carriages to take the place of their six-horse Conestoga wagons,
promising to treble their profits. But the directors of the road
were conservative men and his arguments fell on deaf ears.

In the same year Evans petitioned Congress for an extension of
the patent on his flour-milling machinery, which was about to
expire. He had derived little profit from this important
invention, as the new machinery made its way very slowly, but
every year more and more millers were using it and Evans received
royalties from them. He felt sure that Congress would renew his
patent, and, with great expectations for the future, he announced
a new book in preparation by himself to be called "The Young
Engineer's Guide". It was to give the most thorough treatment to
the subject of the steam engine, with a profusion of drawings to
illustrate the text. But Evans reckoned without the millers who
were opposing his petition. Though they were profiting by his
invention, they were unwilling to pay him anything, and they
succeeded in having his bill in Congress defeated. It was a hard
blow for the struggling author and inventor. 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