CHAP. IV. MAKES IMPROVEMENTS IN THE MACHINERY. 49 



well that his poverty prevented him from prosecuting 

 further the idea of emigration, and rooted him to the 

 place where he afterwards worked out his great career 

 so manfully and victoriously. 



In 1808, Stephenson, with two other brakesmen, 

 named Robert Wedderburn and George Dodds, took a 

 small contract under the colliery lessees for brakeing 

 the engines at the West Moor Pit. The brakesmen 

 found the oil and tallow ; they divided the work amongst 

 them, and were paid so much per score for their labour. 

 There being two engines working night and day, two 

 of the three men were always at work ; the average 

 earnings of each amounting to from 18s. to 20s. a week. 

 It was the interest of the brakesmen to economise thq 

 working as much as possible, and George no soonerl 

 entered upon the contract than he proceeded to devise! 

 ways and means of making the contract " pay." He 

 observed that the ropes with which the coal was drawn 

 out of the pit by the winding-engine were badly ar- 

 ranged ; they " glued," and wore each other to tatters 

 by the perpetual friction. There was thus great wear 

 and tear, and a serious increase in the expenses of the 

 pit. George found that the ropes which, at other pits 

 in the neighbourhood, lasted about three months, at the 

 West Moor Pit became worn out in about a month. 

 He accordingly set himself to ascertain the cause of 

 the defect ; after which he proceeded, with the sanction 

 of the head engine-weight and of the colliery owners, 

 to shift the pulley-wheels so that they worked imme- 

 diately over the centre of the pit, and by an entire 

 rearrangement of the gearing of the machine, he shortly 

 succeeded in greatly lessening the wear and tear of the 

 ropes, to the advantage of the owners as well as of 

 the workmen, who were thus enabled to labour more 

 continuously and profitably. 



About the same time he attempted an improvement 

 in the winding-engine which he worked, by placing a 



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