The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-05-01
MISCELLANEOUS.
From The April KniekerLocker
THE FIRST LOCOMOTIVE.
ny ONE WHO SAW 1T.

ny ONE WHO SAW 1T.
In the year 1898, enjoyed the never-to-
be-forgotten qualification of paddle up the
Hudson, on board the first steamboat that ever
moved on the waters Of any river, with pas
sengers. Among the voyagers, was man
had known for many years previous, by the
name of Jabez Doolittle. Flo was an indus
trious and ingenious worker in sheet-iron, tin,
and wire but his great success lay in wire
work, especially in making " rat-traps;" and
for this his last and best invention in that line,
he had just secured patent; and with spe-
cimen OF his work, he was then on Journey
through the State Of New York, for the pur-
pose of disposing of what he called /" county
rights !" or, in other words, to sell the priv-
leee Of catching rats, according to his patent
trap. II was n very curious trap, as simple
as il was ingenious; as most ingenious things
are, after they are invented. 1t was an obloug
wire box, divided into two compartments u
rat entered one, where the bait was hung,
which he no sooner touched than the door at
which he entered, fell. His only apparent es-
cape was by funnel-shaped hole into the
apartment, in passing which, he moved an
other wire, which instantly reset the trap;
and thus rat after rat was furnished the means
of /" following in the footsteps of his illustrious
predecessor" until the trap was full. Thus il
was not simply a trap to catch rat. but trap
by which rats trapped rats, ad minimum.
This trap, at the time TO which ! a!lude. abb
solutely divided the attention of the passen-
gers and for my part, it interested me quite
as much as did the steam-engine because,
perhaps, l could more, easily comprehend its
mystery. To me, the steam. engine was
Greek !, the trap was plain English. Not so,
however, to Jabez Doottle. found him
studying the engine with great avidity and
perseverance, insomuch the engineer became
alarmed, and declined answering any more
questions.
"Why, you needn't snap off so tarnal short"
said Jabez, "a body would think you hadn't
got patent for your machine If can't med
die with You on the water, as nigh as | can
calculate, III be up TO you on land, one OF
these days"
These ominous words fell on my ear, as |
saw Jabez issue from the engine-room, fol-
lowed by the engineer, who seemed evidently
to have got his steam up.
"Wcll," said !, "Jabez, what do you think
Of this mighty machines 2" ''Why," he replied,
"if that crittcr hadn't got riled up so soon,
body could tell more about it but reckon
I've got Il leclle notion ont;' and then taking
me aside, and looking carefully around, lest
some one should overhear him, he 'then and
there" assured me in confidence, in profound
secrecy, if he didn't make a wagon 90 by
steam, before he was two yeaas older, then
he'd give up invention. at first ridiculed
the idea but when thought of that rat trap,
aud saw before me man with sharp twinkling
gray eyes, a pointed nose, and every line ,f
his visayc channel Of investigation and in
vcntion, could not resist the conclusion, that
fever he did attempt to NEEDLE with hot wa
ter, we should hear more Of it.
Time went on. Steamboats, multiplied
but none dreamed, or if they did, they never
told their dreams, Of steamwagon for even
the name Of locomotive" was then as tn-
known as " loco-foco." When, about
year after the declaration Of the last war with
England, (and may it be the last | got a
letter from Jabez, marked "prvate." telling
me that he wanted to see me "most despe-
rately," and that | must make him visit at
his place :" nigh WalIingford." On rcaching
his residence, imagine my surprise, when he
told me, he believed he "had got the no.
tion.'
Notion what notion 7" | inquired
Why" says he, g that steamwagon, /
tel'd you about, spell ago" but" added
he, :. il has pretty nigh starved me out !" and
sure enough, he did look as il he had been on
:. the anxious seat, )" as he used to say, when
things puzzled him.
g. have used up" said he "plaguey nigh
all the sheet iron, and old stove pipes, and