Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. A MILE A MINUTE. In these days of lightning express trains it is hard to realize that fifty years ago the locomotive was in its infancy, and its possibilities were not dreamed of. At that time a well known resident of Liverpool said that if it were ever proved possible for a locomotive engine to go ten miles an hour, he would undertake to eat a stewed engine-wheel for breakfast. Whether the gentleman lived to partake of this meal is not recorded. The press almost universally scoffed at the same idea of rapid locomotion, declaring it impossible and denouncing its advocates as lunatics and fanatics. '.' Twelve miles an hour ! " exclaimed the " Quarterly Review," about the time of which I have been speaking, "twelve miles an hour! As well might a man be shot out of a Congreve rocket." About 1830, George Stephenson was cross-examined by a Parliamentary committee in regard to constructing a railroad from Liverpool to Manchester, and a member of that body closely questioned the greatengineer, the interview being thus given in a recent work on railway history. " Well, Mr. Stephenson, perhaps you could go seventeen miles an hour? " " Yes," was the reply. " Perhaps some twenty miles might be reached? " " Yes, certainly." " Twenty-five, I dare say, you do not think impossible?" " Certainly not impossible." "Dangerous? " " Certainly not." " Now, tell me, Mr. Stephenson," said the Parliamentary member with indignation, " will you say that you can go thirty miles? " " Certainly," was the answer as before. Questions ended for the -time, and the wiseacres of the committee burst into a roar of laughter, but Stephenson built the road, and on his trial trip astonished the world with a speed of thirty-six miles an hour. About the time England...