CHAP. V. ERECTS HIS FIRST WINDING-ENGINE. 71 



which he made to the place, a short time before his 

 death, took a friend into the cottage, and pointed out to 

 him the very desk, still there, at which he had sat while 

 making his calculations of the latitude of Killingworth. 



From the time of his appointment as engineer at the 

 Killingworth Pit, George Stephenson was in a measure 

 relieved from the daily routine of manual labour, having, 

 as we have seen, advanced himself to the grade of a 

 higher class workman. He had not ceased to be a 

 worker, though he employed his industry in a different 

 way. It might, indeed, be inferred that he had now 

 the command of greater leisure ; but his spare hours 

 were as much as ever given to work, either necessary 

 or self-imposed. So far as regarded his social position, 

 he had already reached the summit of his ambition ; and 

 when he had got his hundred a year, and his dun 

 galloway to ride on, he said he never wanted to be any 

 higher. When Eobert Wetherly offered to give him 

 an old gig, his travelling having so much increased of 

 late, he accepted it with great reluctance, observing, 

 that he should be ashamed to get into it, " people would 

 think him so proud." 



When the High Pit had been sunk, and the coal was 

 ready for working, Stephenson erected his first winding- 

 engine to draw the coals out of the pit, and also a 

 pumping-engine for Long Benton colliery, both of 

 which proved quite successful. Amongst other works[ 

 of this time, he projected and laid down a self-actingl 

 incline along the declivity which fell towards the coal- 

 loading place near Willington, where he had formerly 

 officiated as brakesman ; and he so arranged it, that the 

 full waggons descending drew the empty waggons up 

 the incline. This was one of the first self-acting inclines 

 laid down in the district. 



Stephenson had now many more opportunities for 

 improving himself in mechanics than he had hitherto 

 possessed. His familiar acquaintance with the steam- 



