Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-29
Capital Sidelights
BY WILL p. KENNEDY.

Assistant Attorney General George r
Farnum is an enthusiastic collector OF
old documents, papers and manuscripts
One of his interesting recent finds is
the original enrolment of the North
River steamboat, issued in favor OF
! Robert Fulton by the customs house in
New York on September 3, 1907, and a
new certificate of enrolment issued the
following year in favor of Robert A.
Livingston, then American Ambassador
to France.
These old documents came to his at
tention, Mr.. Farnum explained. during
the performance of his duties with adj
ministration over the admiralty law for
the United States Government.
In discussing the remarkable ,velop-
ment of steam navigation since tho first
steamboat was thus registered by
Fulton, Mr.. Farnum pointed out that
Fulton did much of his experimenting
at PlombiereS in France some years be-
fore the construction of his vessel,
which was first called the North River
steamboat, but afterward the Clermont,
SO 1t is interesting to note how Am
with the pioneer Fulton boat.
Previously an exclusive privilege had
been obtained from the State of New
York to navigate such vessel upon
the waters of the State. Mr.. Farnum
calls attention that the authorities did
not conceive that they we're granting
much in view of the then apparent
chimerical character of the scheme.
You can imagine what might happen
in New York today" he comments, IF
such a monopoly was sought to be OBJ
tanned, to say nothing of how the
Federal Government would react" He
then explained that the United States
Government has predominant control
over waters adapted to interstate and
foreign commerce.
This exclusive privilege was again
obtained from the State of New York
by Livingston in 1903 with the sole
condition that the vessel should be pro-
PEELED by steam at the rate of 4
miles an hour within prescribed
space of time.
The Fulton craft is described in the
enrolment as having one deck and two
masks, the length, 142 feet; breadth, IA
feet; depth, 4 feet, and measuring
70 1895 tons. She was square sterned,"
had no quarter galleries and no figure
head. The engine for this boat was
built in England, was received in New
York in 1906 and the following year
the vessel was completed and enrolled
under our navigation laws. On August
ii OF that year she made her first pas
sage from New York to Albany, q dis
lance Of approximately $50 miles, con-
Stunning in the voyage about 80 hours
and clipping of about three days of
the usual running time between these
cities averaged by sailing vessels.
The Fulton steamboat was, of course,
side-wheeler, as we call them now.
But Fulton was not satisfied with his
pioneer step in steam navigation, but
later invented submarine torpedo
boat, Mr.. Farnum reminds us.
r 4 r r
One Of the holiday greeting cards
sent out from the Capital that held
closest to the spirit and history of
Christmastide, carrying the recipient
back over the centuries to the birth of
Christ, was that of Representative and
Mrs. Roy G. Fitzgerald of Ohio. They
recently returned from a tour Of the
Holy Lands and brought the cards back
with them. The little folder bears as
a frontispiece view of Bethlehem.
Inside, opposite the customary message
OF Merry Christmas and Happy New
Year, Is a small garland of pressed
flowers Of the Holy Land"
y \ II
An interesting little sidelight on the
conditions in Haiti was given by Rep-
resentative Underhill of Massachusetts.
DaSeo on q personal experience on the
island, as follows:
II did not spend my time in Port au
Prince. but went out as far as 1 could
into the jungle. They were building a
road away out some $50 miles from
Port au Prince. The road had to cross
deep stream at that point. On the
other side was jungle. When we ar
rived there in the morning rather early.
because we started at o'clock in the
morning, we found a crowd of men
gathered on the banks of the stream
and they were gesticulating and jabber-
ing IN a very excited manner. The off,
Ger who was with me at the time drove
up and inquired, What is the trouble
here? They said that the laborers re-
fused to cross the river and 60 into the
jungle, because 1t had been rumored
that Champaign, one of the former
bandits, had returned to this life and was
out in the jungle. The officer said,
Well, haven't you provided a guard?'
The reply was yes, that there are some
70 gendarmes-native guard-all armed
WASAA NuA bAAiCo' PAoOOiS uAiO HldCHcCcS, ana
these so men, these workers. refuse to
follow those rs armed men into the
jungle.
Their determination was that they
should have guard Of United States
Marines to accompany them. None was
available, but some few miles back there
was a sergeant in charge Of a gang on
the road; think his name was Casey.
At any rate. they sent for him. He ar
rived a typical Municipalities, flannel
shirt, SLOUGH hat cooked on one side Of
his head The situation was explained
to him. They told him that the work
ers refused to go into the jungle with
this protection of IS we'll armed and
well equipped men. He simply stepped
to the front, having nothing but serv-
ice pistol. or revolver. on him and a
cartridge belt. and said, Come on, let's
60 Without a moments hesitation
every one Of those so workers followed
him across the river and into the jungle
ut is the confidence that the people
have In the American Marines that has
made the place safe for these peasants"