My partner being an active and intelligent young man, remained at the yard, while I selected a place on which to build the dock. Having collected the materials, commenced it amidst the sneers and foolish remarks of many who pretended to have a great knowledge of hydraulics and hydrostatics, and many other things that they were totally ignorant of. After commencing the dock, a gentlemanly-looking man came to the yard, and introducing himself as one well versed in the sciences, remarked to me, he had understood I was building a floating dry-dock. " Now," said he, " allow me to say to you that your plan will never succeed." He then began a long, rigmarole story about the pressure of water, the immense strength that would be required to prevent its destruction, and the great injury which would result to the vessel it contained.
My reply was, that I also had some knowledge of hydraulic pressure, and felt fully satisfied on that score, and at the same time should be happy to receive any information or suggestion that might be of service. As I turned to leave him, he remarked that he felt afraid it would prove a failure. I went about my business, not in the least intimidated by any remarks which had been made by this gentleman. Although I knew that the whole thing was an experiment, which if it failed, would be a serious loss to me. There were many, besides the gentleman alluded to, who gave adverse opinions, and sometimes I felt rather unpleasant. When the dock was nearly completed, a man came to me with whom I had been acquainted many years.
He looked pale and agitated. After going round the dock, and examining everything very minutely, said to me in a very excited manner: " Did you know that Mr. F d had a patent for this dock V " No, sir, I knew nothing of any patent, nor did I suppose that there could be anything of the kind, as it is not a new invention. Docks of this kind have been used in Norway for more than fifty years." 11 Well," said the man, still very much excited, " I have had his model two years, and he has heard about this dock, and will put an injunction on you, unless you make some arrangement with him." As I then knew but little about law, or the nature of an injunction, I made an enquiry, and was told that if the man who held the patent right could make it appear that we had infringed on his right, he could commence a lawsuit, and at the same time forbid the dock being used until the case was decided, which might be one or two years, besides feeding a parcel of miserable, hungry pettifoggers.
I felt very bad, not being at all acquainted with law, and having spent much of our money on the dock, and new to have to lie, and perhaps rot before the case could be decided, besides the expense of the lawsuit, appeared too hard. I have no doubt that this poor trembling man who had the model for two years, not having pluck enough to build it, and seeing the thing right before him, was the cause of all his trouble, and evidently the cause of ours. I accordingly went to Portsmouth where Mr. F resided, and made an arrangement with him, although I knew the patent was invalid, yet by this agreement the dock could be launched and put into operation without further trouble.
Notwithstanding this difficulty was obviated, the very paper which I supposed was a protection appearing perfectly simple in its form, lias ultimately proved a source of much litigation and expense. After the death of the original, Mr. F-, the agreement fell into the hands of some such fellows as I have before described. The paper contained more technical meaning than I was at first aware of. It has been the cause of much subsequent annoyance and expense. One more remark about the dock. It was launched successfully and performed admirably, answering every purpose for which it was intended, and these same very wise men, who predicted a failure and would have liked to have seen their prediction prove true, afterwards came to me, and had the impudence to say: " There, Mr.
H., I knew itfien you were building that dock, that it was on the best plan that could be adapted; how perfectly simple, and how exceedingly well it answers the purpose I" I turned away from these contemptible ivretches, merely remarking that they had better attend to their own business and leave me to manage my own. In 1836 the great Eastern land speculation came up, when so many " lucky " (?) individuals made their fortunes. I remember to have seen it stated in some popular work, that there has been from as far back as the tenth century, and up to the present time, some periodical, prevailing delusion, such as the Dutch tulip mania, South Sea bubble, morus multicaulis, Eastern land, &c, and they will continue to come, despite the sagacity and wisdom of the present, and probably of coming generations.