Captain Robert Scribe Harris 1810-1885

HARRIS

Posted By: cheryl moonen (email)
Date: 8/8/2017 at 14:04:06

Dubuque, Iowa, Herald, Sunday, December 27, 1885.

DEATH OF SCRIBE HARRIS

A Venerable Citizen Gone
To His Reward

On Christmas afternoon at 4 o’clock, Capt. R. S. Harris breathed his last at the family residence, Third and Alpine after a long continued illness.

Robert Scribe Harris familiarly known to all river men as “Scribe,” was born in Delaware County, New York, March 21, 1810. At a very early day his family removed to Cincinnati, where he found light employment suited to his years. When about 14 years old, his parents seeking a new home in the west, Scribe accompanied them, the journey between Cincinnati and Galena being made on a flat boat, and consuming nearly eight weeks.

In 1826, he, with his brother, Capt. Smith Harris, struck a load at Galena, which was known as “Harris Diggins,” which has produced a large amount of ore. When 17 years of age, Scribe leaving home, engaged in steam boating , serving as engineer, boat builder and commander , the last boat he commanded being the St. Paul. In 1833, he, with his brother, built the Jo Daviess, which was the first boat built upon the river north of St. Louis. He run the Otter, the first regular packet boat to St. Paul. These two brothers were also the first persons to navigate by steamer the Rock and Wisconsin rivers.

In 1845 he left the river and engaged in mercantile pursuits, establishing the boat stores at Galena, Dubuque, St. Louis and St. Paul. Upon his return from a European trip in 1858 he retired from active business, since then he has been interested in various enterprises and a director in the First National Bank until within the past year, when failing health induced his resignation, which was reluctantly accepted.

There are probably few men living today who has had so extended acquaintance among river men as Scribe Harris, he being preeminently a pioneer.

Those sterling traits of character which insure respect Mr. Harris very markedly possessed. Of a practical and energetic turn of mind, he was one of those self-made men of whom few so typical and admirable remain.

He enjoyed very largely the gift of inventive genius and turned its force both upon the simple needs of everyday and upon future and more general benefits. A helpless cripple, suffering from a deformity of the foot, roused his sympathy and he invented for him a shoe which was of incalculable advantage. He also devised a most ingenious brace to relieve a curvature of the spine.

He prepared a plan for a steam ram, exhibiting it to the authorities at Washington of whom Jefferson Davis was one, and by whom it was afterwards put in practice. He invented the time lock, though other parties reaped the rewards of his idea.

But the most important of his plans and the one in which he long sought to interest the government and the merchant marine, was the adoption of a line of lighthouses and telegraph stations from New York to Liverpool, fifty miles apart, so that ships would always be in sight of light. Thus, in a line of vessels on each side of them, danger of collision would be prevented. This very plan is now being prepared for patent in several countries. In the residence of Mr. Harris is a photograph, taken long ago, which shows his plan, its station boats with their lights, and telegraph lines and anchors.

Always avoiding ostentation he was kindly and sympathetic. Many a sorrowful soul knew the open heart that relieved its wants with worthless humility.

As a neighbor genial and reliable, as a man honest honorable and straight forward, as a husband considerate even to womanliness in the deep, abiding tenderness of his love. Had he lived until the coming February he would have rounded his life in fifty years of wedded love. His wife, who survives him, alone knows how golden were all those happy years. Mr. Harris had no sympathy with sham of any kind, but, possessing a comfortable fortune, he was ever ready to assist the truly needy. And when the end came, without fear, without distrust, at peace with God and man, he entered into his rest.