“There was no help for it, however, but to go on.”
- Date
- 1868
- Attribution
- Source identified
- Voice / speaker
- Quoted historical voice · George Stephenson
What does this quote mean?
During the Chat Moss crisis, continuing became the practical choice after heavy investment and discouraging expert opinion had narrowed the alternatives.
Where does it come from?
The Life of George Stephenson and of his Son Robert Stephenson, Chapter XI, “Chat Moss—Construction of the Railway”; represented 1868 revised edition, Project Gutenberg #46229. Smiles records Stephenson’s first-person recollection of the directors’ crisis over Chat Moss in quoted speech.
Who voices the line?
Quoted historical voice · George Stephenson. The Life of George Stephenson and of his Son Robert Stephenson. The Chat Moss passage is Stephenson’s first-person recollection reproduced inside Smiles’s biography, so Stephenson is the local historical voice while Smiles remains the bibliographic source author.
The source author and the local speaker can be different, especially in fiction, drama, dialogue and poetry.
How should this attribution be read?
This wording is connected with the named source shown above. Translations and editions can vary, so consult the source note when exact wording matters.