The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-12-02
The First Steamboat Fare.

zone of the most interesting incidents
OF a business nature connected win
Fultons steamboat enterprise was me
first steamboat fare paid to nm sald
Uncle Joshua. The narrator OF TINS,
WHO was also one of the actors IN the
scene, says: L CHANGED to be at Albany
on business when Fulton arrived there
i'm his uuheard Of craft, which everybody
felt so much interest in seeing. Beng
ready to leave and hearing thdt TINS
craft was going TO return to New YORK
/ repaired on board ald inquired LOT MI
FIllton. | was referred TO the cabin, ana
there found a plain, gentlemanly man,
wholly alone and engaged in Writing
A" Mr.. Fulton, / presume!
Yes, sir ,., 49,
boar
d" Can / 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
l think S6-was named. The amount, IN
coin, | laid in his open hand, and, with
his eye fixed upon A., ne renamed 50
long motionless that / supposed there
might be miscount and said to MIN:
Is that right. sirF
This question reused him as from a
kind of reverie, and as ne looked up 10
me the big tear was trimming in his
eye, and his voice faltered as he sdld'
Excuse me. sir, but my memory was Du-
sy in contemplating this, the hrst pc
cuniary reward | have ever receiver
from all my eXerti0ns IN adapting Steam
to navigation. | would gladly commemo-
rate the occasion over bottle or vine
with you, but really J am too poor even
for that Just now yet / trust We may
meet again when ms VIII not De the
dis voyage to New York was success
ful. as all know, and terminated without
accident. - 49,, -, .
Clermont had been greatly improved ana
her name changed 10 the North RIVER,
and when two other boats, namely, the
car of Neptune and the Paragon, had
been built, making Mr.. Fulton fleet
three GOATS regularly plying between
New York and Albany. ] took passage on
one of these for the latter city. The
cabin I'm that day was below, ami as l
walked its length, TO and fro, / saw that
/ was very closely observed by one |
sunuosed a stranger. Soon. however, i
recalled the features OF MIR. Fulton. but.
without disclosing this, l continued my
"At length. in passing his seat, our
ewes met, when he sprang 10 his feet,
and eagerly Selling my hand, exclaimed:
L knew IT must be you, Tor your Tea
lures have never escaped me- and, al
though / am stu far from rich, yet /
NAV venture that bottle now IL was
ordered, and during its discussion he
ran rapidly, but ViVidly, over his expe-
Renee Of the worlds GOODNESS and sneers,
and OF the hopes, fears disappointments,
and difficulties that we're scattered
through his whole career OF discovery
mo 10 the very point of his final, crown
ing triumph, at which he so fully felt
he had arrived al last
And in reviewing all these he said:
4 have again and again recalled the oc-
casion and the incident Of our first in
terview at Albany; and never nave
done so without renewing In my mind the
vivid emotion IL originally caused That
seemed, and does still seem, 10 me the
turning point in my destiny--the dividing
line between light and darkness in my
career upon earth, for II was the first ac-
tual recognition OF my usefulness 10 my
fellow men, boston Herald.