The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1848-11-25

We lind the following remarkable narrative Of
the sufferngs, perseverance,, and final success Of
rare American genius, in Hunt's Merchants
Magazine for November, addressed to the late
Hon. Dixon ii. Lewis, the U. s. Senator who
died a few days since in New York The wri.
ter Is native Of Alabama, and he went TO Eu-
gland in January, is47, to look for the appre.
! citation which he had not found In Washington:
STAFFORD, ENGLAND, Aug Is, 1913.
MY DEAR SIR:-I should have written soon.
Ier but that had nothing pleasant to say.
reached London on the LIST Of January, 1917,
without money or friends, which was Just the
thing desired when left America, and Just
the thing, assure you, will never desire again.
commenced operations at once, On the sup
position that, In this overgrown city, would at
least enlist one man. But Englishmen are no.
Americans.
i An Englishman will advance AIRY amount on,
an absolute certainty, but not one penny where
thsre is the slightest risk, II he got the whole
world by IL. spent the first five months look
ing for this man with unparalleled perseverance
and industry, living for less than three pence
per day. am convinced that few persons In
London know SO much Of that incomprehensi-
bly, large city as myself. But alas. my ward
robe was gone to supply me with wretchedly
slept on straw, for which Ipaid half penny
per night. became ragged and filthy, and could
| no longer go among men Of business. Up to
this time my spirits never sank, nor did they
then; but my sufferings were great. My limbs
distorted with rheumatism, induced by cold and
exposure--my face and head swelled to most
unnatural size with cold and toothache, and
those who slept in the same horrid den as NY
| self, were wretched street-teggars, the yery
L alaauaSf nf fhapa al.
Of creeping things.
| But was no beggar. never begged. nor
ever asked favor of any man since came to
England. Ask George Bancroft, who | called
upon two or three times, IL ever / asked the
slightest favor, or even presumed upon the let
ter you gave me to him. did write him note
asking him to come and witness the triumph Of
opening the bridge at the Gardens, and deliver
cd the note at his own house myself; and al
though Prince Albert came, never got even
u reply TO my note. IL Bancroft had come, and
been the man to have only recognised me in
my rags as was, II would have saved ME much
subsequent suffering. | will not believe that
Bancroft ever saw my note, for his department
was ever kind.
| The succeeding three months after the first
five, will not detail up to the time | common
eed TO build the bridge. will net harrow up
my feelings TO write, nor pain your kind heart
1 W Tcdu tHo iutiochto VI tiosc ninety udts. NY
| head turned grey, and must have died but for
the Jews, who did give me one shilling down
for my acknowledgment for ElO on demand.
| These wicked robberies have amounted 10 sever
al hundred pounds, every penny Of which
have had to pay subsequently; for since my sue
cess AT Stafford, not man in England who can
read, but knows my address. Iteost me Flo 10
obtain the shilling with which paid my admit
lance into the Royal Geological Gardens, where
Il n - ~ u.
| the ghost Of model made Of the bridge. The
model although a bad one, astonished every body.
Every engineer of celebrity in London was cali
ed in TO decide whether il was practicable to
throw Il across the lake. -Four or FIVE of them,
| at the final decision, declared that the model be-
fore them was passing strange. but that ii could
not be carried TO a much greater length than the
length Of the model.
This was the point Of life or death with me.
was Standing amidst men of the supposed
greatest talents as civil engineers that the world
could produce, and the point decided against me.
This one time alone, were my whole energies
ever aroused. l never talked before--I was bag
| gard and faint for want Of food--my spirits
sunk in sorrow in view Of my mournful pros
/ pects-clothes | had none-yet, standing over
this model did battle with those men. Every
| word uttered came from my inmost soul, and
was big with truth-every argument carried
conviction. The effect on these men was like
L magic-indeed, they must have been devils not
TO have believed under the circumstances.
succeeded. My agreement with the proprietor
was. that should superintend the construction
Of the bridge without any pay whatever, but
that during the time Of the building might
sleep in the Gardens, and il the bridge should
succeed, II should he called ."Remington's
Bridge"
lodged in an old lions cage. not strong
enough for lion, but by putting some straw
on the floor, held me very well, aud indeed was
a greater luxury than | had had for man y
months. The carpenters that worked on the
bridge sometimes gave me part of their dinner.
On this lived, and was comparatively happy.
i Ii was a little novel, however, to see a man in
rags directing gentlemanly-l ooking head car
penters. The bridge triumPhed, and the cost
was Es, and was the greatest hit ever made In
London. The money made by II Is astonish-
ingly great, thousands and tens Of thousands
crossing it, paying toll, besides being the great
attraction to the gardens. Not publication in
London, but what has written largely upon it,
II Although have never received penny, mol
never will, for building the bridge, have nc
fault to find with Mr. Tyler, the proprietor, fol
he has done all fully that he promised to do
that was, to call 1t "Remington's Bridge
The largest wood-cut, perhaps ever made in the
world, Is made Of the bridge. Every letter Of
my name Is nearly as large as myself The
bridge to this day is the prominent curiosity Of
} the Gardens. You can't open paper but you
may find "Remington's Bridge"
. Soon after il was built, have frequently
} seen hundreds of men looking at the large pic
ture Of the bridge at the corners of the streets
|, and envying Remington, when have stood un
known i'm the crowd, literally starving. How.
! ever, the great success Of the Bridge gave me
some credit with tailor. got asuit Of clothes
! and some shirts-a clean shirt. Any shirt wa.
great, but clean shirt-O Ged, what luxury!
! Thousands Of cards were left for me at the
Gardens, and men came to see the bridge from
. all parts Of the kingdom. But with all my due
bills in the hands OF the hellborn Jews Of course
. had to slope, and came down 10 Stafford
! first built the mill, which Is the most pop
! ular patent ever taken in England. The coffee
! pot, and many other small patents take exceed
ingly well. The drainage Of Tixsll meadows, Il
/. the greatest triumph have yet had in England
D The carriage bridge for Earl Talbot is mos
!, majestic and wonderfully beautiful thing
Dukes, marquises, earls, lords, &c, and thei
ladies' are coming to see IL from all parts hav'
now more orders for bridges from the aristocra
| cy than can execute in ten years, II wonls
{. do them. Indeed, have beens 80 much among
the aristocracy Of late, that what with high liv
:, ing, being 80 sudden a transition from starving
have been compelled to go through course 0
o medicine, and am just now convalescent' u
' course, anything once built pTeclades the pos
q sibility Of taking patent In England, but ID
!, merits and value are beyond all calculation.
n A permanent, beautifully and steady bridg'
81 may be thrown across river hall mile wide
out Of the reach Of floods, and without anything
. touching the water at most incollsiderabie en-
: pense The American patent Is well secured a