Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1871-11-09
A REMARKABLE HISTORY.

A REMARKABLE HISTORY.
In the Scirnfi6r american We End q
story of the struggles and trinmphs II m
inventor. which is worth preservation
The substance Of it 10 as follows:
In 1858 Mr. Thomas Sheehsn. ct DIM
kirk. New York. foreman in the black
| smith department Of the Erie railway shops
ut that place. patented = submarine Crap
pie. which. though an ingenious inven
| rinn. proved 70 be one FIR which there
was little demand. This was his frs, in.
vcntion and the cost OF its complexion.
together with one years struggle to msn-
ufacture and introduce it. Completely ex.
haustrd Mr.. Shechan's means. and redn-
GET him I" the EXTREMIST poverty. He
was in fact. in pretty nearly the same
eondi'i"n as Palis>y the Potter. at the
moment of his creates, distress. A wife.
and eight children in Sheehan's family
were reduced to the verge Of des.tution
| and Mrs. Sheshap became uncommon,
bitter
Just at this crisis. Mr. S. n. Colwel'.
Genera! Freight Agent of the Erie rail-
road. at Dunkirk. CHANGED 20 meet Mr
Sheei,an in the streets Of that town and
accns'cd him. with
We'll. Thomas. how are The grapples :
| hear they have used you up"
Yes" was the answer. the crapplcs
have done NY business; wish had
| never seen Them"
Throw en- away" advised Mr Col
we'll "tia~e v"u any now finished: :"
II ksvs one slIso.s done" sai.i Yhcnss
Finish that; l will paw y"n $40 for
it; and have it used for picking up c.a
At the dock. The money will help you
in your present "mer"rnov. AMI y"u ca.
GO back TO your old place in the shop an!
earn a good living for your family"
Il will" said Thomas.
Bac,; to his humble home went the in
vcn'nr with new hope in hi. breast. ard
Sc, himself to frsh the graphic with all
due speed. But. upon what slender
threads do the fortunes Of men depend ,
A tap. the Only one our inventor had Of
the size required. suddenly snapped asun-
der. and. a. it was essential TO tho pro-
gress Of tho work. he must have q new
one or he could not 20 on.
In this skrait. he applied to his wife to
lend him Twenty-Five cents 10 buy the ne
cessarv steel TO forge the tap But she.
having no faith in the grapple. refused.
for two very good reasons-6rs,. that she
believed the money would be thrown away
il she gave it to her husband; and Sc
cond. that she had not tn. money 10 give
him. even if 40 disposed The refusal
was seasoned with Some very no. spice
that made i, very unrsla,ahic to Thomas.
But he hethought him of merchant who.
| in brighter uays had scen the color Of his
money. and who. perhaps would now give
him credit for the snail modicun, of steel
he required for the tap.
To th's merchant he went to prefer his
request. and began beating about the
bush; and finally .trayiug into politics.
hot words passed between them. and our
friend. feeling his mansincss would suffer
too kecniy by asking credit sor the steel.
came away without it.
With 10 definite purpose he went home.
bordering upon how he should suru"unt
this. ROW no trifiing. obstacle Of the bro
ken tap.
lie found hi. wife making lye for snft
! soap. but her acidity in no way ueutrsli-
zcd by the alkaline reaction. Despoudent
aud discouraged. he sat down. in no very
enviatle mood. when he CHANGED TO spy
\ piece Of iron lying near the tubs at
which his spouse was working, Mesii:a-
ting upon how he could make that piece
Of iron hard enough Cor tap. be led t'
a rather rude experiment. the results of
which have in the end made hin, richer
man than be ever dreamed Of being
It 20 happened iha, from di>,an. rel
| alive. Roman Catholic priest. in ireland
our friend had inherited quite library of
works on chemistry some "f them rare
and valuable. lie had read some Of these
books TO very good purpose. There is
surely carbon in that lyc." thought he
III only could get tia: into this iron il,
the proper proportion. should have steel.
and from tina, my tap. and 50 finish niy
srsnplc."
With lit,lc hope or faith that he should
succeed. he took some ri ,t,- rye. sr's sd-
ding. with"u, any particular ressSn for 80
doing. snme saltpe,re and comnon salt.
made paste with this solution ani harl
erudsed ssucerful of the little remaining
-four there was in the house. lie then
forged the tap. and euselopins it in the
p.ste. pu. the whole into luted iron box
aud exposed il to heat for tw" hours in
blacksaith's Are. To his joy aud surprise
when he took ID out. il was bard enough
IN GU. cas-, steel The grapple was en-
ished, and forty dollars flowed into the
family treasury Of Thomas Shcchan. He
wen, back to his old work. disguised with
patents. and resolved never to have any
tliag to do with one again. But the re-
membrane Of she tap. hardened in %
unique . manner. still haunted him. Hav.
ing . great deal 1t ease hardening TO do.
be thought one day he wouti repeat the
experiment upon . large scale, which be
did with perfect success.
For twelve months be went on to ex-
pertinent. purchasing thu materials With
hi. evo reosy. as3 ~orsca 10 sesrss y