Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1839-05-09

with reference to a more ancient but not
more important invention
"where each conception was a heavenly guest,
A ray of immortality, and stood
Siar-like around, until they gathered to a God
And there i; stood, "the concentrated
focus" of oil previous rays of inventive
genus, "THE FIRST LOCOMOTIVE"
An implanted, unpublished, unadorned,
oven-shaped mass, ofdouble rlyeted sheet
iron, with cranks, and pipes, and trunnel
heads, aud screws, and valves, all firmly
braced on four firmly made travelling
wheels.
"It's a curious critter 10 look at" says
Jabez, but you'll like it better, when
you see it in notion"
He was by this time igniting a quanti-
ty Of charcoal, which he had stuffed UNI
der the boiler. filled the b'iler" says
he, carter | stopped working yesterday,
and it han't leaked drop since. 1t will
soon bile 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," said ia
bez.
"But," | replied, sit don't move."
"You meen," said he, "the travelling
wheels don't move well, | don't mean
they shall, till | get my patent. You
see" added he, %croaching down, "that
~trunnel head, there--that small ~cog.wheeli
Well, that's out Of gear just yet when !
turn that into gear, by this crank, It fits,
you see, on the main travelling wheel,
and then the hull scrape will move, as
nigh as | can calculate, a little slower
than chain lightin', and a darn'd leetle
too! But it wont do to give ii a try, atore
| get the patent. There is only n thing
vet" he continued, "that | han't contri-
ved-but that is a simple matter-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 screwing down
| this upper valve; and III show YOU"
And with that, he clambered 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 valves,
and oiling the piston rod and crank joints ;
and the motion of the mysterious mass IN
creased, until it seemed A BUz.
Ii is nigh about perfection, amt it?"
said he.
stood amazed in contemplating the OBJ
:.-. I.c.-o .na ,yki,h I cnncacs cptrli MOI
fully understand ; and hence, with the
greater readiness, permitted my mind to
bear off to other matters more compile
hensible to the future, which is always
more clear than the present, under SINH.
lar circumstances. | needed not, for the
very best reason in the world, because
understood not, the complicated descrip-
ton that Jabez was giving ofhis still more
complicated invention. All | knew was,
that here was a machine on four good
sturdy well braced wheels, and it only re.
CURED a recorded patent, to authorize
that small connecting cog-wheel or tun-
mel head to be thrown I" INTO gear" when
il would be off, without oats, hay, or horse
shoes, and distance the mail coaches.-
AS | was surrounded with notions, it was
not extraordinary that one should take
full possession ofme. 1t dawned upon me
when | first saw the machine put in mo.
ton, and was now full orbed above the
horizon of my desire; it was to see The
first locomotive move off. The tempta-
ton was irresistible. "And who knows,
thought |, "but some prying scamp may
have been peeping through the key.hole,
while Jabez was at work, and, catching
the idea, may be o at work at some
clumsy imitation land il he does not sue.
coed IN turning the first trick, may at least
divide the honors with my frlend?"
"Jsbez," said |, elevating my voice a.
bove the buzzing of the machine, "there
is only one thing wanting"
"What is that !? said he, eargerly.
"Immortality," said |, sand you shall
have it, patent or no patent" And with
that, | pulled the crank that twisted the
connecting trunnel-head into the travelling
wheels, and in an instant away went the
machine, with Jabez on top OF it, with the
whiz and rapidity ola flushed partridge.
The side of the old building presented the
resistance of wet paper. One crash, and
the first locomotive" was ushered into
this breathing world. | hurried to the o.
penlng, and had just time to Chamber to
the top of a fence to catch the last glimpse
of my fast departing friend. True to his
purpose, ! saw him alternately screwing
down the valves, and rolling the piston
rod and crank joints; evidently determin.
ed that although he started off a lutte un-
expectedly, he would redeem the pledge
he had gwen, which was, that when il
did 90, ii "would 20 a leetle slower than
a streak of chain-llghtnin,' and a darn'd
leetle too !"
Like a cloud in the dim distance ~aeeting,
Like an arrow" he flew away!