WC 28/7 Tom Thumb

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On August 28, 1830, inventor Peter Cooper's steam locomotive "Tom Thumb" raced against a horse in an effort to market his engine to the B&O Railroad and, thus, not just sell it to the company, but also enhance the value of his properties around Camden Yards in Baltimore.

As it turned out, the locomotive lost the race due to a mechanical failure. Was this just coincidence? Probably. But suppose it wasn't.

Coke to the furnace,
A full head of steam,
The engine was ready,
To prove a man's dream.

All started well,
That fine summer's day,
The power from water,
Far greater than hay.
Just eight miles to go,
The race had begun,
A team of wild horses,
'Gainst Cooper's Thumb.

Away!, They're Away!,
The crowd they did roar,
As faster than walking,
Down the track they did soar,
Cooper all smiles when,
They left in their dust,
The relay drawn carriage,
As he knew that they must.

While the wheels spinning freely,
The future looked bright,
But a whine and a squeal,
Proved something's not right.

The crowd held its breath,
When the engine did stall,
Cooper deflated,
From on high did he fall,
A dream dashed to pieces,
As horses strolled by,
His engine a failure,
He had to know why!

Engineers told him,
'Twas a belt that had slipped,
Now 'they' held the prize,
That his fingers near gripped,
It wasn't his failure,
They said, well they tried,
But he held that they'd cheated,
'Til the day, that he died.

40 Lines