Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1849-1856, 1850-10-03

STEAM VOYAGE, AND THE hECEPTioN
OF HIS FIRST PASSAGE MoNEy.-Twen-
" years since, more or less-for can
not fix the date more certainly
formed travelling acquaintance. upon
a steamboat on the Hudson river, with
a gentleman who, Oh that occasion, re-
lated to me some incidents Of the first
voyage of Fulton. TO Albany. in his
steamboat, the C.ermont, which ibave
never met with elsewhere The gen
tleman's name have lost hut i urged
him, at The time, to publish wba, he re.
lated; which, however, so far as ! know,
he has never done; have several times
repeated the ficts as they were told to
me, and have been often requested to
secure them from oblivion by giving
them to the press.
chanced, said my narrator, to be
at Albany on business. when Fulton
arrived there, in his unheard OF craft,
which every body felt so much inter-
est in seeing. Being ready to leave,
and hearing that his craa was to return
to New York, repaired on board and
inquired for Mr.. Fulton. was referred
to the cabin. and | there Sound a plain,
gentlemanly man, wholly alone, and
engaged in writing.
Mr.. Fulton. Ipresume.
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.
In quired the amount to be paid, and
after a moments hesitation a sum, |
think six dollars, was named. The a
mount in coin, laid in bis open hand,
and with his eye fixed upon it he re-
NAMED so long mo,ionless that sup
posed there might be miscoun,, and
said to him, is that right, sir ? This
reused him as from kind ofrevery, and
as he looked up at me the big tear was
brimming in his eye and his voice fal-
tered as he said, excuse me sir but
memory was busy as contemplated
this, the first pecuniary reward | have
ever received for all my exerti1ns in "a
doping steam to navigation. ! would
gladly commemorate the occasion over
bottle of wine with you, but really |
am too poor, even for that, Just now /;
yet | trust we may meet again when this
will not be 80.
The voyage to New York was suc-
cessful, as all know, and terminated
without accident.
Sole four years after this, when the
Clermon, had been greatly improved
and her name changed to the North
River and when two other boats, name
ly, the Car Of Neptune and the Para
gon had been built, making Mr.. Full
tons fleet three boats regularly plying
between New York and Albany, !
took passage upon one Of these for the
latter city. The cabin, in that day,
was below and as | walked it's length
10 and fro, | saw | was very closely OBJ
served by one l supposed a stranger.
Soon, however, l recalled the features
of Mr.. Fulton but, without disclosing
this, I continued my walk and awaited
the result. AT length, in passing his
seat, our eyes met, when he sprang TO
his feet, and eagerly seizing my hand
exclaimed, ! knew it must be you, for
your features have never escaped me |;
and although / am still far from rich,
vet may venture that bottle, now. Ii
was ordered and during its discussion
Mr.. Fulton ran rapidly out vlvilIy over
his experience Of the worlds GOODNESS,
and sneers, and of the hopes, fears, dis
appointments, and difficulties that we've
scattered through mis- whole career o
discovery, up to the very point of hi
final, crowning triumph, at which he so
fully felt he had at last arrived.
And in reviewing all these, said he,
have again and again recalled the oc-
casioD and the incident of our first in
terview, at Albany and never have !
done so without its rem wing in my
mind, the vivid emotion it originally
caused. That seemed, and still does
seem, to me, the turning point in my
destiny-the dividing line between
light and darkness, in ny career upon
earth for it was my first actual recog-
nization of my usefulness to my fellow
men.