he boat as it lay at the dock; attempts were made to burn it. At
length affairs became so serious that a clause was appended to the
court's decree which made it a public crime punishable by fine or
imprisonment to attempt to injure the _Clermont_."

Mr. Ackerman paused to light a fresh cigar.

"From the moment the law took this stand the success of the undertaking
became assured and it is interesting to see how quickly the very men who
jeered loudest at the enterprise now came fawning and begging to have a
part in it. Other steamboats were added to the line and soon rival
firms began to construct steamboats of their own and try to break up
Fulton's monopoly of the waters of the State. For years costly lawsuits
raged, and in defiance of the right the New York legislature had granted
to Livingston, the fiercest competition took place. Sometime I should
like to tell you more of this phase of the story for it is a very
exciting and interesting yarn. Yet in spite of all the strife and hatred
that pursued him Fulton's river-boats and ferries continued to run."

"The State stuck to its bargain, then," murmured Steve, "and left
Livingston the rights awarded him?"

"No," replied Mr. Ackerman. "For a time they clung to their agreement;
but at last the courts withdrew the right as illegal, and poor
Livingston, who had sunk the greater part of his fortune in the
steamboat business, lived to see the fruit of his toil wrested from him.
In point of fact, I believe the decision of the courts to have been a
just one for no one person or group of persons should control the
waterways of the country. You can see the wisdom of this yourself.
Nevertheless, the decree hit Livingston pretty hard. It was the first
step in the destruction of a monopoly," added Mr. Ackerman whimsically.
"Since then such decrees have become common happenings in America,
monopolies being considered a menace to national prosperity. Certainly
in this case it was well that the Supreme Court of the United States
decided that all waters of the country should be free to navigators, no
matter in what kind of vessel they chose to sail."

"It was tough on Fulton and his friends, though, wasn't it?" observed
Dick, who was plainly unconvinced as many another had been of the
justice of the arguments.

"Yes," agreed Mr. Ackerman, smiling into his troubled eyes, "I grant you
it was tough on them."

CHAPTER XIV

A STEAMBOAT TRIP BY RAIL

It was with a sense of