CHAP. XXI. HIS MANUAL DEXTERITY. 469 



seen him take the shovel from a labourer in some mil- 

 way cutting, and show him how to use it more deftly 

 in filling* waggons of earth, gravel, or sand. Sir Joshua 

 Walmsley has also informed us, that, when examining 

 the works of the Orleans and Tours Railway, Mr. 

 Stephenson, seeing a large number of excavators filling 

 and wheeling sand in a cutting, at a great waste of time 

 and labour after the manner of foreign navvies, went 

 up to the men and said he would show them how to fill 

 their barrow in half the time. He showed them the 

 proper position in which to stand so as to exercise the 

 greatest amount of power with the least expenditure of 

 strength ; and he filled the barrow with comparative 

 ease again and again in their presence, to the great 

 delight of the workmen. When passing through his 

 own workshops, he would point out to his men how to 

 save labour, and to get through their work skilfully 

 and with ease. His energy imparted itself to others, 

 quickening and influencing them as strong characters 

 always do flowing down into theirs, and bringing out 

 their best powers. 



His deportment towards the workmen employed 

 under him was familiar, yet firm and consistent. As 

 he respected their manhood, so did they respect his 

 masterhood. Although he comported himself towards 

 his men as if they occupied very much the same level 

 as himself, he yet possessed that peculiar capacity for 

 governing which enabled him always to preserve 

 amongst them the strictest discipline, and to secure 

 their cheerful and hearty services. Mr. Ingram, M.P. 

 for South Shields, one day went over the workshops at 

 Newcastle with Mr. Stephenson, and was particularly 

 struck with this quality of the master in his bearing 

 towards his men. " There was nothing," said he, " of 

 undue familiarity in their intercourse, but they spoke to 

 each other as man to man ; and nothing seemed to please 

 the master more than to point out illustrations of the 



