verybody that the man who had tooled away his money and his time on
the _Clermont_ was little better than an idiot, and ought to be in an
insane asylum. But the passengers go on board, the plank is pulled in,
and the steam is turned on. The walking beam moves slowly up and down,
and the _Clermont_ floats out into the river. "It can never go up
stream," the spectators persist. But it did go up stream, and the boy,
who in his youth said there is nothing impossible, had scored a great
triumph, and had given to the world the first steamboat that had any
practical value.

Notwithstanding that Fulton had rendered such great service to
humanity, a service which has revolutionized the commerce of the world,
he was looked upon by many as a public enemy. Critics and cynics
turned up their noses when Fulton was mentioned. The severity of the
world's censure, ridicule, and detraction has usually been in
proportion to the benefit the victim has conferred upon mankind.

As the _Clermont_ burned pine wood, dense columns of fire and smoke
belched forth from her smoke-stack while she glided triumphantly up the
river, and the inhabitants along the banks were utterly unable to
account for the spectacle. They rushed to the shore amazed to see a
boat "on fire" go against the stream so rapidly with neither oars nor
sails. The noise of her great paddle-wheels increased the wonder.
Sailors forsook their vessels, and fishermen rowed home as fast as
possible to get out of the way of the fire monster. The Indians were
as much frightened as their predecessors were when the first ship
approached their hunting-ground on Manhattan Island. The owners of
sailing vessels were jealous of the _Clermont_, and tried to run her
down. Others whose interests were affected denied Fulton's claim to
the invention and brought suits against him. But the success of the
_Clermont_ soon led to the construction of other steamships all over
the country. The government employed Fulton to aid in building a
powerful steam frigate, which was called _Fulton the First_. He also
built a diving boat for the government for the discharge of torpedoes.
By this time his fame had spread all over the civilized world, and when
he died, in 1815, newspapers were marked with black lines; the
legislature of New York wore badges of mourning; and minute guns were
fired as the long funeral procession passed to old Trinity churchyard.
Very few private persons were ever honored