CHAP. XII. HIS DAILY LIFE. 237 



Stephenson never for an instant flagging, and inspiring 

 with a like enthusiasm all who were engaged under him 

 in carrying forward the works." l 



The usual routine of his life at this time if routine it 

 might be called was, to rise early, by sunrise in summer 

 and before it in winter, and thus " break the back of 

 the day's work " by mid-day. While the tunnel under 

 Liverpool was in progress, one of his first duties in a 

 morning before breakfast was to go over the various 

 shafts, clothed in a suitable dress, and inspect the pro- 

 gress of the work at different points ; on other days he 

 would visit the extensive workshops at Edgehill, where 

 most of the " plant " for the line was manufactured. 

 Then, returning to his house, in Upper Parliament 

 Street, Windsor, after a hurried breakfast, he would ride 

 along the works to inspect their progress, and push them 

 on with greater energy where needful. On other days 

 he would prepare for the much less congenial engage- 

 ment of meeting the Board, which was often a cause of 

 great anxiety and pain to him ; for it was difficult to 

 satisfy men of all tempers, and some of these not of the 

 most generous sort. On such occasions he might be 

 seen with his right-hand thumb thrust through the top- 

 most button-hole of his coat-breast, vehemently hitching 

 his right shoulder, as was his habit when labouring 

 under any considerable excitement. Occasionally he 

 would take an early ride before breakfast, to inspect the 

 progress of the Sankey viaduct. He had a favourite 

 horse, brought by him from Newcastle, called " Bobby," 

 so tractable that, with his rider on his back, he would 



1 Mr. Gooch's Letter to the author, | have been able to confine himself to 



December 13th, 1861. Referring to so limited a number as that which 



the preparation of the plans and draw- could be supplied by the hands of one 



ings, Mr. Gooch adds, " When we con- person in carrying out the construc- 



sider the extensive sets of drawings tion of the Liverpool and Manchester 



which most engineers have since found j Eailway ; and this may still be said, 



it right to adopt in carrying out simi- { after lull allowance is made for the 



lar works, it is not the least surprising alteration of system involved by the 



feature in George Stephenson's early adoption of the large contract system. M 

 professional career, that he should 



