Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1879-05-11
Ericsson's Boyhood.

Before he was eleven years old, during
the winter of 1913, John had produced a
saw-mill of ingenious construction, and
had planned pumping engine designed
to clear the mines Of water. The frame
of the saw mill was of wood; the saw
blade was made from watch-spring, and
the crank which actuated it was cast from
a broken tin spoon. A file, borrowed
from neighboring blacksmith to cut the
saw-teeth, gimlet and the ubiqui-
tious jack knife, were the only tools avail
ible for this work.
A much more ambitious undertaking
was the pumping-engine. The year be-
fore, when only nine years of age, young
Ericsson had made the acquaintance Of
drawing instruments in one of the draft
offices Of the Grand Ship Canal of Swe-
den, and learned how these instruments
were used to lay out the work of con-
struction in advance. Meanwhile. his ia
ther had removed to the depths of pine
forest, where he selected the timber for
the lock gates Of the canal. In this will
derness quill and pencil were the boys
utmost resources in the way Of drawing
tools. Like Crusoe on his island, he had
to begin at the beginning. He made
compasses Of brentwood with needles in
serted in the ends of the legs. A pair Of
steel tweeZers, obtained from his mothers
dressing case, was converted into draw
ing pen, and the same good mother was
persuaded, after much entreaty, to allow
her sable cloak to be robbed of hair
brushes with which to apply the coloring
j kl,ox 81 Ill
chanical drawings.
The pump-engine was to be operated
by windmill, and here the youthful in
ventor was at fault He had heard much
about windmill, but had never seen
one. Following, as we'll as he could, the
description Of those who had had the
happiness to view this wonderful ma
chine, he succeeded in constructing on
paper the mechanism connecting the
crank of the windmill shaft with the
pump levers, but how to turn the mill to the
changing wind he could not divine. For
tunately, Johns father made visit to the
windmill, and, in describing what he
had seen, spoke of a "ball-and- socket
Joint" The hint was sufficient; the boy
rushed to his drawing table, and soon
/ oStNCNA q ,jOlAG V1ACAC CllC
connecting rod for the driving crank join
ed the pump lever.
| With the execution of this drawing be-
gan John Ericsson's mechanical career.
The plan conceived and executed under
such discouraging circumstances, by a
mere child, attracted the attention of Ad-
miral Count Platen, the President Of the
Gotha Ship Canal, on which Ericson's
father was employed, and one of Sweden's
great men. 'Continue as you have be-
gun, and you will one day produce some.
thing extraordinary" prophesied the
Count of his young protege. Richly has
the prophecy been fulfilled.
Ericsson was appointed a cadet in the
Swedish corps of mechanical engineers
when he was twelve years old, was soon
after promoted to nipelleur 'sleveller'', and
at the age of thirteen was put in charge OF
a section Of the ship canal over which his
friend, the Count, presided. Six hundred
of the royal troops, at work upon this sec
ton, looked for directions in their daily
work to this child, among whose necessa-
ry attendants was one who followed after
| him with the stool upon which he stood
, to raise himself to the height of his level
ling instruments.
The amusements of this boy-engineeI
| are indicated by his possession, at the age
of fifteen, of portfolio of drawings, made
i in his leisure moments, giving maps Of
J the most important parts of the grand Ca
nal, three hundred miles in length, and
+ showing all the machinery and nipple
t ments used in its construction. Many
important works upon this canal, which
opens an inland channel across Sweden
, from the Baltic to the North Sea, were
, constructed from drawings made BY
Ericsson at an age when he might rather
have been expected to be found playing
( foot all.-!Scribner's Monthly.