The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1850-10-19
HEMINIsCENCEso or FULToN'S FIRST
STEAM VOYAGE.

DECEPTION or ms rIusr PASSAGE MONTY
Some twenty years since, more or lc.s-ior
! cauuol rs the date with more certainty I
formed a travelling acquaintance; upon u
steamboat on the Hudson River, with gem
tlcman who, on that occasion, related to me
some incidents Of the frst voyage of Fultonto
Albany, in his steamboat the Clcrmont, which
! have never met with elsewhere. The gen
tcman's nhmc ! have lost, Int ] urged him.
NJ the time, publish what he rclalcd;which
however, so far as know, he has never
done. ! have several times repeated the facts
rs they were told to me, and have often been
requested to secure them from oblivion 10y
giving them 10 the press.
CHANGED, said my narrator 80 bc ~ Alba
ny, on business, when Fulton arrived there,
IN Tis mIcai1 OF c,drl, Which every body rlt
90 much interested in seeing Being rca-
dy to..lca,r, aud hearing that this craft
was to rcturpto New York, | repaired ON
hoard aud inqurdd for Mr. Fulton. | was re-
forrcd To the cabin. and there found plain
gcntlcmanly man, wholly alone, and engaged
in writing,
=Mrzfnlton. ! prczumu s-=-=
Yes sir.
DO YOU return TO New York with this
boat?
We shall try 10 get back, sir.
Can have a passage down 2
You can take your chance with ussir
inquired the amount TO he paid and nf
ter moments hesitation, a sum, think six
dollars, was named. The amount in CON- |
laid in his open hand, aud viii, hi- ,.,,. iN-,i
upon it lac remained ~ long mntionless that
supposed there might be a miscount, and said
10 him Is that right sir2 This reused him.
as from Kind ofrcyery, and ms he looked up
at me, The big tear was trimming in his cyc
aud his voice ALTERED rs he said, excuse me,
s'r, but memory was busy as | contemplated
thus the first pgcnniarY reward / hnIl- rle4
received for all my cNortions in adapting
steam TO navigation ] would gladly COM
ncinuorate the occesion over u bottle of wine
with YOU, but really ! am to poor, even for
that, inst now; yet ! trust we may meet again
when this viii hot lie So
The voyage To Now York was success
-f,,l7 ~ MI know, and terminated without acct
dent.
Some f5h years after this, when the Clcr-
mont had ,bccn greatly improved. and her
UHmc changed 10 the North River, and when
two other l.oats NAMELY the Car of Neptune
and the Paragrii,had been built, making Mr.
fleet boats regularly ply ing between
New York and Albany, t2ek. payggc upon
one ofthcsc Tor the latter city. The GaNin
in that day, was below; and n walk al its
length, "a and fro, saw was very closely
observed by one supposed a stranger. Soon
however, I recalled the features of Mr. Full
ton; but without disclosing this, continued
my walk and awaited the result. Atlcngth
in passing his seat, onr eyes met, when he F..
9prang to his feet, and eagerly .scizing my
hand, exclaimed, ] knew it must be YOU, for (
NnnF features have never cScapcdu1 and al I
though am far from rich i may ycntuerlAat4
h''ttie, now. 1t was ordered, and during its |
discussion, Mr. Fulton ran rapidly but vivid
~ over his experience oCthc worlds codncss
@ tf'ii # tirc iroTCz, t5arz and Jiis1P-
pointmcuts and difficulties that were scatter
cd through his whole career of discovery, up
10 the VIEWPOINT OF hi, final, cruwniugtriumph
to which lac 30 fully Elt he had ut last ar.
ri,cl Nud ~ reviewing an thee. ,lid lee.