The Real McCoy by Juliana Lewis Do you know how we came by the long-used expression "the real McCoy"? It originated in the early 1870s, and was first used in reference to a young black American mechanic, Elijah McCoy. As a young man, McCoy expressed great interest in steam engines and spent long hours experimenting with them. At the time, most machines had to be stopped when they needed oiling, which was done by hand. This was time-consuming and quite expensive. McCoy began to work on a way to supply an uninterrupted flow of oil to the machines' moving parts while they were still in operation. His labors resulted in the development of a small cup with a stopcock that could provide oil, drop by drop, to the moving parts. His invention became widely used on stationary engines, railway locomotives, steamship engines and factory machinery. Any piece of heavy machinery that wasn't equipped with the McCoy lubricator was considered incomplete. Before long, railroad and factory inspectors examining a new piece of machinery began to ask, "Is it the real McCoy?" The expression spread and was perceived to mean "the real thing." Eventually, people extended the phrase to include many things other than machinery. McCoy was born in May 1843 in Ontario, Canada. His parents, former slaves in Kentucky, escaped to Canada in 1837 by way of the Underground Railroad. Once settled there, his father signed up with the Canadian Army. After serving the British government in this capacity, he was awarded 160 acres of farmland upon his honorable discharge. Elijah attended school and worked on the farm until he was 15 years old. After his 15th birthday, he was sent by his parents to Edinburgh, Scotland, where he studied mechanical engineering. After five years, he returned as a master mechanic and engineer. He worked in Canada for a year before seeking employment in the United States. McCoy accepted the best offer and became a railroad fireman on the Michigan Central Railroad. Observing that wood was used as fuel and that men stood on the running board to pour oil onto the steam chest of the engine, he put his mechanical mind to work on ways to improve lubrication. After two years of experimentation, on June 23, 1872, he received his first patent. Continuing to perfect his ideas, he obtained six more patents for lubricators within the next several years--a total of 57 during his lifetime. At first, locomotive engineers were reluctant to use his inventions simply because a black man had invented them. But despite their objections, the new lubricators were installed under the direct supervision of McCoy himself. Between 1872-1915, most railroad locomotives, in America and in many foreign countries, were equipped with his inventions. In the following years, McCoy received much recognition throughout the mechanical-industrial world. He was also well known by the youth of Detroit. As a counselor of teen boys, he showed little patience with any boy who put everything upon his back and nothing in his head. He firmly believed that anything was possible for those who applied themselves. Even at the ripe age of 80, he remained remarkably active and stood perfectly erect. Through persistence, McCoy succeeded during a period that was difficult for most black Americans. When the best engineering positions were closed to him, he did the next best thing by becoming a fireman, and made the most of his opportunity. The outcome was an internationally known master mechanic and inventor. His accomplishments, like his lifestyle, were genuine--the real McCoy.