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because he was a sounder engineer； or a better combiner of sound principles into a working； whole； than any of his rivals。
Across the Atlantic came the news of Stephenson's remarkable success。 And by this time railroads were beginning in various parts of the United States： the Mohawk and Hudson； from Albany to Schenectady； the Baltimore and Ohio； the Charleston and Hamburg in South Carolina； the Camden and Amboy； across New Jersey。 Horses； mules； and even sails； furnished the power for these early railroads。 It can be imagined with what interest the owners of these roads heard that at last a practicable locomotive was running in England。
This news stimulated the directors of the Baltimore and Ohio to try the locomotive。 They had not far to go for an experiment； for Peter Cooper； proprietor of the Canton Iron Works in Baltimore； had already designed a small locomotive； the Tom Thumb。 This was placed on trial in August； 1830； and is supposed to have been the first American…built locomotive to do work on rails； though nearly coincident with it was the Best Friend of Charleston； built by the West Point Foundry； New York； for the Charleston and Hamburg Railroad。 It is often difficult； as we have seen； to say which of two or several things was first。 It appears as though the little Tom Thumb was the first engine built in America； which actually pulled weight on a regular railway； while the much larger Best Friend was the first to haul cars in regular daily service。
The West Point Foundry followed its first success with the West Point； which also went into service on the Charleston and Hamburg Railroad； and then built for the newly finished Mohawk and Hudson （the first link in the New York Central Lines） the historic De Witt Clinton。 This primitive locomotive and the cars it drew may be seen today in the Grand Central Station in New York。
Meanwhile； the Stevens brothers； sons of John Stevens； were engaged in the construction of the Camden and Amboy Railroad。 The first locomotive to operate on this road was built in England by George Stephenson。 This was the John Bull； which arrived in the summer of 1831 and at once went to work。 The John Bull was a complete success and had a distinguished career。 Sixty…two years old； in 1893； it went to Chicago； to the Columbian Exposition； under its own steam。 The John Bull occupies a place today in the National Museum at Washington。
With the locomotive definitely accepted； men began to turn their minds towards its improvement and development； and locomotive building soon became a leading industry in America。 At first the British types and patterns were followed； but it was not long before American designers began to depart from the British models and to evolve a distinctively American type。 In the development of this type great names have been written into the industrial history of America； among which the name of Matthias Baldwin of Philadelphia probably ranks first。 But there have been hundreds of great workers in this field。 From Stephenson's Rocket and the little Tom Thumb of Peter Cooper； to the powerful 〃Mallets〃 of today； is a long distancenot spanned in ninety years save by the genius and restless toil of countless brains and hands。
If the locomotive could not remain as it was left by Stephenson and Cooper； neither could the stationary steam engine remain as it was left by James Watt and Oliver Evans。 Demands increasing and again increasing； year after year； forced the steam engine to grow in order to meet its responsibilities。 There were men living in Philadelphia in 1876； who had known Oliver Evans personally； at least one old man at the Centennial Exhibition had himself seen the Oruktor Amphibolos and recalled the consternation it had caused on the streets of the city in 1804。 It seemed a far cry back to the Oruktor from the great and beautiful engine； designed by George Henry Corliss； which was then moving all the vast machinery of the Centennial Exhibition。 But since then achievements in steam have dwarfed even the great work of Corliss。 And to do a kind of herculean task that was hardly dreamed of in 1876 another type of engine has made its entrance： the steam turbine； which sends its awful energy； transformed into electric current； to light a million lamps or to turn ten thousand wheels on distant streets and highways。
CHAPTER IV。 SPINDLE； LOOM； AND NEEDLE IN NEW ENGLAND
The major steps in the manufacture of clothes are four： first to harvest and clean the fiber or wool； second； to card it and spin it into threads； third； to weave the threads into cloth； and； finally to fashion and sew the cloth into clothes。 We have already seen the influence of Eli Whitney's cotton gin on the first process； and the series of inventions for spinning and weaving； which so profoundly changed the textile industry in Great Britain； has been mentioned。 It will be the business of this chapter to tell how spinning and weaving machinery was introduced into the United States and how a Yankee inventor laid the keystone of the arch of clothing machinery by his invention of the sewing machine。
Great Britain was determined to keep to herself the industrial secrets she had gained。 According to the economic beliefs of the eighteenth century； which gave place but slowly to the doctrines of Adam Smith； monopoly rather than cheap production was the road to success。 The laws therefore forbade the export of English machinery or drawings and specifications by which machines might be constructed in other countries。 Some men saw a vast prosperity for Great Britain； if only the mystery might be preserved。
Meanwhile the stories of what these machines could do excited envy in other countries； where men desired to share in the industrial gains。 And； even before Eli Whitney's cotton gin came to provide an abundant supply of raw material； some Americans were struggling to improve the old hand loom； found in every house； and to make some sort of a spinning machine to replace the spinning wheel by which one thread at a time was laboriously spun。
East Bridgewater； Massachusetts； was the scene of one of the earliest of these experiments。 There in 1786 two Scotchmen； who claimed to understand Arkwright's mechanism； were employed to make spinning machines； and about the same time another attempt was made at Beverly。 In both instances the experiments were encouraged by the State and assisted with grants of money。 The machines； operated by horse power； were crude； and the product was irregular and unsatisfactory。 Then three men at Providence； Rhode Island； using drawings of the Beverly machinery； made machines having thirty…two spindles which worked indifferently。 The attempt to run them by water power failed； and they were sold to Moses Brown of Pawtucket； who with his partner； William Almy； had mustered an army of hand…loom weavers in 1790； large enough to produce nearly eight thousand yards of cloth in that year。 Brown's need of spinning machinery； to provide his weavers with yarn； was very great； but these machines he had bought would not run； and in 1790 there was not a single successful power…spinner in the United States。
Meanwhile Benjamin Franklin had come home； and the Pennsylvania Society for the Encouragement of Manufactures and Useful Arts was offering prizes for inventions to improve the textile industry。 And in Milford； England； was a young man named Samuel Slater； who； on hearing that inventive genius was munificently rewarded in America； decided to migrate to that country。 Slater at the age of fourteen had been apprenticed to Jedediah Strutt； a partner of Arkwright。 He had served both in the counting…house and the mill and had had every opportunity to learn the whole business。
Soon after attaining his majority； he landed in New York； November； 1789； and found employment。 From New York he wrote to Moses Brown of Pawtucket； offering his services； and that old Quaker； though not giving him much encouragement； invited him to Pawtucket to see whether he could run the spindles which Brown had bought from the men of Providence。 〃If thou canst do what thou sayest；〃 wrote Brown； 〃I invite thee to come to Rhode Island。〃
Arriving in Pawtucket in January； 1790； Slater pronounced the machines