The daily phoenix. [volume] (Columbia, S.C.) 1865-1878, 1866-02-22
James Watts.
"Work makes the man."

bring with them that significance
which at once pehetrates itself into
the mind as the word work does. The
latter is pure aaonosyllabic Alglo-
Saxon, which, like awedge, goes into
the matter. But it must be recol-
lected that skill must originate and
direct. Hence those who are directed
are simply called helps or hands.
Brute force is not in itself efficient in
dustry. It must have direction to-
wards some object; it must originate
in motive, and tend to some useful
result. The greatest benefactors of
the human family are those who have
gone on persistently. The Scripture
applies this in spiritual sense
''work while it is day; the night
cometh when no man can work"
We select for our subject, at this
time, the individual who gave us the
steam-engine i'll its present form. In
this, as in all other inventions and
discoveries, it is u common affair to
cite up others, who have, at different
times and on different occasions,
lighted upon similar things. But,
after all, it is the individual who
brings into actual existence, who
verifies and vitalizes discovery, that
stands forth as its originator.
James Watts was born at. Greenock,
Scotland, the 18th January, 1736.
As we limited in q preceding article,
bobs up and down of the lid of his
mothers tea-kettle directed his boyish
attention to the motive power of
steam. The rising sun has its aurora.
Invention has its auroral light. The
fall of an apple suggested reflections,
which eventuated in the discovery of
gravitation; some weeds waited bv
the pillows of the Atlantic quickened
the apprehension of Columbus; and
the oscillation of chandelier in the
Cathedral of Pisa, suggested to
Galileo that bodies thus suspended,
describe equal arcs in equal times
hence the pendulum.
In Arago's life of Watts. reference
is made to the many embryonic dis
coverles at various periods and I'M
different countries, as it regards the
motive power of steam. He refers to
those of Rivault, de Caws, the Mar
quis of Worcester, Savery, Papin,
Newcomer. 1T was i'll reference to
Newcomers condenser that Watts
first directed his attention to the
application of the motive power of
steam to eminently practical pur-
poses.
In 1774, Watts connected himself
with Boulton, Of Birmingham. They
applied to Parliament for prolonga-
ton of patent granted to Watts for
! the improvement of the steam m-engine
in 1859. Strange to say, this appli-
cation met with much opposition in
the House of Commons. Among
those who voted against the petitioner
was no less person than Edmund
Burke. At that period, experimental
science was il allegiance, and was
placed below the estimate in which
literature and eloquence stood. The
clique composed of Burke, johnson,
Goldsmith, Reynolds, &C., regarded
those who were toiling upwards on
the rounds of experimental science
as occupying less dignifed intel
lectual position. And yet, before the
close of the eighteenth centhry, those
investigations, discoveries and in
ventions had begun, which were to
give that furtherance to civilization,
which the fine arts, bclles-lettres and
literature generally, had in no age
accomplished. Chemistry, which was
destined to achieve such important
and glorious results, was yet in its
infancy. Geology had not a name.
A Black, II Priestly, Il I.avoisier, a
Parady, q Davy, Buckland, had not
yet demonstrated the practical re-
sources of their several departments
of science, as n means Of advancing
the march of civilization, and in
creasing the wealth of nations.
After much opposition, the House
OF Commons were pleased to grant
prolongation of the charter for twen-
ty-five years, the same expiring in
1900. Watts lived to an extreme old
age, dying in 1919; before which
time the locomotive power of steam
was verified in land carriage, and in
river navigation. It was not, we be-
heve, until 1887, that the Atlantic was
trayersed by steamer.
Fine statues have been erected in
Great Britain, in honor of Watts, one
OF which is in Westminster Abbey,
the inscription upon the pedestal of
which is by Lord Brougham.
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