All About Inventions and Discoveries
The Romance of modern scientific and mechanical Achievements

CHAPTER XIV The Rise of the Motor-Propelled Vehicle In a small workshop a solitary man was working quietly in secret throughout the hours of daylight and often far into the night, under the feeble flicker shed by a rushlight. His neighbours often remarked among themselves upon the long hours the man toiled, and discussed, with ill-suppressed curiosity, the nature of the task which demanded so much zeal, patience, and prolonged stretches of labour. But 1769 was a year when modern machine tools were unknown ; when there was no steel; a period when one had to work patiently and diligently by hand in the few metals which, up to that time, had entered the realm of commerce. At last the task was completed. The doors leading to the yard were opened, and through them came a vehicle such as had never been seen before. At the first glimpse the unenlightened good French citizens dwell- ing in the locality fled in terror. It came chugging into the street. When the first wave of fear had passed, excited curiosity took possession of one and all, and they crowded around the weird-looking monster now standing at rest, surveying the quaint, huge copper kettle which hung over the front wheel of the carriage. Again it commenced to chug, and carrying its creator and three friends, it moved along the road at a speed of about two miles an hour for some fifteen 304