The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 184?-1851, 1850-10-09
From the Buffalo Commercial Adve tiser


From the Buffalo Commercial Adve tiscr,
"REMINISCENCES OF FULToN's FIRST VoYAGE
| RECEPTION eF Ills FIRST PASSAGE Mon
EY.
Snmn twenty years since, more or less
for cannot fix the date with more certainly
i Iurmed travelling acquaintance. upon a
steamboat on 'he Hudson river, with gen
temnn who, on that orvasion, related 70 the
some instances q the first voyage Of Fulton
TO Albany, in his steamboat, the Clcrmon ,
which have never met with sewhere -
/ The genleman's name have lost; but !
ntget bin, at he time, To publish wlmt Ne
Itelaled; which, however, so fur as know, he
has never done. have several times re
peated iacts ne they were told me-, und have
been often requested to sccnTe them fiom
oblivion by giving them 10 the press.
CHANGED, snId my narrator, to be Mt Al
baDy, on business, when Fulton arrived there
IN his unhenrd Of craft, which every body lelt
so much interest in se"iHg. Being resdy to
leave, and hearing thai this craA 10 return
to New foik, repaired On board and inquj-
red for M. Fulton. | was referred 10 The
cabin and there found plain penIem, n V
man wholly alnne, and engaged in writing
Mr., Fulton. presume.
Yes, sir.
Do you return 10 New York with this
boat?
We shall Try 10 get back sir.
Gan have passage down?
You can take yont chance wi,hus sir.
enqnlred the amount to be paid, and nFtrr
a moments hesitation sum, think six dol
lars, was named.
Tue amonnt, in coin, laid in his open
hand, and with his eye fixed upon It he re-
named no IHng motionless Tint | supposed
there might be g miscount, and said % him.
is that right. sir? This ronsed bIm as from
kind Of rcvery, and as he looked up At me
the big tear was btimmh. in his eye, and
his voice aler as he said, ex"use me. sir;
but memory was busy as contemplated his
the first pecuniary reward have ever re-
ceved for all my cxettions in adapting stran
to navigauoa. | would GLADLY commemorate
The occasion over bottle Of wine with YOU,
hut really AN too poor, even for that. Just
nov; yet trust that We may mesl again,
Wien this will not be go.
The voyage to New York was successful,
as all know, and terminated without dcci>
dent.
Some four years a(ter this. when the Cler-
mont had been greatly Improved, n;d her
name chaged to the North River, and wien
two other boats, namely, the Car Of Neptune
md the Paragon, had been built making Mir.
Fulton's feet three boats regularly plying
between New York and Albany, TOOK pass
age upon one Of these for the latter city,
The cabin, In that dsy, WAS below, and IS
walked lis length, to and fro, | saw was
very closely observed by one | supposed a
stranger. Soon, however recalled the
features Of Mr.. Futon; but without disclosing
this, continued my walk and awaited the
result AT length in passing his seat, cur
eyes met, when he sprung 10 his feet and /
eagerly sezing my band, exclaimed knew
il must be you for your features have never
escaped me; and, although lam still far from
rich, yet lmay venture that bottle, How. III
was ordered; and during lis discussion, Mr.
Fulton ran rapidly and vividly over his ex.
perience Of the worlds coldness and sneets
and Of the hopes, fears, dsappointments, Al
difficulties that were scattered through his
whole career of discovery, up TO the very
point OF his final, growing triumph. Mt which
he so fully feh he had al last arrived.
And, IN reviewing all these, SAID he. |
have again aud again recalled the occasion
md the incident Of our titst interview, at Al.
bany; and never have | done SO without its
renewing, in my mind, the vivid elnc,ions it
originally caused.
That seemed, and still does seem, TO me
the turning poiut in my desiny--the dlvi. |
dug line between light and darkness, in my
career upon earth for il was The first actual
recognition Of my usefulness to my fellow
men
Such, then, were the events coupled with
the very dawa Of sienm navgation-a dawn
so recent as to be still rscollected by many
aud such, as Fulton there related them,
were the early approximations by he world Of
a discovery which has invaded all waters,
causing revolution in navigation which has
almost literary brought tho very ends Of The
earth in contact.