leisure time was spent either in drawing, or in visiting the shops of the mechanics in the place and eagerly watching their operations.  He displayed a remarkable talent for mechanism, which was greatly assisted by his skill in drawing, and his visits to the machine shops were always welcomed by both the apprentices and their employers, who recognized the unusual genius of the boy, and predicted great things for him in the future.  But to his teacher, who seems to have been rather more belligerent than is usual with Quakers, Robert’s neglect of his studies and visits to the machine shops were so many indications of growing worthlessness.  The indignant pedagogue once took occasion to remonstrate with him upon his course, and, failing to convince him by argument, rapped him sharply over the knuckles with a ruler, telling him he would make him do something.  Robert at once placed his arms akimbo, and, looking his tutor sternly in the face, replied:  “Sir, I came here to have something beat into my brains, not into my knuckles.”

Some time after this Mrs. Fulton, in conversation with the teacher, expressed her solicitude lest her son should “turn out nothing,” since he neglected his books so entirely.  The teacher frankly confessed that he had done all in his power for the boy, but that he was discouraged, and added:  “Only yesterday, madam, Robert pertinaciously declared to me that his head was so full of original notions that there was no vacant chamber to store away the contents of any dusty books.”  The lad was only ten years of age at the time, and, as may be supposed, the good Quaker who directed his education was not a little dismayed by such a remark.

The boyhood of Fulton was passed during the stormy period of the Revolution, and in a section so close to the theater of war that he was in the midst of all the excitement engendered by the conflict.  He was an ardent patriot from the first, and used his pencil freely to caricature all who showed the slightest leaning to the cause of the enemy.

In 1778 the supply of candles was so low in Lancaster that the town authorities advised the people to refrain from illuminating their houses on the 4th of July of that year, in order to save their candles.  Robert, at this time but thirteen years old, was determined not to forego a patriotic display of some sort.  He had prepared a quantity of candles for the occasion, and after the proclamation of the Town Council was issued, he took them to a Mr. John Fisher, who kept a store in the place, and sold powder and shot.  Mr. Fisher was somewhat astonished at Robert’s desire to part with the candles, which were at that time scarce articles, and asked his reason for so doing.  The boy replied:  “Our rulers have requested the citizens to refrain from illuminating their windows and streets; as good citizens we should comply with their request, and I prefer illuminating the heavens with sky-rockets.”  Having procured the powder, he left Mr. Fisher’s, and entered a small variety store kept by a Mr. Cossart, where he purchased several sheets of large-sized pasteboard.  As Mr. Cossart was about to roll them, the boy stopped him, saying he wished to carry them open.  Mr. Cossart, knowing Robert’s mechanical genius, asked him what he was about to invent.