Excerpt from The Stephenson Centenary: Containing the Proceedings of the Day, the Processions and Decorations, With the Speeches Delivered Upon the Occasion; Illustrated With Views Familiarity often leads to forgetfulness. So accustomed to the convenience: and comforts of railway travelling have mankind become, that, in their daily use, their author and founder is apt, if not to be overlooked, at leasttobelightly thought of. By those only-a now rapidly narrowing circle - who have lived under a ditliemt regime, may the advantages of the present state of things be adequately appraised. A hundred years ago, the traveller from one part of the country to another was com pelledtositonthe topofajogging stage-coach, and movealong the ruggedroadsata comparatively sluggish pace. In summer, when the sen scorched and h paint on the primitive vehicle, he was covmd by the flying dust M the he. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.