Stories of Great Inventors Part 6

It pa.s.sed the city of New York.

It pa.s.sed the beautiful Highlands of the Hudson.

It puffed patiently on until it reached Albany.

All along the sh.o.r.es people watched it breathlessly.

Everybody stopped sneering and cheered.

The Clermont had gone one hundred and fifty miles in thirty-two hours.

Except that the ocean steamships are larger, handsomer, and more finely finished, they are much like Mr. Fulton's Clermont.

Who can doubt Mr. Fulton's joy at his success.

At last he had found a way to make all nations know each other.

Mr. Fulton had other troubles after this.

Wicked people tried to steal his invention from him.

But no one else has ever been given credit for it.

Everyone who tried a ride upon the boat found it much nicer than jolting along in a stage coach.

In two years a regular line of boats was running between the great city of New York and its capital city.

Mr. Fulton built other boats.

Some of them were ferry-boats.

[Ill.u.s.tration: BROOKLYN BRIDGE AND FULTON FERRY.]

A ferry from New York to Long Island is still called by his name, Fulton Ferry.

Do you suppose the thousands of people who cross by it, ever think of patient, industrious, hard-working, Robert Fulton?

In January, 1815, Mr. Fulton went to Trenton, New Jersey, as witness in a lawsuit.

The weather was very severe.

Mr. Fulton became much chilled.

In coming back his boat was caught in the ice.

It was several hours before it could be moved.

You remember Mr. Fulton was not very strong.

He was ill for several days.

He was very anxious about a boat which he was building.

He left his bed too soon.

He was then taken very ill indeed.

And upon the twenty-fourth of February, 1815, the world lost this great man.

Everyone mourned his loss.

The great city of New York was in mourning.

He was buried in the Livingston vault in Trinity Churchyard, New York.

No monument has ever been raised over this great man.

But the boats which every year ply back and forth upon lake, river, and ocean, are constant reminders of his great work for the world.

[Ill.u.s.tration: ELI WHITNEY.]

ELI WHITNEY.

The war, called the Revolution, was ended.

The treaty of peace had been signed.

America had won her freedom.

Our country then was smaller than now.

It contained only about four million people.

These people were widely scattered.

The world did not think of the United States as an important country.

It was thought to be about as important as Denmark or Portugal is now.

We call one part of our country the South.