his spare earnings for this purpose, he was
investing money judiciously, and that, in every hour he spent at school,
he was really working for better wages.

His first schoolmaster was Robin Cowens, a poor teacher in the village of
Walbottle. He kept a night-school, which was attended by a few of the
colliers and labourers' sons in the neighbourhood. George took lessons
in spelling and reading three nights in the week. Robin Cowen's teaching
cost threepence a week; and though it was not very good, yet George,
being hungry for knowledge and eager to acquire it, soon learnt to read.
He also practised "pothooks," and at the age of nineteen he was proud to
be able to write his own name.

A Scotch dominie, named Andrew Robertson, set up a night-school in the
village of Newburn, in the winter of 1799. It was more convenient for
George to attend this school, as it was nearer to his work, and only a
few minutes' walk from Jolly's Close. Besides, Andrew had the reputation
of being a skilled arithmetician; and this branch of knowledge Stephenson
was very desirous of acquiring. He accordingly began taking lessons from
him, paying fourpence a week. Robert Gray, the junior fireman at the
Water-row Pit, began arithmetic at the same time; and Gray afterwards
told the author that George learnt "figuring" so much faster than he did,
that he could not make out how it was--"he took to figures so wonderful."
Although the two started together from the same point, at the end of the
winter George had mastered "reduction," while Robert Gray was still
struggling with the difficulties of simple division. But George's secret
was his perseverance. He worked out the sums in his bye-hours, improving
every minute of his spare time by the engine-fire, and studying there the
arithmetical problems set for him upon his slate by the master. In the
evenings he took to Robertson the sums which he had "worked," and new
ones were "set" for him to study out the following day. Thus his
progress was rapid, and, with a willing heart and mind, he soon became
well advanced in arithmetic. Indeed, Andrew Robertson became very proud
of his scholar; and shortly after, when the Water-row Pit was closed, and
George removed to Black Callerton to work there, the poor schoolmaster,
not having a very extensive connexion in Newburn, went with his pupils,
and set up his night-school at Black Callerton, where he continued his
lessons.

George still found time to