The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1871-08-25

Mari tia Georgia, August IS, 1871,
THE TRACTION ENGINE.
OFFICE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY,
Macon, Ga, Aug. 8, 1871.

| rotary is so sure MT. ClSDy Is rlSn
in speaking of this attempt to tel
about the steamer as an undertaking
that he accepts the decision, as wei
as the phraseology and-resume'
his undertaking.
Arrived at the Dole mot doll,
Wadley Mill, the steamer was ready
fired and steam up, on the old log
cart read, ready to move. / was dis
appointed at the appearance of the
thing; and it was certainly con-
temptibIe compared with what it was
about to perform. The space in
length of road occupied was not
twelve feet. | couii reach the top
of the smoke stack with the ferrule
of my umbrella, and could easily
step from the ground to the top OF
the water tank, where ! stood and
rode to the place in the woods where
it was loaded. Contemplate GER
tainly was the looks of the thing
compared with the majestic machines
which move the long trains of pas
senger and freight cars on the rail.
This, however, is the smallest ma
chine made at the works, ID. D.
Williamson, 80 Broadway, N. W
where this was built 1t weighs
some six tons, and is estimated to do
the work on a dirt road, with a
grade of one foot in twelve), of %
good mules.
care you ready" said Mr.. Wad-
ley. "AIl aboard" said Mr.. George
Beverage, smart, active and skill
ed young Scotchman who came with
the first steamer from Edinboro to
this country to exhibit it, and who
came South with this for that pur-
pose. If all foreigners were like
this man | would not object to seeing
more of them. He was not only a
skilled engineer, but he was ready
and willing at any other work, the
necessity for which arose on the trip.
It was found that the wood put in
the tender for fuel was square-sawed
green blocks, obtained at the saw
mill-this made unsatisfactory steam
and we had to stop once or twice
going out to the leading ground, to
gather steam, When we reached
there Mr.. b., though plenty of SER
wants standing round, threw out the
blocks and put in pineknots. When
loading the trucks or cars with tim.
Der, though laborers were plenty, he
was watchful, and at critical mo-
ments in the moving and handling
of green pine logs weighing near
three thousand pounds, he put in his
hand, and always at the right place.
This man struck me as a good match
to Dole Wadley-only Beverage
was a red and Wadley a roam.
After all were aboard it was not,
suppose more than fifteen or twenty
minutes before we were at the place,
one mile and half from the mill, to
which the mule teams had drawn
the "saw-logs."
On the ride | asked the engineer
the time we we're making ; he replied
five miles an hour, He let out for
few hundred yards, and said that
was about seven miles an hour. The
road was the ordinary log cut road,
with the usual change of direction
from the interference of a tree. |
noticed but one place where the road
had received special attention on ac-
count of the steamer-where a tree
had blown down on the edge OF a
pondy we: land, making consider
able sink or hole. This was made
level with the track of the road by
planks and dirt.
At one point the charred light
wood roots of an old stump right in
the track of the wheel made a sharp
elevation of seven or eight inches
At another point two pine roots of a
green tree protruded above the
ground high enough and just neal
enough together to make a severe
Jolt with the ordinary carriage oil
wagon wheel. In passing over these
there was not perceptable the slight
est abatement of the speed, or jostlt
or Jar to the rider-so wonderful
thing is this rubber tie. watched
closely the approach Of the pivot o.
pilot wheel, over the axle of which
/ stood, to lightwood limb, that lay
right in its track. The passage oyel
it was so rapid and easy that the ef
fects were almost imperceptible.
Arrived at the loading, that pro
cess was soon over-the logs being
elevated to the trucks by being rolled
upon skids by chain to which were
attached four good understanding
the work easy. One of the truck:
was pronounced unsafe, and only
three logs, weighing some twenty.
seven hundred pounds each, were
put on.
While loading, Mr.. Long, of the
L. mot LaGrange) Reporter, asked
the weight of square foot of greer
pine timber. The opinions ranged
from IS to IS. When we reached
the mill, Mr.. Dole WadIoy had {
square foot green block sawed out
and put on the scales. 1t pulled
down 52a. By this as a guide, the