It is told of George H. Corliss, the famous engine builder of
Providence, R. I., that when building a foundry at the Corliss works,
some Blue Birds took the opportunity to build in some holes in the
interior framework into which horizontal timbers were to go. The
birds flew in and out--as Blue Birds will--and went on with their
housekeeping, until in the natural course of things the workmen would
have evicted them to put the apertures to their intended use of
receiving timbers. But Mr. Corliss interfered and showed how the
particular aperture the birds were occupying could be left undisturbed
until they were done with it, without any serious delay to the building.
So the pair came and went in the midst of the noise of building and
brought up their little family safely, and after they had flown away,
and not until then, that particular part of the framework was completed.
At another time, Mr. Corliss was working on a contract with the city of
Providence to supply a steam pumping apparatus, power house and all,
at Sockonosset, and the time was short, and there were forfeitures
nominated in the bond for every day beyond a a specified date for its
completion.
The power house was to be upon virgin soil where were rocks and
trees--little trees growing among rocks. In blasting and clearing the
necessary place for the foundations of the building, a Robin's nest was
discovered in a little tree within the space where the upheavals were to
be made. When Mr. Corliss knew this he had the work transferred to the
other side of the square or parallelogram around which the digging and
blasting were to go, saying that it was just as well to do the other
side first.
But it proved that when the workmen had got clear around and back to the
Robin's tree, the young birds were still not quite ready to fly. This
called for a new exercise of an inventor's power of adapting means to a
worthy end. Looking at the little tree with its nest and little birds
high in the branches he bade the men support the tree carefully while it
was sawed through the trunk a little above the ground, and then carry it
in an upright position to a safe distance and stick it into the ground
with proper support.
The Robin family continued to thrive after this novel house-moving and
all flew away together after a few more days.