The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-21
THE FIRST STEAMBOAT FARE.
A "Reminiscences of Fulton's First Trip
to Albany.
From the Boston Journal


From the Boston Journal
zone Of the most interesting incidents
Of a business nature connected with Full
toms steamboat enterprise was the first
steamboat fare paid to him." said Uncle
Joshua. 1.-The narrator OF this, who was
also one Of the actors in the scene, says:
I CHANGED to be az Albany on business
when Fulton arrived there in his unheard
Of craft. which everybody felt so much
interested in seeing. Being ready to leave
and hearing that this craft was going to
return TO New York, repaired on board
and inquired for Mr.. Fulton. I was re-
ferred to the cabin. and there found a
plain, gentlemanly man, wholly alone and
engaged in writing.
50 Mr.. Fulton, presume"
" Yes, sir
do you return to New York with this
boatg
We shall try to set back, sir
" Can I have a passage DOWN.
You can take your chance with us,
sir
Il inquired the amount to be paid, and
after a moments hesitation a sum-
think S6-was named. The amount in coin
I laid in his open hand. and with his
eye fixed upon 1t he remained so long mo-
tionless that 1 supposed there might be
miscount and said to him: is that right,
STRIP
This question reused him as from a
kind of reverie. and as he looked up to
me the big tear was brimming in his eye,
and his voice faltered as he said: Excuse
me- sir, but my memory was busy in
contemplating this, the first pecuniary re-
ward l have ever received from all my
exertions in adapting steam. to naviga-
tion. 1 would gladly commemorate the
occasion over a bottle of wine with you,
but really / am too poor even for that
just now; yet 1 trust we may meet again
when this will not be the case
His voyage to New York was success
full as all know, and terminated without
accident.
Some four years after this, when the
Clermont had been greatly improved and
her name changed to the North River.
and when two other boats, namely, the
| Car of Neptune and the Paragon, had
been built, making Mr.. Fpltons fleet
three boats regularly plying between New
/ York and Albany, l took passage on one
| of these for the latter city. The cabin in
/ that day was below, and as l walked it's
| lentgh, to and fro, saw that l was very
/ closely observed by one 1 supposed a
/ stranger. Soon, however I recalled the
/ features of Mr. Fulton. but without dis
/ closing this, 1 continued my walk
/ AT length in passing his seat. cur eyes
| met, when he sprang to his feet, and,
/ eagerly Selling my hand, exclaimed, 1
! knew it must be YOU for your features
/ have never escaped me; and, although 1
am still far from rich, yet l may venture
/ that bottle 1T was ordered and dur
ing its discussion he ran rapidly but vivid
! ly over his experiences of the worlds cold
/ ness and sneers, and of the hopes, fears,
/ disappointments and difficulties that were
/ scattered through hts whole career of dis
! covery-up to the very point of his final,
browning triumph, at which he so fully
/ felt he had arrived at last
And in reviewing all these he said: I
/ have again and again recalled the occa-
sion and the incident of our first interview
/ at Albany; and never have done so with
out renewing in my mind the vivid emo
/ ton it originally caused. That seemed,
and does still seem, to me the turning
/ point in my destiny--the dividing line be-
tween light and darkness in my career
upon earth, for it was the first actual
recognition of my usefulness to my fell
| low-men."