The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-10-29

free men. The men WDOm we dcngnt 70 hOnOr,
Franklin. Webster, Lincoln, have eaten bread
by the sweat of their brow The kings and
priests of the ldolatrous civilizations mighthbe
enclosed In curious embalmings and entombed
in pyramids and mausoleums, monuments at
once of their own idlenees and their cruel eX-
action of unrewarded service.
But dare any disciple OF the Carpenter of
Nazareth write the epitaph OF this man and not
embazon there, in imperishable words, the re-
cord of those faithful years when he addressed
himself to hardy toll by the early light and
dawn, and disPelled the gathering shadows OF
night with the blazing forget
freely admit that the routine of daily labor
Is not deserving OF praise, so long as 1t Is ina
PEELED by no higher motives than the necessities
ofthe body. Mr.. Baldwin was always animated
by higher motive; he was more than artisan
always artist. Ingenuity, natures genius,
original invention filled bis mind with thaG glow
ing enthusiasm which lifted him above the rou-
tine of reluctant toll into the region of adven-
turous exploit. This fascination in his favorite
pursuits survived the impetuous spirit of yOdth,
and supplied his later years with recreation In
original and Ingenious experiments with repeat
Ing chronometers.
But there is a more honorable motive to
manual labor than the passion of the artist.
1t is the odeSire to be useful to others. Enthu.
siasm in tavorite pursuit for its own sake may
indicate high order OF intellect, existing with
moral obtuseness to the interests of humanity.
In the midst Of his success as a ieweller Bald
wins conscience was often agitated with scru-
Pies whether his time and talents ought to be
wasted on articles of personal adornment. One
ulgnty aILer iORg meditation. he was heard TO
exclaim, with that rough energy which always
characterized. his expressions: 1 cannot eoiH
not stand before the Judgment Seat and con-
Tess that have done nothing else all my life
long but make gewgaws." 9i5 g4c
The experience Of all good men goes to prove
that when Gods Spirit prompts a reasonable
scruple of this kind, HIS Providence supplies
the opportunity to obey 1t instantly From
the beginning Of Baldwin's career his work had
required finer tools and machines than he
could purchase. He had already become a
manufacturer from necessity. And now, when
to this prestige of success was added the
urgent conviction of duty, the good hand of
God provided the coveted opportunity to aban-
don the ornamental for the useful arts. His
arst work in hia new occupation was the
presses for boolsbindng Through his bold
enterprise, this trade became independent of
the foreign market and the most chaste and
ipeauthm designs from his hands adorn the
10 thiswork he soon added cylinders and
complies machlnes Tor the manufacture of cot
ton prints, IN one, two, and three colors. The
been previously engraved by tedious manual
process. He invented o method of etching the
design upona dimlnutiye surface OF STEEL and
printing cylinder, ana of multiplyinp these
cylinders indefinitely without touch from fhe
engrsyer's hand. He thus increased a Hundred
fold the productiveness OF Tabor, provided CHEAP
and elegant garments for the poor, aud con-,
tributed more than all the measures of Congress-
ln tnat day to arrest the expectation Of the
staple production of the South, Stimulate
nationai industry, and place upon q firm basis
our national finances. n
But the extensive business in which he thus
became involved demanded corresponding
increase of power. And thus, from his own
necessities, he was led in 1928 to the manufac
ture OF an engine moved by steam; and he was
forced, by the exigencies OF his overcrowded
factory In Minor street, to the beautiful nose
less. and powerful engine the first of his con.
structlon, an original invention, by which it is
compressed into half the space usually occupied.
Inns i.hd engine still employed, with scarcely dmn-
IN the germ, the principles of the ponderous
machinery. Of our steam engine. Here again we
discoyer the good hand OF God, in diverting his
iapers into avenues of increased usefulness
This engine not only added to the products
and the profits of his old bnsincss, but fntIo.
duced to the public new article OF surprising
usefulness, and in short time the principal
stationary steam engines. This was about the
year 1880. Qq The success of George Stephenson !
in substituting, steam for animal power upon
the English railroads had attracted the atten-
tion OF American capitalists. One or two of his
locomotives bad been imported, and a few rude
attempts made, IN foundry in New York city, |
can railroads. Ao-If A3}l351 l C7 |
From theimperfeot drawings published in the |
scientific journals, and from a hurried inspec- |
Elon q one OF the English locomotives, Baldwin |
sucocre creded In constructing an improved WORKING
model, winch was source of wonder and in.
struction to multGdes in this CITY, Encouraged
by this success, and animated by the spirit of
courageous adventure and wise forecast of the
future, which always distinguished him. he
undertook the construction of his first locomo-
tive; and overcoming unforeseen difficulties one
alter another, which would have dsheartened
less determined man, he placed upon the track
Of the Germantown Railroad in the fall of |
1882, the best machine of the kind, incom-
paraply, which had ever been seen in this
;ountry; lou IN ms successive improvements upon
a. narixrn
N the construction OF joints and valves, he soon
succeeded IN generating and economizing an
AMOUNT y 81 force largely in excess of the adhe-
non of the two driving wheels TO the smooth
surface of the trackGn Ever when they were in,
'reased to four, his engines were arrested on
ascending grades with heavy Lreights, before half
heif Il pSweT, Was exnaRsied; He work
ingenuity of. American ard foreign, machinists.
10 connect all. the wheels with the source Of
power without cohdling them rigidly in one
the. entire wei~,at of The machine in securing
aunesiDn saasi 20 the track, without diminishing ITS
heAsv'ty In rounding curves of a short radius.
the first result OF these experiments, in 1897
WSS so, sn engine IN which the truck wheels
forward were connected with the driving
M MAYeftS py an ingenious attachment of gearing,
ThQugn the results attained by this were aston
aeH heinz 90 aS 2, S%nexampled length and bur-
curves apparently impracticabie nS ao ,o
power was lost in friction, and the dancer of
plicated machinery was SO great 'n's -, com.
%eS soon sesndopsa Undis%ayed BY this
ihe country by the commercial csSsis Of u 1sal IN
summoned at the same time TO sit S-ong H. |
counsellors of the Commonwealth in the9c0no |
stituti0nal Convention, he renewed his coursra |
oIis experiments, consumed the night in crea-l
tive thought, subjected every device OF his
restless genius to the most vigorous trial,
and, after, Ave momontous years of incessant
contriyahDe, produced his magnificent flexible