Rensselaer Gazette, Volume 2, Number 29, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 3 November 1858 — The First Steamboat. [ARTICLE]

The First Steamboat.

A gentleman in Baltimore writes to the Patriot, the Tollmvin.g anecdote: Some twenty odd years ago, when I published and conducted it daily paper in Philadelphia, 1 had prepared a wood cut representation of John Fitch’s steamboat, which ran from PhiladelphiitUtu Burlington, in 1787. and published a bidet history of his efforts to introduce steam as a motive power in propelling vessels. This brought to my office a:i old gentleman, named Wamsly, who said to me: “I see you have been giving some account of Fitch and his steamboat.” I implied yes, it was an interesting subject, and there were few who knew that Fitch ever propelled a boat by steam. He remarked that he knew something about Ft eh and his boat, and went on to say that he was one of a number of gentlemen who assisted Fitch with money to enable him to butid his boat, engine, &C. I then remarked, that it was evident that Fitch (ailed in his; effort for the want of means to enable him tc? <ro on, and asked him why the gentlemen who aided him, of whom he was one, did not furnish him with means enough to enabl him to succeed! “I will tell you,” said Mr. W. . ‘ The fact was that everybody looked upon Fitch as crazy, and he was an object of ridicule wherever lie went, and we who bad assisted lion were so laughed at and ridiculed tor- aiding'a mad man with money on ’change, and wherever we went, that we become ashamed of -what we had done, and ceased to have any intercourse with him.”