Somebody once said of Mr. Joseph Chamberlain that "he had genius for friendship." Stephen-for, although of humble origin, seems to have been able to form firms friendships. He was a man 1 personality. "He impressed infizentinl men' with his. sincerity, He once said "Lord Ravensworth end partners were the first to centrust_me with money to make a lcsomotive engine." That was in 1812. His chief difficulty was finding workmen sufficiently' skilled mechanics and the use of tools ts fellow his instructions. For" in those days the tools were crude grid the artisans unused to. the sie of work needed for building kind of engine. His first Keeomotive was not a success. Then was decided to lead the exhaust seam into the chimney, The power the engine was at once more Vian doubled as combustion w greatly stimulated by the draught. This "system of increasing the combustion of the fuel ig still used ly modern Tocometives.
At about the time of these ex-Feriments (1815) Stephenson turned his attention to the idea of the safety lamps. Robert Stephenson afterwards said of his fathor:—It George Stephenson had never lived, it Humphry Davy could and most probably would have invented the safety-lamp; but again, Humphry Davy had never lived George Stephenson certainly would have invented the safety-lamp 1 believe he did, independent of that 'Sir, Humphry Davy had ever done in the matter' of note that £1,000 was collected and presented to George Stephenson, 'n this connexion "for the valuable service he had thus rendered mankind."
The Sagacious Edward Pease It was Edward Pease wie unde took what many of his friend called "a hopeless After a great deal of opposition ihe Duke of Cleveland and others, he was successful in persuading Parliament to. allow isn to. build the Stockton and Dai The Act was passed in 1821, it is worthy of note that Pease originally did not contemplate the employment of locomotives. Tite Act provided for the making and maintaining of tramroads for the Passage "of wagons and other carriages." It was provided that these could be moved "with men and horsey or otherwise."
toon after the Act has received the: Royal assent, two strengers topped at the door house in Darlington. George Stepsebbon introduced himself" ands FeHow-workman. The object of tt was to suggest steam traction fof "the new line. Mr. Pease wat t}once impressed by his visitor. Hq" afterwards, said "There an honest, sensible look about dhe seemed so modest and fending." That he persuaded to discard the power of houses and to use the locomotive is 'a proof bath of his. ability to Ington to Stockton. Tt was considered as a great triumph for engineering science that the loco-innative beat the stage-coach by about 100 yards!
The Usual Opposition From the commencement this pioneer line paid and the astute commercial men of Liverpool and Manchester soon began to think of other railways. The public mind was gradually becoming familiar with the idea of steam power. Yet there was considerable opposition to the idea, Tt was an age of extreme religious views and many people firmly believed that "team power was a device employed by the Devil. There were also. bitter opponents, such as ith vested interests in the canals or stage coaches. Some of us remember how the typical driver of the hansom cabs {in London reviled the frst taxi-cabs. The old drivers of stage coaches must have been very vehement in their criticism of locomotives. It is incredible to us that there should have been thrown so much cold on to the new ideas. In this generation there is a tendency to claim too much for, or to expect too much of new inventions. There is, however, no lack of encouragement for those who are able to improve methods of mechanical transport.
The New World The steam locomotive has opened up new countries. It has broken down the old barriers which separate. ed nations. During the last century rails were laid across the American Continents. Canada and the United Star ted to transport to suitable markets pi duce that otherwise would not have been worth growing. Asia and Aus. tralia followed after Europe in the Naying of tracks for the Iron Horse. Probably the continent that has disappointed the most of all is Asia. Yet there are two facts that encourage. The great railway has been built and of railways 2 monument terprise in that country. proved a disappoint. ment, but even in China the forces of crude opposition to railways hav been overcome.
Exactly 100 years after the birth of George Stephenson "The Rocket of China" was christened in 1881.
In some ways, it was as extraor. mary a piece of mechanism as the first engine made by the man who produced the locomotive which made of the Chinese machinery was, in 1881, so great that and any form of even at that late date, imlo to import a locomotive into the country. There would have been riots and pos: deaths. Therefore an English engineer named George Kinder proceeded to Vuild up out of odd bits of mining machinery and materials the engine which made him immortal in the Far East.
It is worth while remarking that even as these fines are beirtg writ the Russian ° Bolshevik agents in Canton are spreading amongst the Chinese on anti-machinery propaganda. For all the chaos in the country, there is still a section of the populace who object to any change.
There is always litent in the minds of those Chinese who have
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.