Seabird, Ch 24: A matter of Bridges

From Micah (year 2):
Ezra asked Jim what he had learned. He asked him what he had decided. Jim said that he decided that someday he would build engines that would run on oil, not coal. And he said with that, that the firemen and deck hands wouldn't have to shovel the coal. And the ships would only have to shop to get more oil and not coal (it didn't actually say that, but it would be that way). I think ships run by gas now.

From Mom:
Jim is in Europe on his voyage. He starts wondering how ships used to be built and run. His dad explains to him that ships used to run on human power. With slaves chained to oars and beat with whips. Jim mused that Seabird saw Ezra slave on a whaler ship, and saw Nathaniel work hard on ships too, and wondered if people on steamers work hard. So he took a while and watched the people work, concluding that yes, they do work hard. Then he decided that he would like to build a ship that doesn't require people to work so hard. Instead of shoveling coal, they would turn a valve for oil, and the ship would run on that. The sailors would have better cabins and better pay. He tells all this to his Grandpa, who remarks "And I thought you'd outgrown Seabird!".

Seabird, Ch 23 Some people grow to be Machines

From Micah (year 2):
When Jim was 8, he built a ship engine. When he was ten, he thought he was old enough to go on the ship. It was a steamer. A young man was hired to teach him while they were on the ship.

From Mom:
When Nathaniel grew up, he married and had a baby, that they names James or Jim. Jim was always around ships, but when he was still young, decided he liked engines better than ships. He in particular liked the big engines of the steamers. He did a dance to the time of the engine. When he was 8, he sailed on a steamer, and had a tutor to teach him more because his Dad couldn't handle all his questions. Everyone thought that he had outgrown Seabird because he never played with it, and he had bolted the bird to his wall. But when they asked him, he said "You know I admire odd inventions".