Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1878-03-16

on arrival at Natchez.
The "Htna" and "Vesuvius,"
built by Livingstone. followed in
the wake of the "New Orleans"
These facts are graphically and
infinitely detailed in "The First
Steamboat Voyage in the Western
Waters" by j. II. B. Latrobe, ESQ.,,
and published in 1871 by the Mary
land Historical Society. Another
very interesting pamphlet from the
same source is entitled "a Lost
Chapter in the History Of the
Steamboat" published the same
year. The pamphlet winds up by
saying: "The object has been to
show that the merit Of the practi-
cal suggestion Of the employment
Of vertical wheels over the sides of
steamboats, was due to one who has
been lost sight of in this connec-
tion, and wholly ignored in the bio
graphy of Fulton, who, availing
hims1lf Of the suggestions of an
other in all its details, made it a
great commercial success, and in so
doing built upon it a lasting fame. +"
An interesting detail in this con-
nectlon is given in the pamphlet.
In 1928, when j. II. B. Latrobe
was young lawyer, John Deve-
reaux Delacy, a fascinating Irish
man of engaging manners, who had
been associated with Fulton, Roose-
velt, Livingston and DR.. Mitchell
(the ichthyologist, famous for the
view that a whale is not a fish, be-
cause it suckIes its young, and who
wanted ITO call the United States
Frcedonia "), in some of their ex-
periments called at his law office in
the Athen@um building, and want
ed suit brought againsteyery steam
boat owner in the United States, to
begin with General VIM. McDon-
aid, in Baltimore. Delacy produced
the patent, signed by President
Madison, Secretary Monroe and
Attorney General Rush, giving
Nicholas ]. Roosevelt the exclusive
right to his "new and useful i'm
provement in propelling boats by
steam," and dated December l,
1914, and had still some months to
run.
Mr.. Latrobe finally took up the
case, and both VIM. Writ and Mr.
Taney, afterwards chief justice
agreed to participate in the trial
But the young lawyer had nc
money his client, the fascinating
Delacy, ordered a suit of new
clothes from Patterson, the ther
fashionable tailor, on South street
on the strength of his hopes, wai
Iput in jail for debt by the tailor
and Mr.. Latrobe, who assumed thC
debt, began to lose heart. He finally
told Mr.. fancy his troubles, and by
his advice the young lawyer de-
clined to hamper himself at the
outset of his career with such 8
case that would certainly enlis
against him all the steamboat own
er: of the country.
Mr.. B. H. Latrope, the father 0.
Mr. j. H. B. Latrope and the father
of Mrs. Roosevelt by another wife,
was a civil engineer and architect
among whose works are the Balti
more exchange building, the cathe
dral, and other buildings in thi
city. He was about the first edu
Gated architect that came to thi
country. He came from England
in 1895. He bad been architect O
the board of public works of Lon
don. The mother of Mrs. Roose
welt was daughter of Sergeant Sci
Ion, a distinguished English lawyer
author of "Sellon's Practice" Mr.
Latrobe was associated with Fultor
in building the Buffalo," a Mis-
sisgippi steamboat, and after tht
death of Fulton he engaged in re
building the Washington capitol
under President Madison, and af-
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