The globe-independent. (Hagerstown, Md.) 1943-19??, 1950-05-04
HORSE AND
BUGGY DAYS
by
Ida 10 Martin

of the past of our Country and State,
there is perhaps none whose infiu-
ence has gone as far as that of the
inventor of the steamboat, James
Rumsey Although he did not ac-
tually live in Washington County,
but across the River Potomac, much
of his experimental work, and the
worlds first Steamboat trip was
carried out in Washington County
waters.
1 suppose there never has been a
noteworthy inventor who has not
been ridiculed and called crazy.
but to me, the description l found
of this mans personal habits and
characteristics is very interesting.
Although he died poor, as do so many
great inventors, he did enjoy life,
and received credit and honor while
alive, and was held in hight respect
by many, including such national
leaders as George Washington.
To answer a question that may
have come up in your mind already,
regarding the controversy about who
did invent the steamboat, feel that
this statement, by one who con-
Quoted a long research in the life
of James Rumsey, is most fair and
enlightening:
LET us give each of the three
Americans who had the largest part
in giving the steamboat to the world
due credit for his achievement
Rumsey for his experiments that
directed attention to the PRACTICABLE
ity of steam navigation, Fitch for
the practical principles of his boat,
and Fulton for making the steam
boat commercial success.
AS he came of a large family of
no great wealth, Rumsey had the
advantage of only meagre educa-
ton. But he acquired a great store
of useful information, especially
along the lines of the physical
sciences, and he was a natural
mechanic. His letters, although
sometimes lacking in grammatical
correctness, showed a real knowl-
edge of things scientific, and of
men and affairs of the time. They
also show the traits of honesty, in
dustry (this in opposition to the
common conception of an inventory
perseverance and a deep devotion
to his family and friends. Further
more, he never lost faith in his I'M
derstanding of the problems he set
out to solve, and he had that great
boon in trying times, a keen sense
of humor. His was a charm of per-
sonality that won him friends every
where he went.
Reports have it that Rumsey lived
in Cecil County, of this State, from
whence he moved to Bath" West
Virginia, now known as Berkeley
Springs. This was way back in the
early days of our independence, but
it seems that that town became fam
GUS as a pleasure resort right from
the start, and according to an un-
proven tradition, Rumsey built the
first bath house, which in turn led
to the naming of the town. Rumsey
was supposed to have engaged in
two types of business here, one as a
construction contractor, and there
are many letters that were sent back
and forth between Mr.. Rumsey and
General Washington, concerning a
number of houses at that town that
Rumsey was building for the Gen
eral.
For many, many years there had
been several problems in the mind
of Rumsey One was a mechanical
device that, if perfected, would
utilize the force of stream of wa
ter to drive boat upstream against
the current. Another was the idea
of using steam power, at that time
still in its infancy, to propel boats.
1t was apparently in Bath that Mr..
.Rumsey first made known to any
outsiders the facts that he had prac-
teal plans for such a boat.
1t was about this time, in June of
1884, that a motion was read into
the Journal of the House of Dele
gates of the Virginia Assembly
whereby Mr.. James Rumsey was
recognized as an inventor with a
boat that would greatly facilitate
water transportation, and the mo-
ton concluded with a provision to
pay Mr.. Rumsey, or heirs, a sum
adequate to the importance of the
discovery, when Mr. Rumsey should
perfect the boat. This was the first
type of boat the inventor visualized,
using the force of the descending
stream. And it was at this time that
George Washington made one OF
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