Gallipolis journal. [volume] (Gallipolis, Ohio) 1837-1919, 1850-10-17
..-1-1.~-,ee OF rFsIaou,s FIr.t sseam Vsy-
s@e. and Ihe Reception Of his Eirss Paas-

more certainty formed a travel
ling acquaintance, upon a steamboat
on the Hudson river, with gentle
man who, on that occasion, related
to me some incidents Of the first voy-
age of Fulton, TO Albany, in his
steamboat, the Clermont, which |
have never met with elsewhere. The
genileman's name | 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 requested TO secure them
from oblivion by giving them TO the
press. =.
CHANGED, said my narrator, to be
at Albany on business, when Full
ton arrived there, in his unheard OF
craft, which every body felt so much
interest in seeing. Being ready 70
leave, and hearing that this craft
was to return to New York, l re-
paired on board and inquired Tor Mr..
Fulton. | was referred TO the cab
in, and | there found plain, gentle
manly man, wholly alone and en-
gagged in writing.
Mr.. Fulton, presume.
Yes, sir.
Do you return TO New York with
this boatl
We shall try TO get back, sirl
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 dollars, was Eamed.
The amount in coin,I laid in his open
hand, and with his eye fixed upon il
he remained so long motionless that
Isupposed there might be miscount,
and said to him, is that right, sir!
This reused him as from kind oi
revery. and as he looked up at me
the big tear was brimming in his eye
and his voice faltered as he said, ex-
cuse me, sir; but memory was busy
as contemplated this, the first Pc
cuniarv reward | have ever received
for all my exertions in adapting
steam 10 navigation. | would gladly
commemorate the occasion over a
bottle of wine with you, but really
am too poor, even Ior that, just
now; yet trust we may meet again
when this will not be so.
The voyage to New York, was
successful, as all know, and termi-
mated without accident.
Some four years after this, when
the Clermont had been greatly i'm
proved, and her name changed TO
the North River and when two 9TH
er boats, namely, the Car of Nep-
tune and the Paragon had been built,
making Mr.. Fulton's feet, three
boats regularly plying between New
York and Albany, | took passage up
on one of these for the latter city,
The cabin in that day, was below,
and as ] walked its length to and fro,
saw | was very closely observed
by one supposed stranger. Soon,
however, | recalled the features ol
Mr.. Fulton; but without disclosing
this, | continued my walk and await
ed the result. At length in passing
his seat, our eyes met, when he
sprang, eagerly seizing my hand, ex-
claimed, | knew it must be you, for
your features have never escaped me;
and although am still far from rich,
yet l may venture that bottle, now.
1t was ordered; and during its dis
cussion Mr.. Fulton ran rapidly but
vividly over his experience of the
worlds coldDess, and sneers, and OF
the hopes, fears, disappointments,
and difficulties that were scattered
through his whole career Of discove-
ry, up to the very point of his final,
Growing 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 occasion and the incident of our
first interview, at Albany; and nev-
er have | done so without its renew
ing in my mind, the vivid emotion it
originally caused. That seemed, and
does seem, to me, the turning point
in my destiny-the dividing line be-
tween light and darkness, in my ca
reer upon earth; for il was my first
actual recognition Of my usefulness
10 my fellow men.
Such, then, were the events coup
led 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 appreciations, by the
world, oi a discovery which has in
vaded all water, causing a revolution
in navigation which has almost liter
ally brought the very ends of the
earth in contact.
RECIPE FOR CURING HAMs.-Mr.
] Nathan White. OF Montgomery