His income cut off,
he was obliged to reduce the scale of his book "and to omit many
of the illustrations he had promised." He wrote the sad story
into the name of the book. It came out under the title of "The
Abortion of the Young Engineer's Guide".
Four years later, when Congress restored and extended his patent,
Evans felt that better days were ahead, but, as said already, he
was too far ahead of his time to be understood and appreciated.
Incredulity, prejudice, and opposition were his portion as long
as he lived. Nevertheless, he went on building good engines and
had the satisfaction of seeing them in extensive use. His life
came to an end as the result of what to him was the greatest
possible tragedy. He was visiting New York City in 1819, when
news came to him of the destruction by an incendiary of his
beloved shops in Philadelphia. The shock was greater than he
could bear. A stroke of apoplexy followed, from which he died.
The following prophecy, written by Oliver Evans and published in
1812, seventeen years before the practical use of the locomotive
began, tells us something of the vision of this early American
inventor:
"The time will come when people will travel in stages moved by
steam engines from one city to another almost as fast as birds
fly--fifteen to twenty miles an hour.
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