Every evening, Wilmington daily commercial., 1921-12-15
THURSDAY. REcEMBER Is. 1921.
WAS A GREAT DELAWAREAN,
nut Is NOW FORGOTTEN.

WAS A GREAT DELAWAREAN,
nut Is NOW FORGOTTEN.
An inquirer, "A day or two ago, re-
qucsted that Every Evening tell him
something about oliver Evans, an
inventor OF whom he had never be-
fore heard except incidentally, or
quite recently. when the matter of in
ventions was subject Of CONVERSE
tlon. Inasmuch as Oliver Evans has
been dead more than hundred years
--iO3 TO be eNact--it is possibly not
surprising that the present generation
know nothing OF one OF the most ia
nous of American inventors. for there
II nothing here in the way of a me-
mortal 10 recall that he ever lived. or
what he did 20 tighten mankind's bur-
den. Possibly the remembrance of
poor inventor does not long survive
his house of clay, and that when he
departs from this stage OF existence
he is soon forgotten.
Evans. however. was so widely
known In mis- day and his inventions
were of such great importance. that it
seems improbable that men living
within few minutes ride or walk
from his home have never heard of
him or Of his prodigious achieve
monts. But such is real fame. when
n stands alone and unsupported with
the iiiumining lights of riches.
Evans. we will say for the enlighten-
mont of our friend. was born at New
port about twenty years before the
outbreak OF the Revolutionary War.
snd learned the trade Of wheelwright
~ the shops where the wagons OF
early Mil Creek farmers were made,
or repaired. lie showed much apt
ness In hts work as an apprentice. and
q, .? years OF age invented teeth for
cardinr tools that could be made and
inserted by a mechanical process, and
his dcvic. was regarded as the great
est step forward Of that time. Later
he invented -four making machine
which improved the quality Of -four.
ss well as the quantity. by 10 per
cent. Then he turned his attention
o. the application OF steam-then a
newly discovered motive force--to ve-
hiclcs. and. three-quarters Of a CEN
fury In advince of all other inventors,
be made an automobile-which he
called steam carriage and which
underwent a successful test; but ow-
ms 60 his lack Of means and the un-
willingness OF the Pennsylvania Leg
islaturc 10 advance him money TO con-
unue the development of his horse
less carriage. he was forced 10 aban-
t'N ~ Hha Abiii'u MS dtltnboN tt
other inventions. like a steam dredge
which he was able 10 utilize. and to
other devices which he drove by stean
power. Evans became known as the
Watts of America" for his discover.
les relating to the application o,
-. ,xA ina. ~. a.
ms the very foremost inventor Of hi,
time and even OF his century.
Evans commanding prominence il
the industrial world and his success,
IN making machines that took th'
plnce of hard and laboriously oper
ntcd hand-powered devices. make hin
deserving 81 better fate than 10 b.
absolutely forgotten by people wh,
live almost under the same vine an,
ns tree that sheltered him.
Rather odd II was. too. that tn,
builder ~ the FIRST railroad in tn
United States was neighbor O
tvans. Thomas Lclper OF Lciperville
Delaware county, Pa. The line.
wooden tracked tramway. was con
s,ructrd ON Beacon street, Boston. q
1897. and the arst train was draw
hy locomotive designed by the for
met Newport whcelwright. now for
gotten and whose honor and fam
have remained unsung. Yet he wa
one OF the most useful, and un
doub,edly the ablest. man in his lin
~ endcavor that Delaware has eve
given 70 the world.
.
LIT Us ALSO HAVE THE BEST