The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1870-08-02
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The following remiaiseeuee 81 Ful
toms fret steam voyage. and lbe rycep
ton 81 she passage money wsa com
munloatod ta toe Buffalo Commercial
Advertiser by u W Haskiug Some
years ancc ! formed a travelling ac
quaiutarcr upon a steamboat ou the
Hudson river. with 4 gentleman who,
% that occasion related me some uci.
dent a. the FIRST voyage ~ Fulton 80
Albany 10 hrs steamboat the Clar
mont. which | never met with else
where The geutlomans name ! have
now lost bui / urged him at The time
To publish what he related, which, how
ever. 50 far as know, be never has
done
ehanced, said my narrator, 90 be at
Albany, on business, when Fulton ar
riyod IN his unhoard-ofcraft which
everybody felt SO much interest ia SEQ
ing Being ready 10 leave, aud hearing
that this craft was 20 return TO New
York, | repaired on board and inquired
FOR Mr. Fulton | VAS referred to The
cabin, and there found the plain gentle.
manly 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
4 Can ! have a passage down.
4 You can take your chance with us,
sir
/ inquired the amount to be paid, and
after moments hesitation, sun, |
think six dollars, was named. The
amount in coin, | laid IN bis open band
aud with an eye fixed upon it, he re-
manned SO long motionless, that | sup
posed there might be a lniscount, and
/ said 10 him, Is that right, sirl
This reused him AS from kind OF
royerie, and as he looked at me, a tear
was trembling in his eye, and his voice
filtered as he said, Excuse me, sir, but
memory was busy rs | contemplated
this, the first pecuniary reward | have
received for all my excrtions IN adapt
ing steam to navigation ] would glad
ly emorate the occasion over q
bottle of wine with you, but really,
am too poor even now; yet trust We
may meet again when this will not be
So
Some four years after this, when the
'Clarmont had been greatly improved,
and two new boats made, making Fol
tons feet three boats regularly plying
between New York and Albany, ] tool
passage in one of these for the 'lattel
city The cabin in that day, was below
and as ! walked its length to and fro,
saw | was very closely observed by one
| supposed n stranger. Soon, however
| recalled the features Of Mr. Fulton
but, without disclosing this, | contin
ued my walk, and waited the result A
length, in passing his seat our eyes met
when he sprongto his feet, and eagerl'
seizing my hand, exclaimed: knew j
must be you, for your features hay,
never escaped me, and, although ] an
still far from rich, yet may venture
that bottle now
1t was o dered and during this dis
: cussion Mr. Fulton ran rapidly, bu
wvidly, over his experience Of th'
world b coldness and sneers. and Of th,
hopes, fears, disappointments and diff
culties that were scattered through th
! whole career Of discovery, up to th
very point Of its final crowning triumph
at which he as fully felt he had at las
arrived And in reviewing all these
said he, have again and again recall
ed the occasion and the incident Of ou
) first interview a. Albany; and neye
have / done so without its renewing il
my mind the vivid emotion it original
" caused. That seemed and still doe
seem, to me, the turning point in m.
destiny the dividing line between ligh
and dakness in my career upon earth
for it was the first actual recognition {
my usefulness to my fellow men.