Letter from N [possibly W] Hunter, Rugby to Timothy Hackworth

Rugby Dec 8th /49

Dear Sir,

I arrived here safely on Friday evening – Mr John and Timothy were out with the engine they brot.[?] the 4 oclock train into Rugby 1 min before time.

On Saturday morning Mr John and I went to see Mr McConnell at Wolverton – I handed him your letter which as soon as he read he in a very strange manner said that the conversation which took place between Mr John, he & myself in reference to our engine being tried against “Jones & Potts”[?] was entirely said in jest & that they could by no means make their line the arena for such competition-

This was certainly a very nice way of getting out of it after a fortnights’ trial of the engine to turn round & tell us, after bringing us here & putting us to such an amount of trouble & expense – that what we took for earnest was only jesting & that all the trial we would get would simply amount to this – that Jones & Potts engine would run the trains from the London end and we from the Rugby end & that he would place on each engine a person[?] to take particulars, as to number of carriages, weight of coke & evaporation of water – that after the experiments had been conducted long enough to satisfy ourselves or him he would then make a comparison of the results of the working of each engine & give us an a/c of ours – Jones & Potts an a/c of theirs but neither of us an a/c of each other – he strongly objected to our making any use of the particulars of the working of our engine, as it might be taken by Mr John – for publication – nothing was to be published but the statement but the statement which he might give us officially.

Here we split – and high time to – It was clear to me from his conversation that there was not the slightest chance of our doing any good and the sooner and the sooner we were done with it the better – We put the question positively thus – If after the experiments have been gone into in the manner you state – the engine works[?controls?] the trains satisfactorily & shews[?] &[?] good saving over the opposing engine & over your own engines – Will the Comp. be likely to take her – His answer was No! I don’t see the smallest chance with their present stock of 40 engines & the very best he could do would be to advise us to write to the directors offering the engine for sale – that he would say the letter before them in conjunction with a statement of the results of our experiments – I don’t think that he is friendly and his only object in getting us here & retaining us is simply for his own satisfaction, and not for our benefit – He seemed anxious to remove what he deemed the misapprehension under which we were labouring respecting the mode of trial. I have enclosed his letter on that head - You will probably receive another from him which I shall explain on my return – I propose to start for home on Monday – I think we now have no alternative but but to get up a number of circulars & advertise her for sale – as there is an end of further experimenting here. I think it would be useless to continue it longer – for there is no good to be done.

The engine is in the shed today – she stopped in with the intention of altering the slide valves – to give them less[?] pass over – this we have now stopped. as it is nearly post time I cannot say more.
I remain Dear Sir
Yours very repectfully[?]
N Hunter