from which sprang more important works. I will, 

 en passant, state that on my father's retirement his 

 place was taken by Dr. Thomas P. Jones, who after- 

 ward became Commissioner of Patents, if I recollect 

 right, succeeding Col. Thornton. [5] 



The gateway from the Mulberry Court yard into 

 the yard of the fire engine shops was still free to us 

 boys and we made use of it nearly as often as when 

 Father was there. As a boy I was on most intimate 

 terms with Dr. Jones for about that time he frequently 

 took the place of my Uncle Rubens Peale in the popu- 

 lar experimental lectures he was delivering in Peak's 

 Museum in the State House. On these occasions I 

 was always called on as Dr. Jones's assistant. I 

 turned the crank handle of the electrical machine, 

 handed him magic lantern slides, washed chemical 

 glasses, bottles, and such like. [6] 



The business for a short time was conducted under 

 the name of Perkins & Jones, when Perkins decided 

 on going to England. Samuel V. Merrick, at that 

 time a dry goods merchant, bought his interest, as 

 well as that of Dr. Jones, and associated with him a 

 Mr. Agnew, under the firm name of Merrick & 

 Agnew, so long and well known as successful fire 

 engine builders. 35 



It was in these shops, during Mr. Perkins's connec- 

 tion with them, that I learned the peculiar traits of 

 this remarkable man. and which I can no better 

 exemplify than by relating some incidents that therein 

 occurred .... 



Perkins's original idea, as carried out, was to build 

 a large number of these garden engines before offering 

 them for sale. For this purpose, shops for carpenters, 

 wheelwrights, blacksmiths, finishing, and setting up 

 were started, and as the engines were finished they 

 were stored away, and when first offered the novelty 

 as playthings for the boys caused a rapid sale for a 

 short time; but it was a case where 



"The best laid schemes o' mice an' men 

 Gang aft a-gley." 



For, while these engines were building, the city 

 authorities were relaying their water mains and pipes 



35 As noted in Bathe and Bathe (cited in note 26 above), 

 pp. 69, 75, the partnership passed from Perkins and Jones to 

 Perkins and Bacon. This is the only reference I have found to 

 this version of the origin of the Merrick and Agnew firm. 

 However, the notice of Samuel V. Merrick in Dictionary of 

 American Biography gives the date of his partnership with Agnew 

 as 1820. 



with cast iron of full capacity, and a screw nozzle to 

 the hydrant and a garden hose became the successful 

 rival of the Perkins' garden engine, and a large por- 

 tion of the stock on hand had to find a slow sale in 

 suburban villages or country seats. 



The Perkins machine for drawing the copper tubes 

 was simple, crude and ingenious. For the small 

 engines their length did not exceed 12 inches, the 

 diameter varying 2 inches to 10 inches. The sheet 

 copper was shaped and brazed in the usual way; it 

 was then slid on a mandrel, which, for the small sizes 

 was solid, for the large hollow, with one end closed 

 for the plunger to press against. The enlarged collar 

 for the tube to be pushed by was less in diameter than 

 the die, so that it could pass through it. 



The press was a simple toggle joint. The leaf of the 

 toggle next to the plunger or push end was elongated 

 beyond the center joint as a hand lever. By this 

 lever one man could raise the center joint and work 

 the toggle sufficiently to give a thrust that would 

 force the tubes of 3 inches or less in diameter through 

 the die about 1 inch at each rise and fall of his pump 

 handle lever; but on larger sizes the toggle required 

 to be worked at a less acute angle, and it took two 

 men to force the 10-inch tubes through the die from 

 Y 4 to % inches at each stroke. As the handle was 

 raised and the plunger drawn back, a suspended 

 wedge would by its own gravity fall and fill the space, 

 ready for the next thrust. These wedges were of a 

 size that when they had fallen their length they would 

 occupy a space of about 5 inches. They were then 

 raised and blocks dropped in, and so on until the pipe 

 was passed through the die, and came out beautifully 

 smooth and planished. 



There was a frequent visitor to the shops who would 

 stand for hours watching this operation, often repeat- 

 ing aloud, "The power of the toggle is amazing; if we 

 could only apply it to the ship's capstan it would be 

 grand." This man was Commodore Murray, then 

 in charge of the Philadelphia Navy Yard. He was 

 fond of mechanics, though not grounded in first 

 principles; would be and fancied himself an inventor. 



Before relating what grew out of his watching the 

 operation of the toggle, I cannot better show Perkins' 

 quickness and some of his peculiarities than by re- 

 lating what I witnessed with Murray's latest inven- 

 tion, his ship pump. He talked a great deal very 

 mysteriously of it, never explaining, but always prom- 

 ising to bring one he was then having made at the 

 Navy Yard, as soon as perfected, and exhibit its great 

 effectiveness. 



16 



