Pine Bluff daily graphic., 1895-01-14
THE FIRST STEAMBOAT FARE.
Fulton Wanted to Buy a Bottle of Wine
 with It. but Coulan,t Afford It.

Fulton Wanted to Buy Bottle of Wine
 with It, but Couldn't Afford It.
 "One of the most interesting inci- dents of business nature connected with Fulton's steamboat enterprise was the first steamboat fare paid to him, said Uncle Joshua. ssThe narrator of this, who was also one of the actors in the scene, says: I chanced to be at Albany on business when Fulton ar- rived there in his unheard of craft, which everybody felt so much interest in seeing. Being ready to leave and hearing that this craft was going to return to New York, I repaired on board and inquired for MT. Fulton. was referred to the cabin, and there found plain, gentlemanly man, wholly alone and engaged in writing.
 .'Mr Fulton, presume2'
 = Yes, sir
 "'Do you return to New York with this boat?'
 "'W We shall try to get back, sir.
 ssCan I have passage down?
 ]" You can take your chance with us, sir
 II inquired the amount to be paid, and, after a moments hesitation, sum-I think $6-was named The amount, in coin, I laid in his open hand, and with his eye fixed upon N he remained so long motionless that I supposed there might be a miseount. and said to him: Is that right, sir?
 ''This question reused him as from 8 kind of reverie, and as lie 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 peeuniary reward have ever received from all my exertions in adapting steam to navigation. would gladly conn memorate the occasion over a bottle of wine with you, but really am too poor sven for that just now; yet I trust wa may meet again when this will not bo the case.
 His voyage to New York was suc- cessful, as all know, and terminated without accident.
 s'Some four years after this, when the Clermont had been greatly im- proved and her name changed to the North River, and when two other boats, namely, the Car of Neptune and ths Paragon, had been built, making Mir. Fultons fleet three boats, regularly plying between New York and Albany, I took passage on one of these for the latter city. The cabin in that day was below, and as 1 walked it's length, to and fro, saw that l was very closely observed by one supposed stranger, Soon, however, 1 recalled the features of Mir. Fulton, but, without disclosing this, continued my walk.
 At length, in passing his seat, our ayes met, when he sprang to his feet, and, eagerly seizing my hand, ex- claimed: T knew it must be you, for your features have never escaped me; and, although 1 am still far from rich, yet may venture that bottle now It was ordered, and during it's discussion he ran rapidly, but vividly, over his ex- perience of the worlds eoldness and sneers, and of the hopes, fears, disap- peintments and difficulties that were scattered through his whole career oi diseovery-up to the very point of his final, crowning triumph, at which hs so fully felt he had arrived at last.
 And in reviewing all these he saidi T have again and again recalled the occasion and the incident of our first interview at Albany; and never have l done so without renewing in my mind the vivid emotion it originally caused. That seemed, and does still seem, to me the turning point in my destiny the dividing line between light and darkness in my career upon earth, for it was the first actual recognition oi my usefulness to my fellow men. ''-- Boston Herald.