Maumee City express. [volume] (Maumee City, Ohio) 1838-184?, 1839-05-18

the man travelling wheel, and tnen the
hull scrape will move, as nigh as can cnl-
culate, leetle slower than chain light
MIN, and darn'd eetle too! But it won't
do to give it a try, afore get the patent.
There is only one thing YET he continued.
shat hadn't contrlved--but that ie a sins
pie mattor--and that is the shortest mode
OF stoppin' on her. My first notion is, to
see how fast can make her work, without
smashing all to bits, and that's done by
screwlng down this other valve; and I'll
show you
And with that he clambered upon the
top, with a turning screw in one hand, and
horn of soap fat in the other, and CONF
menced screwing down the valves, aud oil-
ing the piston-rod and crank joints; and
the motion of the mysterious mass increasz
ed, until NIL seemed buz.
1T is nigh about perfection, aintitT says
he.
! stood amazed in contemplating the obs
ject before me, which confess could not
fully understands; and hence, with tho
greater readiness, permitted my mind To-
bear off to other matters more comprehen-
sible; to the future, which is always mora
clear than the present, under similar cir
cumstances. needed not, for the very
best reason in the world, because Iunder,
stood not, the comp Heated description that
Jobez was giving of his still more compica-
ted invention. All | knew was that here waa
a machine on four good, sturdy, ell-braced
wheels, and ii only required recorded pa
tent, to authorize that small connecting cog
wheel or trunnel-head to be thrown 'into
gear when it would move off, without
oats, hay, or horse shoes, and distance the
mai-coaches. As was surrounded with
notions, it wae not extraordinary that one
should take full possession of ME. 1t dawn
ed upon me, when ! saw the machine first
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 irresistible. 'ALd who
Knows thought |, but some prying scamp
may have been 'peeping through the key
hole while Jabez was at work, and, CATCH
ing the idea, may be now at work at some
clumsy imitation?--and if he does not sue
cecd in turning the first trick, may at last
divide the honors with my friendP
'Jabez,' said |, elevatng my voice above
the buzzing noise of the machine, there is
only one thing wanting
'What is thatP says he, eagerly.
Immortality said l.; 'and you shall
have it, patent or no patentp And with
thnt pulled the crank that twisted the con-
Meeting trunnel head into the travelling
wheels, and in an instant away went the
machine, with Jabez on top of it, with tha
whiz and rapidity of flushed partridge.
The side of the old building presented the
resistance of wet paper. One crash, and
the 'frst locomotive was ushered into this
breathing world. hurried to the opening,
aud had just time to Chamber to the top Of
the fence, to catch the last glimpse of my
departing friend. True to his purpose, |
saw him alternately screwing down the
valves, and oiling the piston-rod and crank=
joints; evidently determined that, although
he had started off a little unexpectedly, he
would redeem the pledge he had given,
which was, that whenit did 60 it would
go leetle slower than a streak of chain
lightnin,' and darnd leetle toon
Like a cloud in the dim distance feeting,
Like an arrow, he fed away!
But moment, and he was here; in q
moment he was there; and now, lohere is
he?--or rather, where is he not! But that,
for the present, is neither here nor there
The vile Moslem ridiculed the belief, SO
religiously cherished by the Christian Don,
that in all the bloody conflicts that laid the
crescent low in the dust, Saint Iago on
white horse, led on to battle, and secured
triumph to the cross; but as this has now
become matter fhlstory, confirmed by the
fact that on numerous occasions this iden-
tcal 'warnor saint was distinctly seen
pounding the Moors' successfully and sim
ultaneously, in battle scenes remote from
each other thus proving his identity by
sanity ubiquity; so we may safely indulge
the belief that the spirit, if not the actual
body and bones, of Jabez Doolittle, stands
perched upon every locomotive that may
ROW be seen, in every direction, threading
its way at the rate ofthirty miles an hour,
to the total annihilation of space and time,
The incredulous, like the Moors ofold, may
indulge their unbelief. but for myself me-
yer see n locomotive in full action, that |
do not also see Jabez there, directing it's
course, as plainly as see the immortal
Clinton in every canal-boat, or the equally
immortal Fulton in every steamboat.
Unfortunately, however these, like Jar
bez Doolittle, started in their career of glor
ry without > patent, trusting too far on an
ungrateful world and now the descendants
of either may Gf they pay their passage)
indulge the luxury that the inventive spi-
mt of their ancestors has secpred to the
age.
But my task is done. All know ask If,
tha. although some doubt and mystery harg
over the first invention of a steam-boat-in
which doubt, however, for one donot par
ticipate-none whatever may exist in re-
gard to the origin of the locomotive branch
Of the great steam family; and that, in all
future time, this fragment of authentic his
tory may enable the latest posterity to re-
trace, by back track and 'turn OUT
through long railroad line of ilustrious
ancestors, the first protector and contriver
Of The Locomotive,' their immortal pro-
genitor, JADEz DooLITrLE, Esq. nigh Wall
| - II