On the following day I was taken a round of the ironworks, and inspected their machinery, as well as that of the collieries, in the details of which Mr. Hartop had introduced many common-sense and most effective improvements. All of these interested me, and gave me much pleasure. In the evening we resumed our "cracks" on many subjects of mutual interest. The daughter joined in our conversation with the most intelligent remarks; for, although only in her twenty-first year, she had evidently made good use of her time, aided by her clear natural faculties of shrewd observation. Mr. Hartop having met with some serious reverse of fortune, owing to the very unsatisfactory conduct of a partner, had in a manner to begin business life again on his own account; and although he had to reduce his domestic establishment considerably in consequence, there was in all its arrangements a degree of neatness and perfect systematic order, combined with many evidences of elegant taste and good sense which pervaded the whole, that enhanced in no small degree the attractiveness of the household. The chief of these, however, was to me their daughter Anne! I soon perceived in her, most happily and attractively combined, all the conditions that I could hope for and desire to meet with in the dear partner of my existence.
As I had soon to proceed on my journey, I took the opportunity of telling her what I felt and thought, and so ardently desired in regard to our future intercourse. What little I did say was to this great purpose; and, so far as I could judge, all that I said was received in the best spirit that I could desire. I then communicated my hopes and wishes to the parents. I explained to them my circumstances, which happily were then beginning to assume an encouraging prospect, and realising, in a substantial form, a return for the earnest exertions that I had made towards establishing a home of my own. They expressed their concurrence in the kindest manner; and it was arranged that if business continued to progress as favourably as I hoped, our union should take place in about two years from that time.
Everything went on hopefully and prosperously. The two years that intervened looked very long in some respects, and very short in others; for I was always fully occupied, and labour shortens time. At length the two years came to an end. My betrothed and myself continued of the same mind. The happy "chance" event of our meeting on the evening of the 2d of March 1838 culminated in our marriage at the village church of Wentworth on the 16th of June 1840—a day of happy memory! From that day to this the course of our united hearts and lives has continued to run on with steady uninterrupted harmony and mutual happiness. Forty-two years of our married life finds us the same affectionate and devoted "cronies" that we were at the beginning; and there is every prospect that, under God's blessing, we shall continue to be so to the end.
I was present at the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, on the 15th of September 1830. Every one knows the success of the undertaking. Railways became the rage. They were projected in every possible direction. They were first made between all the large towns, after which branches were constructed to place the whole country in connection with the main lines. Coaches were driven off the road, and everything appeared to be thrown into a state of confusion. People wondered greatly at the new conditions of travelling; and they flocked from all quarters to see the railway at work.
When the line was opened from Edinburgh to Glasgow, a shepherd and his wife came from beyond the Pentlands to see the train pass. On it came, and flashed out of sight in a minute. "How wonderful are the works o' man!" exclaimed the shepherd. "But what's a' the hurry for?", rejoined his wife. Still more marvellous, however, was the first adventure by train of an old woman from Newtyle to Dundee. In those days the train was let down part of the railway by a rope. The woman was on her way down hill, with a basket of eggs by her side. Suddenly the rope broke, and the train dashed into the Dundee Station, scattering the carriages, and throwing out the old woman and her basket of broken eggs. A porter ran to her help, when, gathering herself together, she exclaimed, "Odd sake, sirs, d'ye aye whummil* [footnote… Whummil, to turn upside down.—Jamieson's Scottish Dictionary. …] us oot this way?" She thought it was only the ordinary way of delivering railway passengers.
Ropes, however, were merely exceptional methods of working railway trains. Eventually locomotives were invariably adopted. When railways were extended in so many directions, more and more locomotives were required to work them.
When George Stephenson was engaged in building his first locomotive at Killingworth, he was greatly hampered, not only by the want of handy mechanics, but by the want of efficient tools. But he did the best that he could. His genius overcame difficulties. It was immensely to his credit that he should have so successfully completed his engines for the Stockton and Darlington, and afterwards for the Liverpool and Manchester Railway.
Only a few years had passed, and self-acting tools were now enabled to complete, with precision and uniformity, machines that before had been deemed almost impracticable.
In proportion to the rapid extension of railways the demand for locomotives became very great. As our machine tools were peculiarly adapted for turning out a large amount of first-class work, we directed our attention to this class of business. In the course of about ten years after the opening of the Liverpool and Manchester Railway, we executed considerable orders for locomotives for the London and Southampton, the Manchester and Leeds, and the Gloucester railway companies.
The Great Western Railway Company invited us to tender for twenty of their very ponderous engines. They proposed a very tempting condition of the contract. It was, that if, after a month's trial of the locomotives, their working proved satisfactory, a premium of #100 was to be added to the price of each engine and tender. The locomotives were made and delivered; they ran the stipulated number of test miles between London and Bristol in a perfectly satisfactory manner; and we not only received the premium, but, what was much more encouraging, we received a special letter from the Board of Directors, stating their entire satisfaction with the performance of our engines, and desiring us to refer other contractors to them with respect to the excellence of our workmanship. This testimonial was altogether spontaneous, and proved extremely valuable in other quarters.