The Rock Island Argus and daily union. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1920-1923, 1920-09-20
Frederic Haskin's Letter

I e.. Z - Assas,.

= 80 ~ 45es
crude. having been built "a. Z
most part In the local blaef..s.s
shop. But finally 1t warmed n -
work. and amid the BREATHE s.
lencs OF the crowd, the boet -.
my. God! she m0ves!" exclssNs.
General Gates. That was - -.
successful attempt to propel ! ~.
By any other means than ths -
itivs wind and muscle syrsa~
While working On his -,
Rumsey had endeavored to eIs,s
patent rights on his idea FINN r.
various state legislatures. "a r
those days the United Statss =.
ent ONCE had not yet been craa,ss
But 90 Tar he had only succseS..
In getting protection In Marylsss
and Virginia.
For someone else had nm.
there first. About the same M !.
Rumsey was working on his ~,
in Shepherdstown. a shrevd =.
principled charlatan by the ~.
Of John Fitch claimed that ~ M
conceived the idea of q steankes.
No one ever saw Fftch's 81 4.
action. but he managed to get -.
grants from several Of the ~.
legislatures, and being somsvas,
Of . writer. to caricaturs RuuIan, =
. rather unfavorable light Etes
went to General Washington -
letter OF introduction to tho -.
ernor of Virginia. but Washiassm
refused to give it to himy ssStirs
that be. had seen Rumsey's -
at least q year before Fitch -
even conceived the idea.
EARLY In 1888 Rumsey went "a
Philadelphia. He had already ~
DR.. BENJAMIN Rush. one Of Ia
signerS Of the declaration Of Isle
pendence and had succeeded In an.
vincing him Of the soundness Of Ii,
idea. So on his arrival in Philalal.
phia. DR.. Rush introduced him IA
the leading men Of the city. A Rim.
sey society was formed and Ben.
jamin Franklin was elected presi.
dent. Funds were raised to snl
the inventor to England and she
help him gain his rights in thb
country. One writer ON this spb.
Jet charged that Rumsey's failun
to obtain justice in America vss
due to the influence which Fitch
brought to bear against him. The
first commissioner Of patents was]
. connection ofvF1tch and the witt
Or states that for this reason the
government refused to recognize
the validity Of Rumssy's claim. b
that - it may, Rumsey decided b
try his luck on the other side.
! The first thing he did on reach
ing England was to apply for pat.
ent rights on his invention. Thea
hs- set about building a boat. Ais
second vessel was larger and bet.
ter constructed than the Original
model and many Of its dencieneies
were remedied in this second T.
tempt. But he died before the
work was completed.
For more than a quarter Of Z
century admirers Of the lnventor
sought recognition Of his claims b.
fore congress. but. 1t was mot Until
1886 that q gold medal was award
ed his son as . tribute to tho genius
Of the man who first showed Tie
world that the steam engine VA
something more than q scisshfe
This is where Robert Futon,
comes into the story. Fulton vss
an artist Of no mean ability. wh0
a lad OF IT he was making . god
living in Philadelphia ~ painter
OF portraits. Friends induced hin
to go to England that he might
study under Benjamin West he
went. and by the time RuMaU
reached London, young Fulton bed
made quite a name for himself.
Being fellow-c0untrymen, ID
Americans being none too populr
in the London Of the $685. It w
natural. that the two mon shoeh
become something more than e
Quaintances. Fulton in addition %
being IN artist was also IN invse.
tor. He used to visit Rumsey. ~
it requires no great stretch OF p
agination to conjecture somethias
OF the conversations that went q
at such times.
1t Is not intended to imply th9
Fulton deliberately appropr1aIa
Rumsey's idea without giving y
other credit for the work ne -
done. But the fact remains ta@
Fulton, who won honor and money,
only perfected a device invented Y
q genius who was defeated BY ne.''
malice. favofitism and stup'0N
/ and who died poor and unknown