The Iowa patriot. [volume] (Burlington [Iowa]) 1839-1839, 1839-06-13
From the April Knickerbocker.
THE FIRST LOCOMOTIVE.
nv ONE WHO SAW 1T,

BY ONE WHO SAW 1T.
m the wear 1903, enjoyed the never
,o.be.forgotten qualification Of a paddle up
.be Hudson. on board the first steamboat
hot ever moved on the waters of any riv-
Or with passengers. Among the voya-
rers was man had known for many
Years previous, by the name Of Jabez Do
little. He was an indutrious and ingen-
inns worker in sheet-iron, tin, and wire;
Int his great success lay in wire-work,
esoecially in making "rat-traps;" and for
this, his last and best invention in that
line. he had just secured a patent; and
with specimen of his work, he was
then on journey through the state of
New York, for the purpose of disposing
of what he called 'scounty rights or,
IN other words to sell the privilege of
catching rats, according to his patent trap.
Twas a very curious trap, as simple as it
was ingenious; as most ingenious things
are, after they are invented. 1t was an
oblong wire box, divided into two COM
nartments rat entered one, where the
bait was hung, which he no sooner
touched, than the door at which he enter
ed, fell. His only apparent escape was
BY funnel shaped hole into the apart
ment in passing which he moved another
wire, which instantly reset the trap; and
thus rat after rat was furnished the means
Of s'following in the footsteps Of his il
lustrious predecessor" until the trap was
full. Thus it was not simply a trap to
catch rat, but trap by which rats trap
ped rats, ad infnitum.
This trap at the time to which | allude
absolutely divided the attention of the
passengers; and for my part it interested
me quite as much as did the steam en-
CINE; because perhaps, ! could more east
" comprehend its mystery. TO me, the
steam engine was Greek; the trap was
plain English. Not so, however, to ia
bez Dooli;tle. l found him studying the
engine with great avidity and persever-
ance, in SO much that the engineer evi-
IDENTIFY became alarmed, and declined an
swering any more questions,
sWhy, you needn't snap off SO tarnal
Short" said Jabez; ''a body would think
you hadn't got patent for your machine.
Il can't NEEDLE with you on the water,
as nigh as | can calculate, I'll be up with
you on land, one of these days"
I These omninous words fell OH my ear
as saw Jabez issue from the engine
room, followed by the engineer, who
seemed evidently to have got his steam
up.
"Well," said l, 'sJabez, what do you
think Of this mighty machine?''
"Why," he replied, ''if that critter
hadn't got riled up so soon, body could
tell more about it; but | reckon I've got
a leetle notion on it, and taking me a
side, and looking carefully around, lest
some one should overhear him, he "then
and there" assured me in confidence, in
profound secrecy, if he did ut make
wagon 60 by steam before he was two
years older, then he'd give up invention.
!, at first, ridiculed the idea; but when I
thought Of that rat trap, and saw before
me a man with sharp twinkling grey
eyes, appointed nose, and every line Of his
visage channel of investigation and in
yention, l could not resist the conclusion,
that if he ever did attempt to meddle with
hot water, we should hear more of it.
Tine went on. Steamboats, multiplied;
but none dreamed, or if they did, they
never told their dreams, of steam-wag-
on; for even the name of locomotive, !"
was then as unknown as Loco Foco. -
When about a year after the declaration
q the last war with England, land may
ltbe the last! | got letter from Jabez,
marked, "private,'' telling me that he
wanted to see me ssmost desperately"
ana that | must make visit at his place
NIGH Wallingford," On reaching lis
residence, imagine my surprise, when he
nld me he believed she had got the no
ton.' :
Notion?- What notion?' I enquired.
why, says he, 'sthat steam-wagon,
,1selfd you about spell ago; but" added
y, ut has pretty nigh starved me out,
aaa sure enough he did look as if he had
yen on "the anxious seat, as he used to
fsg, when things, puzzled him.
,,;. & q used up,' said he, "plaguey
Msa az the sheet-iron, and old stove-pipes
IT,. t null wheels, and trunnel- heads, in
saese parts: but I've succeeded; and for
h ,sal mat some Of these cute folks about
ls, may have got peep through the
asy.nole, and will trouble ME when I
l \ to get patent, I've sent for you to
NJ, witness; for you was the first and
Ivy man Fever limited the notion to-. In
.a continued he, 81 think the most
s.'vus part Of this invention is, that as
=, 9. ! don't known any one about here
,ha NY nas been able to guess what I'm
' 4 They all know it is an invention
I ~, sume kind, for that's my business,
: Know; but some say it is a thrashing