348 EESULTS OF RAILWAYS. CHAP. XVI. 



proved by many facts which redound to Mr. Stephen- 

 son's credit. He was no niggard of encouragement and 

 praise when he saw honest industry struggling for a 

 footing. Many were the young men whom, in the 

 course of his useful career, he took by the hand and led 

 steadily up to honour and emolument, simply because 

 he had noted their zeal, diligence, and integrity. One 

 youth excited his interest while working as a common 

 carpenter on the Liverpool and Manchester line ; and 

 before many years had passed, he was recognised as an 

 engineer of distinction. Another young man he found 

 industriously working away at his bye-hours, and, ad- 

 miring his diligence, engaged him for his private secre- 

 tary, the gentleman shortly after rising to a position of 

 eminent influence and usefulness. Indeed, nothing gave 

 Mr. Stephenson greater pleasure than in this way to 

 help on any deserving youth who came under his 

 observation, and, in his own expressive phrase, to 

 " make a man of him." 



The openings of the great main lines of railroad 

 communication shortly proved the fallaciousness of the 

 numerous rash prophecies which had been promulgated 

 by the opponents of railways. The proprietors of the 

 canals were astounded by the fact that, notwithstanding 

 the immense traffic conveyed by rail, their own traffic 

 and receipts continued to increase ; and that, in common 

 with other interests, they fully shared in the expansion 

 of trade and commerce which had been so effectually 

 promoted by the extension of the railway system. The 

 cattle-owners were equally amazed to find the price of 

 horse-flesh increasing with the extension of railways, 

 and that the number of coaches running to and from 

 the new railway-stations gave employment to a greater 

 number of horses than under the old stage-coach system. 

 Those who had prophesied the decay of the metropolis, 

 and the ruin of the suburban cabbage-growers, in conse- 



