Anti-slavery bugle. [volume] (New-Lisbon, Ohio) 1845-1861, 1848-11-24
From HUNTS Merchants Magazine
Trials and TriumphS of American &C.
MUS in England.

lflaIS ana lflunplS OF American Ge-
MUS in England.
Those who have read the narrative Of the
sufierlngs Of ragged and hungry Genius, as
told by the sufferers themselves in Johnson's
Lille OF Savage and in Goldsmiih's Vicar Of
Nakeneld, Will listen to the following letter,
addressed TO. a distinguished gentleman in
this country, a chapter of autobiography,
with like interest; for, like those narratives,
1t not only describes the trials, bat is written,
also, with the energetic pen of Genius.
The writer is Mr.. j. r. Remington, a
young man, a Virginian by birth. After re.
siding for a while in Alabama, a few wears
since he went to Washington, and exhibited
The models and drawings of several ingeui-
Gus and Gas they have since proved) valua-
BILE mechanical inventions Of his own. At
Washington he made little Roadway. One
of his inventions was a bridge, constructed
on a novel principle. or rather a principle
newly applied, and by which bridges OF tim.
Der of great length can be thrown across riv-
prs and wide railroad cuts withou, interme-
dia'o support. People looked and admired
but somehow. although they saw much that
was sirikingly original, they could not see
how the contrivancss were 10 be made prac-
tcalIy useful. Fulton's first sieamboatdrew
crowds Of such admirers round il when it
was on the stocks.
Dir. Remington was not discouraged. We
are sometimes apt to look upon the mechani-
cal and mathematical turn Of mind as natu-
rally dry, grabbed and cold Yet there can
be no doubt land a multitude of brilliant ex-
amples Of late years, attest The faci) that the
great mechanical inventor is borne up by as
much of the "aTdor Of confident genius"
the ~ evidence of things not SEEM and feels
as sensibly "the substance Of things hoped
for" as the great poet, or any Of those whom
we are more apt 10 class among geniuses Of
more exalted mood. The source of the mis-
take seems to be the very excess of magma
ton in him, and the lack of it in us while
we, having eyes, see not the end, but the
means only, he is looking at the end while
we lhinksof the.-dull machinery and the I'M
couih figures with which he works, his
thoughts are running forwards and soaring
upwards TO his results worked out. complete.
Mr.. Remington went to England. arriving
J in London early in January, 1917. He went,
to use his striking language, in " search of a
man - like the old philosopher, he sought
but one mind capable Of sympathetic appre-
citation. He carried with him his plans, a
teeming brain, a letter Of introduction, and
an empty purse.
The story of Mr.. Remington's success has
been told by the lips of others, as was mos
meet; we leave it TO himself TO describe his
struggles and probation. His letter would
be marred by any attempt on our par, to ado
or amplify.
STAFFORD, STAFFoRDsmIRE. ENGLAND,
August Is, 1918.
MY DEAR Sal
] should have written sooner, but that
had nothing pleasant to say. ! reached Lon
don on the LIST of January, lS47, withou
money or friends, which was Just the thing
desired when ] left America, aud just tn
thing, | assure you, ! will never desire again
| commenced operations at once, on the sup
position that, in this oyergrown city, l woul
at least enlist one man. But Englishme
are not Americans. An Englishman wi
advance any amount on an absolute certainty
but not one penny where there is the Sigh
? est risk, if he got the whole world by it.
, spent the first five months looking after III
man with unparalleled perseverance and il
6 dustry. living for less than three pence p,
/ day. am convinced that few persons
London know so much of that incomprehel
sibly large city as myself. But alas IN
wardrobe was gone to supply me wi
Q wretchedly baked corn bread, on which
a lived entirely. | slept on straw, for which
Is paid a half penny per night. | became ra
eed and filthy, and could no longer go'amoI
men of business. Up to this time my 81
n rits never sunk, nor did they then; but n
sufrerings were great. My limbs distor,t
70 with rheumatism, induced by cold and EXP
. sure-my face and head swelled to a me
N unnatural size with cold and toolhache, a
k those who slept in the same horrid den
" myself were wretched street beggars, t
"a very cleanest Of them alive with all mann
of creeping things. But ! was no beggar.
never begged, nor ever asked a favor
at any man since ] came to England. A
.el George Bancroft, who called upon me two
#. three times, if | ever asked the slightest
Ter vor, or even presumed upon the letter y
no gave me TO him. | did write him a no
TX asking him to come and witness the tTium
Of opening the bridg &c at the Gardens, a
delivered the note at his own house myse
ard although Prince Albert came, ! me-
got even a reply to my note. II Bancr
had come, and been the man 10 have OF
a recognized me in my rags as ] was, il wol
no have saved me much suffering. ! will
on believe that Bancroft ever saw my note,
,er his department TO me was ever kind.
If. The succeeding three months after the 4
Ave | will not detail, up TO the time | &C
,ok menced 10 build the bridge. ] will not h
ION row up my feelings 10 write, nor pain y
20 kind heart 10 read the incidents of those nj
~ days. My head turned grey, and | m
.t have died but for the Jews, who did give
ma one shilling down for my acknowledged
of ElO on demand. These wicked rot
or Ties amounted TO several hundred pour