Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1915-06-11
GIRLS GRADUATE
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ing in science and taking a conspicu-
Gus part in local affairs. For fifty
years he was almost continually in
public service and this without COM
pensation. About half of this time
was spent abroad in the service of his
country. The discovery of the iden-
tity of Tightening and electricity had
long before made him the best known
American in Europe. He returned
to the United States where he helped
in framing the Declaration of hide
pendence and placed twenty thousand
dollars of his fortune at the service
of Congress. After this he crossed
the ocean to Europe, where he won
the aid of the French in the great
struggle for American independence.
When eighty-six years Of age he re-
turned to America and continued to
give scientific discoveries TO the
world for the remainder of his life.
Another statesman who came into
prominence about this time was
Alexander Hamilton, the son of an
unsuccessful merchant. While work.
ing in his store, his marked ability
secured for him the interest of
friends, who sent him to school at
Elizabeth, N. j., and afterwards to
college. While there he wrote a
series of papers in defence of the
colonies which brought him to the
rotice of the public. When the war
of the Revolution began he became
Washington's friend and adviser
After the war he studied law and be-
came one of the most eminent lawyers
of New York. He was elected to
Congress and was a leader in the con-
vention which framed the constitu-
ton of the United States. His series
of articles written on the constitution
explaining its scope and power gave
him his widest fame. When Wash
ington became president he appointed
Hamilton as secretary of treasury
Here his able management raised the
public credit from the lowest to the
highest point. Daniel Webster has
eloquently said of him "He smote
the rock of national resources, and
abundant revenue burst forth. He
touched the dead corpse of public
credit and it sprung upon its feet.
1t is said that the history of inven.
tons is more important than that Of
war, and, as we read of the inven
lions of Fulton and Edison, we real
ize how much even two great in
ventions have done to make oul
country what it is.
Robert Fulton, inventor of the
steamboat, was an orphan boy. A
his father died when he was yer.
young, the family were left in yer,
precarious circumstances. But Rob
ert was quick witted and ingenious
and soon began earning money b.
painting; miniatures. Very early h
began to develop his inventiv
powers; he powdered lead and mad
his own pencils; he attached paddl
wheel.to his pole-boat so as to leav
himself free to fish, and made hi
own rockets for. celebrating tn
Fourth of July. He, designed CUR
and calculated the distance the
; would. shoot. For the making {
these boyish devices it was necessar
: for him to study mathematics an
3 physics, for which to speak candid,
he must. have been more fond tina
the class of 1916.
At the age of twenty-one he eros
ed the Alleghanies, wnere he sa
r many rich valleys that were unsettle
h because of the great expense
u getting. farm produce to marke
u From these conditions he first CO..
d ceived the idea of using steam powe
r After inventing a marble cutter,
s. dredging machine, and a torpeC
which could be fired from a su
marine he turned his attention to IL
steam boat. From the weight of IL
- engine the first broke in two; Il
:, second had too small an engine for i
- load. But Fulton did not give VI
on the contrary he learned succe
> by failure. In 1906, he began
= build the "Clermont" on East Rive
when it was ridiculed as Fulton
/, folly" Despite the jeers, the inven
- or persuaded a pan ty of prominer
:, men and women to make the tri