here on one of his own inventing September 8th, 1832, direct from
Oxford, having travelled at from ten to fourteen miles per hour. Our
local geniuses were not behindhand, and Messrs. Heaton Bros., and the
well-known Dr. Church brought out machines for the purpose. Both parties
started joint-stock companies to carry out their inventions, and in that
respect both parties succeeded, for such was the run for shares, that in
June, 1833, when Heatons' prospectus came out, offering to the public
2,000 £10 shares, no less than 3,000 were asked for in one day. There
was also a third company in the field, the "London, Birmingham, and
Liverpool," with a nominal capital of £300,000; but none of them
prospered; for though they could construct the engines and the coaches,
they could not make receipts cover expenses. Heatons' ran theirs for
some little time to Wolverhampton and back, and even to the Lickey; the
Doctor came out every month with something new; and even the big Co.
managed to bring one carriage all the way from London (August 28th,
1835). Others besides Captain Ogle also came here on their iron horses,
and there was plenty of fun and interest for the lookers-on generally--
but no trade and no interest for the speculators. For steam coaches of
the present day, see "_Tramways_."

~Coal~ was not in common use much before 1625, and for a long time was
rather shunned by householders, more especially in the rural parts where
the black diamonds were looked upon as something altogether uncanny.
Prior to the opening of the first canal, the roads leading from the
Black Country daily presented the curious feature of an almost unending
procession of carts and waggons bringing the supplies needed by our
manufacturers, and high prices were the rule of the day. The first
boatload was brought in on November 6th, 1769, and soon after the price
of coal at the wharf was as low as 4d. per cwt.--See "_Trades_."