The Locomotive - Lighthouse Survival Blog

1901.] THE LOCOMOTIVE. 45
although it was not warm, I perspired from sheer exasperation, For some reason
along toward morning that thing took a notion to pump. I don't know why, but it
pumped. I got my breakfast, and when I came back up over the hill I fetched a great
sigh of relief to see that the water was still pouring out of the pipe on the top of the
tank. The proprietor greeted me very cordially. 'Ach,' he said, 'you are a fine
mechanic. We had two men here and they could not fix dot pump. How much I
owes you ? ' I charged him for time and expenses, and added ten dollars for knowing
how. I don't know yet what I did to that pump, but we got all his work after that."
— Timothy Brown, in the American Machinist.
Professional Courtesy in the United States.
No subject has received more attention, in recent times, in the technical and critical
press of the world, than American competition. In all the arguments used to explain the
preeminence of American engineering, one agency which has been overlooked, to some
extent, is the growth of the splendid professional spirit which is characteristic of Ameri-
can practice to-day. One of the strongest evidences of this is to be found in the techni-
cal publications of this country, especially when comparisons are made with similar
foreign publications. We use the term publication as inclusive not only of the periodi-
cal press, but also of the transactions of the scientific societies, as well as the various
papers and books issued by the U. S. Government and others at irregular intervals. Any
person whose observation extends over the field of current technical literature cannot
fail to be impressed with the broad spirit which is displayed by the American engineer
in the communication of facts and figures, gathered in his own practice, to his fellow
workers. This is strikingly apparent, too, on personal contact with American and for-
eign engineers and manufacturers. Here offices and shops are thrown open to the visi-
tor, often on slight acquaintance, and processes are described and permitted to be
inspected in operation. Abroad, on the contrary, the visitor usually meets with closed
doors and sealed lips, even when armed with the strongest credentials. If he is permitted
to view a plant or process, he is usually escorted by some polite nonentity, who
might as well be a deaf mute, so far as imparting information is concerned. There are
notable exceptions, of course, but, speaking broadly, the conditions are as stated. If
knowledge is power, then the methods adopted in America must be productive of mate-
rial aid in the fight for commercial supremacy. Possibly the chief exponents of the
dark lantern methods are the British engineers. Pick up a British engineering publica-
tion, and you are much more likely to find data and drawings of some American or Con-
tinental (European) machine or structure than of a British one. There will probably be
some reproductions of photographs of British machinery, but no dimensioned drawings
or data. Or, take the proceedings of a British technical society, and compare the num-
ber of actual working drawings and specifications contained in its volumes with those to
be found in the transactions of similar societies on this side of the Atlantic. In no
country is the art of talking and saying nothing so highly developed as in Britain, as a
perusal of the discussions before British technical societies will show. Much of the
credit for this professional spirit here must be given to the various technical colleges of
this country, of which so many of our practicing engineers are graduates. It is noticea-
ble among us, too, that the concerns that turn out the best work are those most willing
to give out their experiences for the benefit of the profession and country at large.
They have the consciousness of doing good work, and they are proud of it. In our
special branch of engineering construction the influence for good in this direction of the