumping engine was erected there; and old Stephenson was appointed to it as fireman, and his son as the engine- or plug-man. Thus, at the age of seventeen, the son had contrived to shoot

READING AND WRITING.

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ahead of his father, occupying a more responsible post, and receiving higher wages. He now devoted himself sedulously to the study of his engine, and soon acquired so correct a knowledge of the uses of its different parts, so speedily obtained a thorough acquaintance with the principles of its construction, that when it fell out of order, he was usually enabled to repair it without the assistance of the colliery engineer.

5. Having attained thus far, Stephenson's enquiring mind became only the more anxious to advance yet farther. He saw, however, that he could accomplish nothing more without the aid of books, and books were sealed treasures to him, because he was unable to read. But though arrived at the very threshold of manhood, Stephenson was not ashamed to confess his ignorance, nor too proud to submit to the drudgery of rudimentary knowledge. His first instructor was one Robin Cowens, a poor teacher, who kept a night-school for the sons of colliers and other labourers in the neighbouring village of Walbottle. Of him the young engineman took lessons, three times a week, in reading and spelling, and such was his ardour, such his unconquerable perseverance, that he soon learnt to read, and before he was nineteen could even write his own name. Delightful knowledge! Precious acquirements! Little can those more favoured students, for whom Fortune, if she lays not down 'a royal road' to Learning, at least smooths away the difficulties and plants the wayside with flowers, appreciate the intense, the unutterable joy that fills the soul of him who, beset by many an obstacle and with no friendly hands to help, succeeds, nevertheless, in climbing the rugged steep of Knowledge!

6. In the winter of 1799, Stephenson added arithmetic to his other studies, receiving instruction from Andrew Robertson, a Scotchman, who established a night-school at Newburn. The progress he made was surprising; but the young engineman knew the value of time, and improved every spare moment he could steal from his engine in working out the problems proposed by his tutor.

The wonderful perseverance of this steadfast-hearted

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THE ART OF BRAKEING.

man was signally illustrated by the means he adopted to secure another advance in his laborious vocation. Brakeing an engine is 'one of the higher departments of colliery labour,' and among the most remunerative; Stephenson was therefore anxious to master its secrets. 'A small winding engine having been put up for the purpose of drawing the coals from the pit, Bill Coe, his friend and fellow-workman, was appointed the brakesman. He frequently allowed George to try his hand at the brake, and instructed him how to proceed. But in this course Coe was opposed by several of the other workmen-one of whom, a brakesman named William Locke, went so far as to stop the working of the pit, because Stephenson had been called in to the brake. But one day, as Mr. Charles Nixon, the manager of the pit, was observed approaching, Coe adopted an expedient which had the effect of putting a stop to the opposition. He forthwith called upon George Stephenson to come into the brake-house, and take hold of the machine." No sooner had he done this, than Locke, as usual, sat down, and the working of the pit was stopped. Locke, when requested by the manager to give an explanation, said that "young Stephenson couldn't brake, and, what was more, never would learn to brake: he was so clumsy that he was like to rive his arms off." Mr. Nixon, however, ordered Locke to go on with the work, which he did; and Stephenson, after some further practice, acquired the art of brakeing.'

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7. In 1801, Stephenson removed to the Dolly Pit, at Black Callerton, where, notwithstanding his comparative youthfulness, he was appointed to the important post of brakesman. He also increased his income by shoe-mending, and as he grew a proficient in Crispin's art, shoe-making, partly employing his scanty leisure in study, and partly in recommending himself to the favour of Fanny Henderson, a handsome and virtuous young woman, the servant of the small farmer in whose house he lodged. Out of his shoemaking and shoe-mending earnings George soon saved his first guinea, and felt himself the master of a seemingly inexhaustible mine of wealth. The 'first guinea,' indeed,

STEPHENSON A CLOCKMAKER.

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is no trivial matter to a hardworking mechanic; it is the promise of many more, and the visible testimony-the indisputable witness-to hours of toil and a life of selfdenial.

8. Both in arithmetic and in writing, our hero-brakesman had now accomplished a considerable progress, and by the time of his marriage, November 28, 1802, he knew more of the mysteries of figures than his Scotch dominie, and wrote a hand of the most legible character. Immediately upon this memorable event, he took and furnished (his guinea having duly multiplied) a small house at Willington Quay, whither he now went to work as brakesman of a fixed engine on the Willington Ballast Hill, about six miles below Newcastle. Here his daily life continued to be that of a self-contained, industrious, and energetic workman; a workman who rejoiced in and was proud of his labour, but, nevertheless, hoped some day to rise to a loftier and more intellectual position. His leisure hours were accordingly devoted to modelling experimental machines, and studying the principles of mechanics. He made an effort to solve the difficult problem of perpetual motion, and indulged in other speculations, quite as visionary, but all indicative of an active and enquiring mind.

A considerable addition was now made to his yearly gains. One day, while away from home, his cottage chimney took fire, and his neighbours, in their zeal to extinguish the flames, deluged his furniture with water, and specially injured his eight-day clock. Stephenson characteristically determined upon endeavouring to mend his horologe himself. He took it to pieces; he probed it here, and tried it there; and, finally, after no slight pains, had the satisfaction of seeing it in thorough order. His success was soon bruited abroad, and every uncanny clock in the neighbourhood was henceforth put into his hands to be repaired.

9. After a residence of three years at Willington Quaywhere, on October 16, 1803, was born his only son RobertStephenson removed as brakesman to the extensive West Moor Colliery, at Killingworth. He had scarcely settled