The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-03-04

Daughters of the Revolution, not long
ago inspired and assisted the local
of that historic section of New YORK
to gather and publish it's traditions ana
history from the first settlement about
the middle of the seventeenth century.
He has told how the ancestors of the
present generation lived their simple
and sincere lives; he has described
/ heir manners, customs, industries and
pleasures: he has gathered up their
ballads, folk-sOngs, and nursery
rhymes, anecdotes and narrative of the
Indian wars and the revolution, and
has embodied a great deal of valuable
! history from the local records, illum-
mated by the traditions that have
passed down generations. No other
part of America has known more
stirring events. None has been the
scene of more thrilling adventures and
; absorbing romance, and valuable
service has been performed for the fu-
ture as well as the present generation
by Benjamin Myer Brink, the author.
But what interests us most just at
this time in his "reminiscences of Rob-
ert Fulton and The Clermont," the
first successful steamboat The estate
of Chancellor Livingston, from which
the steamboat was named, lies along
that part of the Hudson, and the
grandfather of the author was the
captain of the boat
Some time about the middle of the
decade O79O-1SOO) Capt. Andrew
Brink" he says, built a large sloop
which he named for his favorite sister
The Maria His father had Instituted
many years before the scOw ferry
which crossed the river from his door
at the mouth of Sawyer's creek to
Chancellor Livingston's, just opposite
and the son was born with a love of
| the water. The Maria was thought by
the people of those days a craft of
| wondrous size, and it's owner imme-
diately secured from the chancellor
the transportation Of the praduCts of
his manor and from other up-river
| Towns, a most pTOllldDle
The Hudson River Skipper.
THE captain of a Hudson river sloop
before the advent of steam. occupied
! a unique position Mr.. Brink observed.
He was the link. socially, between
the river towns and city life. He was
| the business agent not only of the
merchant but of the farmer He Sc
| lected the merchants stock, he sold
the farmers products; he was the eX-
pressman: he carried the news; he
matched the goods in the city from
river towns gave him; bore the mes
Sages of friendship and business with
! which he was intrusted at each end of
| his route; he was the welcome guest in
to whom he told Of their country
| friends, and through him the news of
sorrow and bereavement of his patrons
or the tidings of their prosperity were
| conveyed, for he often carried the writ
! ten missives as postman, but more
frequently he was intrusted with the
verbal message which bore the tidings
of a sad death Or burial; or was the
| happy messenger to announce mari
| tai engagement of youthful lovers: or,
i he bore the gossip of the river village
he was asked to carry to city friends
and relatives what had passed since
! the last voyage.
"Once started on the voyage the I'M
certainty of its duration was the most
prominent feature. A soOp setting
sail on an afternoon might have ar
rived at her destination at Sau-
gerties when the passengers awoke
next morning. And again, it might
be becalmed before Sputyen Duyvil
was reached and be a week on the
trip up the Hudson.
LAS above stated, the sloop Maria
carried much of the produce of Liv-
ingston Manor. And during the ten
years Capt. Brink sailed her, Living
. ston was a frequent passenger He had
been experimenting with steam before
1901, and while there had been inter-
ested in the steamboat that Robert
Fulton had put on the Seine in 1904
and which had broken down. The
men became very intimate. and Full
{ ton married a niece of the chancellor
So he came to be a frequent and well
{ come guest at Clermont, the home Of
Livingston.
Conferences in the SIoop's Cabin.
In the cabin of the Maria the chan.
cellor and Fulton often discussed tn,
{ problem of steam navigation as
! quicker means of communication, ant
} more reliable power than wind, anC
!. around the captains table talked owe
their plans. the obstacles encountered
and the cause of their failure. On
{ voyage up the river the three decided
to attempt once more to solve thu
. problem and use every means to sue
coed. They went to work. Chancel
Tor Livingston furnished the capital
Robert Fulton obtained from Scot