The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1909-10-02
The Versatile and Ingenious
American Inventor Was
the Son of a Kilkenny Man
and Sympathised With the
United Irishmen of the 18th
Century ---Volunteered to
Use His SubmarineDestroy
er Against British Ships.

lrdl 1lSuFoS III tue CeleDCdtlOn HOW tdk-
ing place, will stand for all time as
ere of the great pioneers of the worlds s
progress. A hundred years ago he
demonstrated that ship propelled by
steam could be driven against wind
and current from New York to Albany,
and so realized what was only dream
or toy in the hands of those who had
preceded him to design and experiment.
He is thus the father of all the steam
fleets of the world-those of peace as
well as those of war. 1t is proud dis
tinction, and we'll may Americas
greatest city honor his achievement
and his name, writes Thomas P. Tuite
in New York newspaper.
His father, Robert Fulton, ST., came
to America while quite young from
Kilkenny, Ireland, and there is no rec
ord of his family beyond his genera
tion. His family settled in Lancaster,
Penn. He was apprenticed to a tailor,
and in the usual seven years became a
;ourneyman. Some years later he set
up in business for himself. He married
the daughter of neighbor, Mary
Smith, also of Irish birth. They were
able in 1859 to buy brick house in
which for years they continued the
trade. In 1865 the family moved about
twenty miles south to the farm whose
homestead is now known as Fulton
House. There in this same year
Robert, their third child and first son
was born, and three years later the
farm was surrendered and the family
returned to Lancaster, where shortly
after the head of the family died.
Robert was precocious youth. His
teacher, Caleb Johnson, tells us that
"his head was SO full of original
thoughts that he had no room for
musty books" Among other things
he made lead pencils and taught other
boys to do the same. In those days
Lancaster was quite centre for gun
| smithing. Large quantities of arms
captured from the British, were sent
there and overhauled. Young Fu,ton's
| interest and insight in these matters
were noticed and he was made well
come among the workmen whom he
surprised by his practical suggestions
and ready solutions of the problems
arising. A Hessian regiment, which,
captured by Gen. Sullivan at Assam
pink Bridge, during the fight at Tren-
ton, were quartered in Lancaster
Young Fulton made surprisingly clev-
er caricatures Of these mercenaries
During the winter of 1777-7s, the suf-
ferings Of the patriot army in Valley
Forge about forty miles east Of Lam
caster, gave new play to young Full
toms pencil: he STEPPED it in gall and
gave full vent to his contempt for the
Hessians and his hatred of everything
English.
| At seventeen years of age he was
sent to Philadelphia to learn wntch-
making. He was industrious and
made rapid progress. Some of the
Hessian and George III caricatures he
had drawn in Lancaster reached Phila-
delphia before him. They had even
got to Boston, where Paul Revere had
thought them worthy of engraving
Thus encouraged, he again took up
his pencil. Benjamin Franklin had just
returned from Europe and seeing some
Of the sketches, took an interest in the
F, young apprentice, who soon had more
orders for sketches then he could fill
He also took up painting in oil. and IN
8 short time his work-popular figure
pieces and landecapes-brought ready
sale. Franklin advised him to go to
some of the great art schools Of
Europe. This he decided to do as soon
| as he could see that his mother and
the family were provided for. In a
| short time he was enabled to buy his
"indenture' and, giving up watchmak-
| ing, devoted himself to art. He ex-
celled in miniature portrait painting