I renewed my studies with increased ardour, and soon declared that I could make steam wagons, and endeavoured to communicate my ideas to others ; but however practicable the thing appeared to me, my object only excited the ridicule of those to whom it was made known. But I persevered in my belief, and confirmed it by experiments that satisfied me of its reality.
In the year 1786 I petitioned the legislature of Pennsylvania for the exclusive right to use my im provements in flour mills, as also steam wagons, in that state. The committee to whom the petition was re ferred heard me very patiently while [ described the mill improvements, but my representations concern ing steam wagons made them think me insane. They, however, reported favourably respecting my improve ments ih the manufacture of flour, and passed an act granting me the exclusive use of them as prayed for. This act is dated March 1787. But no notice is taken of the steam wagons.
A similar petition was also presented to the legisla ture of Maryland. Mr. Jesse Hollingsworth, from Baltimore, was one of the committee appointed to hear me, and report on the case. I candidly informed this committee of the fate of my application to the legislature of Pennsylvania, respecting the steam wa gons—declaring at the same time, without the en couragement prayed for, I would never attempt to make them ; but th.tt, if they would secure to me the right as requested, I would, as soon as I could, apply the principle to practice ; and I explained to them the great elastic power of steam, as well as my mode of applying it to propel wagons. Mr. Hollingsworth very prudently observed, that the grant could injure no one, for he did not think that any man in the world had thought of such a thing before : he therefore wished the encouragement might be afforded, as there was a prospect that it would produce something use ful. This kind olargument had the desired effect, and a favourable report was made, May 21, 1787, granting to me, my heirs and assigns, for 14 years, the exclu sive right to make and use my improvements in dour mills and the steam wagons, in that state. From that period I have felt myself bound in honour to the state of Maryland to produce a steam wagon, as soon as I could conveniently do it.
In the year 1789, I paid a visit to Benjamin Chan dlee and sons, of Nottingham, Chester county, Penn sylvania, clock-makers, men celebrated for their in genuity, with a view to induce them to join me in the expense and profits of the project. I showed to them my draughts, with the plan, of the engine, and ex plained the expansive power of steam ; all which they appeared to understand, but fearful of the expense and difficulties attending it, declined• the concern. How ever they certified that I had shown to them the draw ings and explained the powers, &c.
In the same year, I went to Ellicott's mills on the Patapsco, near Baltimore, for the purpose of persuad ing Messrs. Jonathan Ellicott and brothers, and con nections (who were equally famous for their ingenuity) to join me in the expense and profits of making and using steam wagons. I also showed to them my drawings, and minutely explained to them the powers of steam. They appeared fully to comprehend all I said, and in return informed me of some experiments they themselves had made, one of which they showed me. They placed a gun-barrel, having a hollow arm, with a small hole on one side at the end of the arm, similar to Barker's rotary tube-mill, as described in the books ; a gill of water put into this barrel, with fire applied to the breech, caused the steam to issue from /the end of the arm with such force as, by re action, to cause the machine to revolve, as I judged, about one thousand times in a minute, for the space of about five minutes, and with considerable force, for so small a machine. I tarried here two days (May 10 and 11, 1789) using my best efforts to convince them of the possibility and practicability of propelling wag ons, on good turnpike roads, by the great elastic power of steam. But they also feared the expense and difficulty of the execution, and declined the proposi tion. Yet they heartily esteemed my improvements in the manufacture of flour, and adopted them in their mills, as well as recommended them to others.
In the same year I communicated my project and explained my principles to Levi Hollingsworth.* He appeared to understand them ; but declined a partner ship in the scheme, for the same reasons as the former.