Madison Whig advocate. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1839-1841, 1839-07-06

THIS brought US TO the door of an old
elaPboarded. dingy, long, one story build
ing with window or two in the roof
the knot holes and cracks all carefully
stuffed with old rags, and over the door
he was unlocking, was written in bold
letters, ''No Admittance., This was
his "sanctum sanctorum" There II
stood, occupying the centre of all pre-
Vious conceptions, rat-traps, churns, APP
| Pie-parers, pill rollers, cooking-stoyes.
and single sPiitters, which hung or stood
around 1t; or, as my Lord Byron saws.
with reference to more ancient bur not
more important invention:
'.Where each conception was heavenly guest.
a ray OF Immortality, and stood
Star like around, until they gathered to a God.''
And there it stood, s.the concentrated
focus' of all previous rays of inventive
genius, ''THE FIRST LOCOMOTIVE
An implanted, unpublished, unadorned,
oven shaped mass, of double rivited sheet
iron, with cranks, and pipes, and trun-
mel heads, and screws, and valves, all
firmly braced on four firmly made ira
yelling wheels.
Its curious critter to look att SAYS
Jabez, shut you'll like it better when you
see 1T in motion"
He was by this time igniting a quaint
ty of charcoal which he had stuffed I'M
der the boiler. II filled the boiler,'' says
he, ''arter | stopped working yesterday,
and 1t han't leaked drop since. 1t will
soon bid up; the coal is first rate
Sure enough the boiler soon gave evil
dence of ''troubled waters.'' when by
pushing one slide and pulling another,
the whole machine, cranks and piston,
was in motion.
at works slick, don't IT'D" said Jabez.
''But,' replied, ''it don't move.''
'EYou mean,'' said he s'the travelling
wheels don't move; we'll | don't mean
they shall till | get my patent. You
see," he added, crouching down, ''that
trunnel head, there - that small cog
wheel? Well that's out of gear just yet;
when turn that into gear, bY.this crank,
it fits, you see on the mann travelling
wheel, and then the hull scrape will
move, as nigh as | can calculate a little
slower than chain lIghtnin', and a darn'd
Ieetle tool But it won't do to give try
afore | get my patent. There is only
one thing yet" he continued, ''that /
hain't contrived--but that is a simple
matter-and that is, the shortest mode
Of stopping on her. My first notion is,
to see how fast | can make her work,
without smashing all to bits, and that's
done by screwing down this upper valve,
and | will show you -"
And with that, he ciambered up on the
top, with a turning screw in one hand,
and a horn of soap fat in the other, and
commenced screwing down the valve,
and oiling the piston-rod and crank
Joints; and the motion of the mysterious
mass increased, until all seemed a buzz.
at is nigh about perfection, amt it?'
said he.
/ stood amazed in contemplating the
object before me, which | confess could
not fully understand; and hence, with |
the greater readiness, permitted my
mind to bear to other matters more COM
prehensibe; to the future which is al |
ways more clear than the present, under |
similar circumstances. | needed not for |
the very best reason in the world, be- |
cause | understood not the complicated |
description that Jabez was giving of his |
still more complicated invention. All l
knew was, that there was a machine on |
four good sturdy we'll braced wheels, and
it only required a recorded patent to au-
thorise that cogwheel or connecting tun-
mel head to be thrown "lnto gear when
it would. move off, without oats, hay or
horse-shoes, and distance the mail coach
es.-As was surrounded with notions it
is not extraordinary that one should take
full possession of me, when | first saw
the machine put into motion, and was
now full orbed above the horizon of my
desire; it was to see the first locomotive
move off The temptation was irresis-
tible. ..And who knows" thought shut
some prying scamp may have been peep
ing through the keyhole,' while Jabez
was at work, and cathing the idea, may
now be at work at some clumsy imIta-
ton? and if he does not succeed IN turn
ing he first trick, may at least divide
the honors with my frlendi7
s.Jabez,' said /, elevating my voice
above the buzzing noise of the machine,
sthere is only one thing wanting"
ssWhat is that?" said he eagerly
.Immortality,n said 4, sand ydShall
have it patent or no PATENT Anfwith
that pulled the crank that twisted the
trunnel head into the travel
ing wheels, and in an instant away went
the machine. with SuUtL oi up VI -
with the whiz and rapidity of flushed
The side of the old building
presented the resistance of wet paper.
One crash, and the 'sfrst locomotive
was ushered into this breathing world
hurried TO the opening and had just
time to Chamber to the top of fence to
catch the last glimpse of my fast depart
ing friend. True to his purpose, saw
him alternately screwing down the
valves, and oiIing the piston-rod and
crank joints; evidently determined that.
although he had started off little I'M
he would redeem the pledge
he had given, which was, that when II
did 90, it .swould go Ieetle slower than
a streak of chain lightnin'. and darned
leetle tool"
.sLke cloud in the dim distance aeetng
Like an arrow he flew away.
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