The Spaniards assert that a captain of one of their vessels, named Don Blas de Garay, discovered, as early as the sixteenth century, the art of making steam a motive power." "I don't believe that," said Jack.
"Why ?" "Because a real Spaniard has never less than thirty-six words in his name.

If you had said that the steam engine was discovered by Don Pedrillo y Alvares y Toledo y Concha y Alonzo y Martinez y Xacarillo, or something of that sort, then I could believe the man to have been a genuine Spaniard, but not otherwise." "Spaniard or no Spaniard, the Spanish claim the discovery of steam through Don Blas; the Italians likewise claim the discovery for a mechanician, named Bianca; the Germans assign its discovery to Solomon de Causs; the French urge Denis Papin; and the English claim the invention for Roger Bacon." "You have forgotten the Swiss," said Jack.
"The Swiss," replied Fritz, with an air of dignity, "put forward no candidate: steam and vapor and smoke are not much in their line.

They discovered something infinitely better--the world is indebted to them for the invention of liberty.

I mean rational, intelligent, and true liberty--not the savagery and mob tyranny of red republicanism.

The three discoverers of this noble invention were Melchthal, Furst, and William Tell." "You can have no idea," continued Willis, "of the stir that steam was creating in Europe the last time I was there.