EARLY DAYS OF RAILWAYS. 425^ 



on the opening day. The journey, however, as 

 advertised to be performed, regularly occupied a,, 

 period of two hours ; and on the opening day, it 

 being calculated that the pace would be about four 

 or five miles an hour, a man on horseback proceeded 

 in front. As the speed, it was found, could be in- 

 creased, the equestrian had to leave the line, and 

 then a rate of twelve miles an hour was attained, 

 and considered a complete success. 



Many difl&culties had to be surmounted before the 

 steam-engine was completed and got into workable 

 order. The undertaking had met with very strong 

 opposition in its earlier days, endeavours to obtain 

 an Act of Parliament having been unsuccessful in 

 three Sessions ; one very strenuous opponent being 

 the Duke of Cleveland, on the ground that the line 

 would interfere with his hunting. He was successful 

 in obstructing the progress of the undertaking for 

 a time ; but in a subsequent Session a BUI was 

 brought in with the line marked out in a different 

 direction, so that his property was avoided, and 

 eventually the Act of Parliament was obtained in 

 •1821. 



The next line of any importance which came into 

 operation, and which at its commencement more 

 resembled railway-travelling of the present day, was 

 the Liverpool and Manchester, opened in September, 



