156 EXPRESS SENT TO KILLINGWORTH. CHAP. IX. 



he brought the subject of his application before the 

 directors of the Stockton and Darlington Company. 

 They resolved to adopt his recommendation that a rail- 

 way be formed instead of a tramroad ; and they further 

 requested Mr. Pease to write to Mr. Stephenson, which 

 he accordingly did, requesting him to report as to the 

 practicability, or otherwise, of the line laid out by 

 Mr. Overton, and to state his suggestions as to any 

 deviations or improvements in its course, together with 

 estimates of comparative expenses. " In short," said Mr. 

 Pease, " we wish thee to proceed in all thy levels, esti- 

 mates, and calculations, with that care and economy 

 which would influence thee if the whole of the work 

 were thy own." 



A man was despatched on a horse with the letter, 

 and when he reached Killingworth he made diligent 

 enquiry after the person named upon the address, 

 " George Stephenson, Esquire, Engineer." No such 

 person was known in the village. It is said that the 

 man was on the point of giving up all further search, 

 when the happy thought struck some of the colliers' 

 wives who had gathered about him, that it must be 

 "Geordie" the man was in search of; and to Geor die's 

 cottage he accordingly went, found him at home, and 

 delivered the letter. In his reply, Mr. Stephenson in- 

 formed Mr. Pease that the re-survey of the line would 

 occupy at least four weeks, and that his charge would 

 include all necessary assistance for the accomplishment 

 of the survey, estimates of the expense of cuts and 

 batteries (since called cuttings and embankments) on 

 the different projected lines, together with all remarks, 

 reports, &c., on the same ; also the comparative cost of 

 malleable and cast iron rails, laying the same, winning 

 and preparing the blocks of stone, and all other materials 

 wanted to complete the line. " I could not do this," 

 said he, " for less than 140/., allowing me to be moder- 

 ately paid. Such a survey would of course have to be 



