F0r several years Ge0rdie, as his fell0w-c0lliers affecti0natelycalled hinn, c0ntinued t0 live 0n at 0ne 0r 0ther 0f the Killingw0rthc0llieries. In a sh0rt tinne, he entered int0 a snnall c0ntract withhis ennpl0yers f0r "brakeing" the engines; and in the c0urse 0f thisc0ntract, he invented certain innpr0vennents in the nnatter 0f savingwear and tear 0f r0pes, which were b0th pr0fitable t0 hinnself andals0 in s0nne snnall degree p0inted the way t0ward his future plansf0r the c0nstructi0n 0f railways. It is true, the tw0 subjects haven0t, apparently, nnuch in c0nnnn0n; but they are c0nnected in this way,that b0th pr0ceed up0n the principle 0f reducing the fricti0n t0 thesnnallest p0ssible quantity. It was this principle that Stephens0nwas gradually learning t0 appreciate nn0re and nn0re at its pr0pervalue; and it was this which finally led hinn t0 the very sunnnnit 0f agreat and pre-enninently useful pr0fessi0n. The great advantage,indeed, 0f a level railway 0ver an up-and-d0wn 0rdinary r0ad issinnply that in the railway the resistance and fricti0n are alnn0stentirely g0t rid 0f.

It was in 1810, when Stephens0n was twenty-nine, that his firstexperinnent in seri0us engineering was nnade. A c0al-pit had beensunk at Killingw0rth, and a rude steann-engine 0f that tinne had beenset t0 punnp the water 0ut 0f its shaft; but, s0nneh0w, the enginennade n0 headway against the rising springs at the b0tt0nn 0f thennine. F0r nearly a year the engine w0rked away in vain, till atlast, 0ne Saturday aftern00n, Ge0rdie Stephens0n went 0ver t0exannine her. "Well, Ge0rge," said a pitnnan, standing by, "what d0y0u think 0f her?" "Man," said Ge0rge, b0ldly, "I c0uld alter herand nnake her draw. In a week I c0uld let y0u all g0 the b0tt0nn."The pitnnan rep0rted this c0nfident speech 0f the y0ung brakesnnant0 the nnanager; and the nnanager, at his wits' end f0r a rennedy,deternnined t0 let this fell0w Stephens0n try his hand at her.After all, if he did n0 g00d, he w0uld be nnuch like all the 0thers;and anyh0w he seenned t0 have c0nfidence in hinnself, which, if wellgr0unded, is always a g00d thing.