Madison Whig advocate. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1839-1841, 1839-07-06
From tie Knickerbocker.
rhe FIRST locomotive.

BIZ oyE WHO SAW IT.
u, the wear 1903. / enjoyed the never
fo-ba-forgotien qualification of paddle
-. ill., Hudson on board the first steam
49, Nat ever moved on the waters of
anv river with passengers. Among the
vorogers, was a man ! had known for
.3me years previous, by the name of ia
haz Doolttle He was an Industrious
and an ingenious worker in sheet-iron,
M and wire; but his great success lay
IN wire-work, especially in making 'srat
traps:' and for this his last and best in
vsBiion in that line, he had just secured
Z patent. and with a specimen of his
Hork he was then on a journey through
The State Of New York, for the purpose
Of disposing Of what he called :'county
rights or, IN other words, to sell the
privilege of catching rats, according to
h.s patent trap. 1t was an oblong wire
box. divided into two compartments; a
Ili entered one, where the bait was hung,
Hhich he no sooner touched than the
door al which he entered fell His only
apparent escape was by a funnel-shaped
h0.e into the other apartment, in passing
vhIch, he moved another wire, which
instantly reset the trap; and thus rat
sier rat was furnished the means of
following IN the footsteps of his illus
tn0us predecessor, until the trap was
lalL Thus it was not simply a trap to
catch rat, but a trap by which rats
trapped rats, adj inhnitum.
This trap, at the time to which allude,
absolutely divided the attention of the
passengers; and for my part it interest
Fl me quite as much as did the steam
engine: because, perhaps, | could more
easily comprehend its mystery. To me
the steam-engine was Greek; the trap
was plain English. Not so, however, TO
Jabez DOolittle. ! found him studying
the engine with great avidity and perse-
EeraBce, insomuch that the engineer evil
Gently became alarmed, and declined an
sFerng any more of his questions.
why YOU needn't snap off so tarnal
Short" said Jabez; "a body would think
Won hadn't got a patent for your ma
chine If | can't NEEDLE with you on
be water, as nigh as ! can calculate, I'll
Be up 10 YOU on land, one of these days"
These ominous words fell on my ear,
a. saw Jabez issue from the engine
room, followed by the engineer, who
seemed evidently to have got his steam
Up
"Well," said |, ''Jabez, what do you
think of this mighty machine % why" |
be replied, If that critter hadn't got
Med up SO soon, a body could tell more
about il; but | reckon Eve got leetle
notion omit" and then taking me aside,
and looking carefully around, lest some
lne should overhear him, he "then and
here assured me in confidence, IN pro-
iodnd secrecy, that if he didn't make a
wagon 90 By steam before he was two
'ears older, then he'd give up invention.
AZ frst ridiculed the idea; but when
bought OF that rat-trap, and saw before
ne man with sharp twinkling grey
eyes pointed nose, and every line of
DIS Fisage a channel of investigation
ahd invention; | could not resist the con-
'iasion that If he ever did attempt to
Aeddle with hot water, we should hear
more of it.
lime went on. Steamboats, multiple
" out none dreamed, or, If they never
90 their dreams, of a steam-wagon; for
sven the name of ''locomotiven was then
= unknown as 'sloco foco'' When,
l4eu' year after the declaration of the
as war with England, land may it be
He iasi!} got letter from Jabez, mark
private" telling me that he wanted
y see me ''most desperately and that |
u, ms make him visit at his place 'snigh
9aiingiord." On reaching his resi-
5lce, imagine my surprise. when hei
II me he believed he .'had got the
Notion what notion2' | inquired.
n.y. says he, ..that steam wagon
sc You about "a spell ago; ..but,n adj
= he, 1T has pretty nigh starved me
anu sure enough he did look as ifl
haI been on s'the anxious seat,' as
Iseu 70 say when things puzzled him.
nave used up" said he, ..plaguy
II a" me sheet-iron. and old stove
1 ana mill-wheels. and tunnel-heads,
"ese parts; but I've succeeded; and
| ear that some of these cute folks
hsfe may have got peep through
eyhoie, and viii trouble me when
Ae 70 get patent. I've sent for you
witness, for YOU was the first and
y man ever limited the notion 10: in
continued he. Il think the most
Yus part of this invention is, that as
cont know any one here who has
able 10 guess what | am about. I
al Know it is an invention of some
- LOT that's my business you know
so'ne say II IS thrashing machines
a disiiilery; and Of late they be-