Perhaps a
different attraction withdrew Murdock from his locomotive
experiments. He was then paying attention to a young lady, the
daughter of Captain Painter; and in l785 he married her, and
brought her home to his house in Cross Street, Redruth.
In the following year,--September, 1786--Watt says, in a letter
to Boulton, "I have still the same opinion concerning the steam
carriage, but, to prevent more fruitless argument about it, I
have one of some size under hand. In the meantime, I wish
William could be brought to do as we do, to mind the business in
hand, and let such as Symington and Sadler throw away their time
and money in hunting shadows." In a subsequent letter Watt
expressed his gratification at finding "that William applies to
his business." From that time forward, Murdock as well as Watt,
dropped all further speculation on the subject, and left it to
others to work out the problem of the locomotive engine.
Murdock's model remained but a curious toy, which he took
pleasure in exhibiting to his intimate friends; and, though he
long continued to speculate about road locomotion, and was
persuaded of its practicability, he abstained from embodying his
ideas of the necessary engine in any complete working form.
Murdock nevertheless continued inventing, for the man who is
given to invent, and who possesses the gift of insight, cannot
rest.
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