Rev. F. S. Williams in an article upon “Railway Revolutions,”
remarks:—“When railways were first established it was never imagined that
they would be so far degraded as to carry coals; but George Stephenson
and others soon saw how great a service railways might render in
developing and distributing the mineral wealth of the country. Prejudice
had, however, to be timidly and vigorously overcome. When it was
mentioned to a certain eminent railway authority that George Stephenson
had spoken of sending coals by railway: ‘Coals!’ he exclaimed, ‘they will
want us to carry dung next.’ The remark was reported to ‘Old George,’
who was not behind his critic in the energy of his expression. ‘You tell
B—,’ he said, ‘that when he travels by railway, they carry dung now!’
The strength of the feeling against the traffic is sufficiently
illustrated by the fact that, when the London and Birmingham Railway
began to carry coal, the wagons that contained it were sheeted over that
their contents might not be seen; and when a coal wharf was first made at
Crick station, a screen was built to hide the work from the observation
of passengers on the line. Even the possibility of carrying coal at a
remunerative price was denied. ‘I am very sorry,’ said Lord Eldon,
referring to this subject, ‘to find the intelligent people of the north
country gone mad on the subject of railways;’ and another eminent
authority declared: ‘It is all very well to spend money; it will do some
good; but I will eat all the coals your railway will carry.’
“George Stephenson, however, and other friends of coal, held on their
way; and he declared that the time would come when London would be
supplied with coal by railway. ‘The strength of Britain,’ he said, ‘is
in her coal beds; and the locomotive is destined, above all other
agencies, to bring it forth. The Lord Chancellor now sits upon a bag of
wool; but wool has long ceased to be emblematical of the staple commodity
of England. He ought rather to sit upon a bag of coals, though it might
not prove quite so comfortable a seat. Then think of the Lord Chancellor
being addressed as the noble and learned lord on the coal-sack? I’m
afraid it wouldn’t answer, after all.’”