Fremont weekly freeman. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1850-1853, 1850-09-28
FultOn,s First steam voyage.
BY r. w. HAsKINs.

|
Some twenty years since, more or less-fol
| cannot fix the date with more certainty
formed a travelling acquaintance, upon steam
boat upon the Hudson river, with a gentle
man who, on that occasion, related to me some
incidents of the first voyage of FULToN, to Al
bany, in his steam boat, the Cternaont, which
l have never met with elsewhere. The gen
tleman's name l have lost; but urged him
at the time, to publish what he related; which,
however, so far as know, he has never done.
have several times repeated the facts as they
were told to me, and have often been reques-
ted to secure them from oblivion by giving
them to the press.
chanced, said my narrator, to be at Alba
ny, on business, when Fulton arrived there, in
his unheard of craft which every body felt so
much interest in seeing. Being ready to leave
and hearing that this craft was to retnrn to
New York, repaired on board the boat and
| inquired for Mr.. Fulton / was referred to
the cabin, and 1 there found plain, gentle
manly looking man, wholly alone, and engaged
in writing.
Mr.. Fulton, presume
Yes, sir.
Do you return to New York with this boat ?
We shall try to get back, sir.
Can | have passage down?
You can take your chance with us, sir.
inquired the amount to be paid, and after
a moments hesitation a sum, think six dol
lars, was named. The amount in coin l laid
in his open hand, and with his eyes upon it he
remained so long motionless that I supposed
there might be miscount and said to him, is
that right, sir? This reused him as from a
kind of revery, and as he looked up at me the
big tears were brimming in his eyes, and his
voice faltered as he said, excuse me- sir; but
memory was busy as contemplated this, the
for all my exertions in adopting steam to nav
igation. would gladly commemorate the
occasion over a bottle of wine with you,
but really ] am too poor, even for that just
now; yet | trust We may meet again, when
this may not be so.
The voyage to New York was successful, as
all know, and terminated without any acci-
dent.
Some four years after this. when the Cler-
mont had been greatly improved, and her
name changed to The NORTH River, and when
two other boats, namely, The Car Of Neptune
and the Paragon had been built making Mr..
Fulton's fleet three boats regularly plying be-
tween New York aud Albany, took passage
upon one of these for the latter city The
cabin, in that day, was below; and as walk
ed its length,t to and fro. / saw was closely OBJ
served by one whom supposed strang
er Soon, however, recalled the features of
Mr.. Fulton; but, without disclosing this, con
tinued my walk and awaited the result. At
length, in passing bis seat our eyes met, when
he sprang to his feet, and eagerly seizng my
hand, exclaimed, knew it must be you. for
your features have never escaped me; and al
though l am still far from being rich, yet
may venture that bottle now. 1t was ordered
and during its discussion Mr.. Fulton ran
rapidly but wildly over his experience of the
worlds coldness and sneers, and of the hopes,
fears disappointments and difficulties that were
scattered through his whole career of discovery
up to the very point of his final, crowning tri-
uph, at which he fully felt he had at last arri-
we'd. And in reviewing all these said he,
have again and again recalled the occasion and
the incident of our first interview, at Albany:
and never have done so without its renewing
in my mind, the vivid emotions it originally
caused. That seemed, and still does seem to
me, the turning point in my destiny-the di-
viding line between light and darkness, in my
career upon earth; for it was the first actual
recognition of my usefulness of my fellow
men.
Such, then, were the events coupled with
the very dawn of steam navigation-a dawn so
recent as to be still recollected by maryland
such as Fulton there related them, were the
early appropriations, by the world, of discov-
cry which has invaded all waters, causing
revolution in navigation which has almost lite
rally brought the very ends of earth in con-
tact.