The sun., 1918-10-27


he had been considerably developed Gu his
social side and had learned to control his
temper through his association with so
many boys of his own age at the high
school. To this his discipline as a soldier
and sailor had added the habit of stand
ing straighter and bearing himself with
dignity and Of applying a keencr obser-
walton to everything"
He entered the sophomore class at
Union College on September Is, 1865, at
the instance of his father and left in the
Christmas holidays Of the same year at
the instance of Acting President Hickok,
who perceived that he was wasting his
time and inventive gifts in studies in
which be took no interest This ended the
period of preparation in the life of George
Westinghouse; his career as an inventor
and master of inventions now began.
Unless mere wilfulncss and an amateur
isll taste for mechanics suffice TO give
promise Of greatness, there was little in
the youth of this man TO indicate a COM
VI uiotllFJtlOi1 NCS ND hoihC
became identified with three notable
achievements, any one of which, alone and
of itself, would entitle him TO honor.
These are, first, the invention Of the auto
matte air brake; second, the development
of automatic railway signalling; and
third, the application of the alternating
current to various uses, especially the
transmission of electric power over long
distances. We realized that the way of
the inventor was hard before reading Mr.
Leupp's vivid narrative of the opposition
encountered and the obstacles overcome by
George Westinghouse, but We confess that
We did not fully appreciate the sturdy and
unfagging endeavor which were essential
to make him eventually successful. Per-
severance conquers all things.
Alert and Thoughtful.
From what has already been said it is
evident that formal education played lit
tie or no part in developing the character
of George Westinghouse. Nor does it ex-
plain much to say that he owed his sub
sequent success to an innate or inherited
taste for mechanical pursuits, more pro-
nouneed and absorbing than is usual
among young men. We are able to per
ceive that he was exceptionally Observant
and thoughtful; but that is about all.
Henry Ward Beecher, in characterizing
the authorship Of series Of papers which
he wrote for the New York Ledger, de-
scribed them as being written "by one
who keeps his eyes and ears op@.' George
Westinghouse was suclisa pe1s9n. lie kept
his eyes and ears open and saw and heard
much that others failed TO perceive.
His first notable invention was a cast
steel reversible frog for railroad tracks
notable because it yielded him sufficient
income to live on until he should attain
to higher things. The iron frogs then in
use wore out so rapidly that they had to
be replaced very often at heavy cost.
"The remedy Westinghouse proposed was
the employment of cast steel instead Of
cast iron and the making of the frog re-
81 LidL WucL OliC SIuS Wdo WIN
out it could be turned over" His frog
lasted twenty times longer Than the old
fashioned one.
"In connection with this development"
says Mr.. Leupp, I'll is interesting TO record
the fact that Westinghouse was probably
the first man, in our country az least and
possibly in the world, TO produce steel
castings, as that term is now applied
An Unusual Romance.
After he had invented the new frog bat
before his patent was issued, he met a
young lady on Hudson River railroad
train with whom he fell into conversation
and by whom he was so much attracted
that he expressed the hope that their ac-
quaintance might be continued; to which
she modestly responded that she really did