▁to ▁apply ▁it ▁pract ically . ▁Hum ph ry ▁Dav y ▁said ▁of ▁him ▁" Th ose ▁who ▁consider ▁James ▁W att ▁only ▁as ▁a ▁great ▁practical ▁mechan ic ▁form ▁a ▁very ▁err one ous ▁idea ▁of ▁his ▁character ; ▁he ▁was ▁equally ▁distinguished ▁as ▁a ▁natural ▁phil os opher ▁and ▁a ▁chem ist , ▁and ▁his ▁invent ions ▁demonstrate ▁his ▁prof ound ▁knowledge ▁of ▁those ▁sciences , ▁and ▁that ▁peculiar ▁characteristic ▁of ▁genius , ▁the ▁union ▁of ▁them ▁for ▁practical ▁application ". ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁greatly ▁respect ed ▁by ▁other ▁prominent ▁men ▁of ▁the ▁Indust rial ▁Revolution . ▁He ▁was ▁an ▁important ▁member ▁of ▁the ▁L un ar ▁Society , ▁and ▁was ▁a ▁much ▁sought - after ▁convers ational ist ▁and ▁companion , ▁always ▁interested ▁in ▁expand ing ▁his ▁hor iz ons . ▁His ▁personal ▁relationships ▁with ▁his ▁friends ▁and ▁partners ▁were ▁always ▁con gen ial ▁and ▁long - last ing . ▁ ▁W att ▁was ▁a ▁pro l ific ▁correspond ent . ▁During ▁his ▁years ▁in ▁Corn wall , ▁he ▁wrote ▁long ▁letters ▁to ▁B oul ton ▁several ▁times ▁per ▁week . ▁He ▁was ▁a verse ▁to ▁publishing ▁his ▁results ▁in , ▁for ▁example , ▁the ▁Philosoph ical ▁Trans actions ▁of ▁the ▁Royal ▁Society ▁however , ▁and ▁instead ▁preferred ▁to ▁communicate ▁his ▁ideas ▁in ▁pat ents . ▁He ▁was ▁an ▁excellent ▁dra ug ht s man . ▁ ▁He ▁was ▁a ▁rather ▁poor ▁business man , ▁and ▁especially ▁h ated ▁b arg aining ▁and ▁negoti ating ▁terms ▁with ▁those ▁who ▁sought