4(58 THE BATTLE OF THE LOCOMOTIVE. CHAP. XXI. 



fair opportunity for a trial of the locomotive. Their 

 common sense came to his rescue. They had immense 

 confidence in the Newcastle engine-wright. He had 

 already made stedfast friends of several of the most 

 influential men amongst them, who valued his manly 

 uprightness and integrity, and were strongly disposed 

 to believe in him, though all the engineering world 

 stood on the one side, arid he alone on the other. His 

 patient purpose, not less than his intense earnestness, 

 persuaded them. They adopted his recommendation, 

 and offered a prize of 500/. for the best locomotive. 

 Though many proclaimed the Liverpool men to be as 

 great maniacs as Stephenson, yet the result proved the 

 practical sagacity of the directors and the skill of their 

 engineer ; but it was the determined purpose of the 

 latter which secured the triumph of the locomotive. 

 His resolution, founded on sound convictions, was the 

 precursor of what he eventually achieved ; and his 

 intense anticipation was but the true presentiment of 

 what he was afterwards found capable of accomplishing. 

 He was ready to turn his hand to anything shoes 

 and clocks, railways and locomotives. He contrived his 

 safety-lamp with the object of saving pitmen's lives, and 

 perilled his own life in testing it. Whatever work was 

 nearest him, he turned to and did it. With him to 

 resolve was to do. Many men knew far more than he ; 

 but none was more ready forthwith to apply what he 

 did know to practical purposes. It was while working 

 at Willington as a brakesman, that he first learnt how 

 best to handle a spade in throwing ballast out of the 

 ships' holds. This casual employment seems to have 

 .left upon his mind the strongest impression of what 

 " hard work " was ; and he often used to revert to it, 

 and say to the young men about him, " Ah, ye lads ! 

 there's none o' ye know what wark is." Mr. Grooch says 

 he was proud of the dexterity in handling a spade 

 which he had thus acquired, and that he has frequently 



