One night, after returning from his duties at the mine at Redruth, Murdock went with his model locomotive to the avenue leading to the church, about a mile from the town.

The walk was narrow, straight, and level.
Having lit the lamp, the water soon boiled, and off started the engine with the inventor after it.

Shortly after he heard distant shouts of terror.

It was too dark to perceive objects, but he found, on following up the machine, that the cries had proceeded from the worthy vicar, who, while going along the walk, had met the hissing and fiery little monster, which he declared he took to be the Evil One in propria persona! When Watt was informed of Murdock's experiments, he feared that they might interfere with his regular duties, and advised their discontinuance.

Should Murdock still resolve to continue them, Watt urged his partner Boulton, then in Cornwall, that, rather than lose Murdock's services, they should advance him 100L.; and, if he succeeded within a year in making an engine capable of drawing a post-chaise carrying two passengers and the driver, at the rate of four miles an hour, that a locomotive engine business should be established, with Murdock as a partner.