The Washington herald., 1909-01-24

steam navigation OF the Eastern waters q Amer
ira vas much earlier than on the Western waters.
lltLcu-h the latter. cCuIeuclls az i-llrs1lrE- vas
conducted az an car-y date lsI4 down the Assis-
sIyri Rivlr % New Orleans James RuGscy. expert
meu1irr 70 I7s5I7si sailed the first Steamboat on
the Potomac ou December II. rs, IUssloy uules
-he supervision Cf Ger Washington Fitcn cliy
claims O. have curceived such an IDEA ln 4s3 lhe
experiments of Robert Fultcn were aD'lt the year
I5G- As an inventor. therefore. Rumsay Ere'etle4
them all and as s1ch it ) fitting that n-1-lI-eill
should be erected 90 h5m "a the c-l-s ot iEc Foio-
nae ~ SheIharIstCvu overlooking rhe Scf1es % fl
earliest and most z-c-es-ful ezIe1meuts- Tat ai-
r-rr7ste site has been selected and the legislature
q West Virginia has made substantial aII-7E-l2-
ZION toward Gsfrlyin- the cost Of the memorial
In the rotunda Of the Capitol al Wash
fngton there Is a statue Of Robert Full
ton and an inscription which declares
him 10 have been the first inventor Of the
steamboat. In the history text books his
claim on everlasting fame is similarly
characterized
Robert Fulton was an inventor Of a
steamboat. but not the first inventor, says
Charles Brooks Smith in the Pittsburg
Dispatch
Startling as This statement may seem. II
Is built on a foundation Of unquesuOned
fact There are historical records indis-
putable 10 show that James Rumsey' s
statue should be in the Capitol as The
first successful inventor TO apply steam
+ 70 the propulsion OF river craft instead Of
the weH-k1own marble memorial cele-
brating Fulton's achievement, which
came twenty years after Rumsey's first
successful experiment with his steamboat
f on the Potomac River
( The fact seems tc be apparent from the
/ records that the correspondence still ex-
Iant that Fulton. then a young man. net
I Rumsev IN London and became intimate
with him. and likely enough got the idea
/ from Runsey. who had years before in
vented and successfully tried his steam
boat, which gave Fulton q place in his
/ tory which IS not, IN the opinion Of many
I c0nversant with James Rumsey's career.
! justified. Those interested have taken
] steps 70 give RUmsey a place IN Ameri-
I can history they deem he is deserving Of
. Appropriation for Memorial
! The legislature Of West Virginia has
given the Rumseyan Society. organized in
Sheperdstown. where the first inventor OF
/ the steamboat lived and where his fnven-
I ton was first successfully experimental
with. and duly incorporated under the
( laws OF West Virginia. the sum Of S1.15-
( for the purpose Of erecting a suitable
memorial. whether in the form Of a stat
ne or other monument. to James Rum
sey. the inventor OF the steamboat, IN the
/ town Of SheperGstown. in the county o.
( Jefferson, on a site OF location 10 be des-
I ignated by the governor Of the State The
/ governor Is authorized and empowered to
J permit the erection Of said memorial IN
/ der the auspices Of any corporation char
tered for the purpose under the laws o.
| West Virginia, which shall likewise have
authority. under the direction of the gov
ernor. to receive. by purchase or gift q
suitable lot for the location Of said me-
mortal. at or near the spot above de-
scribed. Said corporation shall likewise
have power. under the direction Of thC
governor, TO receive by private subscrip-
tions such donations as may be rendered
for the purpose herein indicated.
] In compliance with this grant the Rum
seyan Society is going forward toward
the completion OF a memorial. the reali
zation OF which has been in the minds O.
the people in and about ShepherdstowE
for a century A plot @. ground. on
: high bluff. commanding a sweeping view
OF the beautiful Potomac River al th'
very spot where. on a night in October
I7S5. the first trial trip Of the first steam
boat ever built in the world was made
has been secured. and, with what fnan
cial help West Virginia has given ant
the further assistance fl is hoped II vii
give at next years session Of the legis
iature. together with private sUbScrip
tions made. a monument OF enduring
granite viii be placed to commemorate
the genius Of James Rumsey's achieve
ment
4 Mechanic from Youth.
How FAR this appreciation VIII 90 Il
shedding on James Rumseys name som
Of the luster which haloes that Of Rober
Fulton is problematical; probably not far
But justice will have been done though
Fufton-s statue remains forever IN n
/ Capitol rotunda; though authors OF schoo
histories ignore the records OF Rumseyt
invention. which are OF indisputable au
thenticity: though the century-sowu seed
Of false historical assertion 90 on taking
root and sprouting IN fertile fields Of fu
tUre centuries
James Rumsey was born at Bohemi'
Manor, Cecil County. Nd. BIS fathe