90 HER OES OF IN VENTION AND DISCO VER V. 



Institute, he said : " He had commenced his career on a lowei 

 level than any man present there. He made that remark for 

 the purpose of encouraging young mechanics to do as he had 

 done — to persevere. And he would tell them that the hum.blest 

 amongst them occupied a much more advantageous position than 

 he had done on commencing his life of labour. They had 

 teachers who, going before them, had left their great discoveries 

 as a legacy and a guide ; and their works were now accessible 

 to all, in such institutions as that which he addressed. But he 

 remembered the time when there were none thus to guide and 

 instruct the young mechanic. With a free access to scientific 

 books, he knew, from his own experience, that they could be 

 saved much unnecessary toil and expenditure of mental capital." 

 We now give a resume of railway progress in the United 

 Kingdom, with which Stephenson was afterwards so vitally 

 connected, and which will bring the story of his life up to 1830. 



PROGRESS OF THE RAILWAY IN THE UNITED KINGDOM, 

 1801-1830. 



.The first Act of Parliament for the construction of a railway 

 was passed in 1801, and was promoted by the Surrey Iron 

 Company, for a railway nine miles long, from Wandsworth to 

 Croydon, with a branch to Carshalton. The capital was 

 _;^6o,ooo, being about what is now considered the normal cost 

 for a "light" railway or local single line locally promoted -- 

 namely, ;;^55oo per mile. This, the first line opened undei 

 parliamentary sanction, was completed in 1805; and, in con- 

 nection with its opening, some \^iy interesting experiments in 

 traction were made. Taking the estimate of the draught of a 

 horse, upon a good road, at fifteen hundred pounds, the party 

 of gentlemen who assembled to witness the testing of the line 



