make good use of every moment.

In 1797, Mr. Fulton went to the greatest city in France, called Paris.

There he made a new friend.

This was Joel Barlow, an American and a poet.

Mr. Fulton thought that all ships should have the freedom of the ocean.

He thought it would take hundreds of years to get all nations to consent to this.

He believed that he could find a quicker way.

He thought it would be best to blow up all warships.

He made a little sub-marine boat.

Sub-marine means under the sea.

This boat could be lowered below the surface of the water.

He found a way to supply it with air.

But he could not get it to run swiftly.

It took much money to build such boats.

He tried to get the French government to help him.

He was often tired and disappointed.

But he never stopped trying.

He tried to destroy some large boats.

This was to be done with torpedoes.

But he was not very successful.

He succeeded in destroying one boat.

But since then others have carried out his plan, and torpedoes are often used in war.

This little story is told of Mr. Fulton:—

He was once in New York working upon his torpedoes.

He invited the Mayor and many others to hear him lecture.

They came and were all much interested.

He showed them the copper cylinders which were to hold the powder.

Then he showed them the clockwork, which, when it was set running, would cause the cylinders to explode.

He turned to a case and drew out a peg.

He then said, "Gentlemen, this torpedo is all ready to blow up a vessel.

It contains one hundred and seventy pounds of powder.

The clockwork is now running.

If I should allow it to run fifteen minutes it would blow us all to atoms."

His audience was much frightened.

They all ran away.

Mr. Fulton put the peg back in its place.

He told them it was then safe.

Not until then did they dare come back.

But now our giant, Steam, became the friend of Mr. Fulton.

Many had tried to put this giant to work.

But at first he seemed rather hard to teach.

Long before, a poet had written these lines, which show how much people hoped to make the giant do:—

It was a true prophecy.

Mr. Fulton married the daughter of a Mr. Walter Livingston.

This Mr. Livingston had a relative who was a great man, and a rich man.

He was much interested in all inventions.

He often helped inventors with his money.

He had long believed that boats could be moved by steam.

At one time the state of New York gave him the right of all steam boats for twenty years.

He was given the right if he would get one steam boat running within a year.

But the year passed and the boat was not built.

Everybody made fun of his "grand rights."

At this time our government made him our minister to France.

There he met Robert Fulton for the first time.

And in Paris Mr. Livingston and Mr. Fulton made a steam boat.

When it was finished they invited their friends to come and see it tried.

Early upon the morning when they hoped to succeed, a messenger came.

He bore sad news.

The new boat had broken in two.

The machinery was too heavy for it.

It had sunk to the bottom of the river Seine.

Mr. Fulton had not had his breakfast.

He hurried to the river.

He worked standing in the cold water.

In twenty-four hours he had saved the machinery, and some other parts of the boat.

But it made him ill.

He never was so strong again.

Of course he felt greatly discouraged.

They went to work again.

They built another boat.

This was a success.

It was sixty-six feet long, and moved by wheels on the side.

Mr. Livingston and Mr. Fulton decided to try again in America upon the Hudson River.

Mr. Livingston was given again the same privileges by the State of New York.

But this time Mr. Fulton was his partner.

They were given two years in which to make their boat.

They were to make one which could go four miles an hour.

It took much money.

Mr. Fulton promised to ask only a certain sum of Mr. Livingston.

But this sum proved to be too small.

He went to see a friend.

He talked long and earnestly to him.

But the friend grew tired and told him he must go home or go to bed.

Mr. Fulton wanted one thousand dollars.

His friend said he would see him again.

Mr. Fulton came again before the poor man had had any breakfast.

He gave him no peace.

But he got his money at last.

Mr. Fulton was much laughed at for trying to make such a boat.

The boat was called by people, "Fulton's Folly."

His friends would listen politely to him.

But he said he knew they did not believe in him.

He often, as he walked about, heard people laugh and sneer at him.

But at last the boat was done.

The sun rose smiling on that August morning.

The world was enjoying its morning nap.

Only a few people were on the shores.

Gracefully the boat was moved from the Jersey shore.

Those who saw were amazed.

Old sailors were frightened.

When they saw a boat with no sails, they thought it an evil spirit.

But the long line of black smoke which they saw was only the breath of the dear old giant, Steam.

At last he had something to do.

This boat was called the Clermont.

It passed the city of New York.

It passed the beautiful Highlands of the Hudson.

It puffed patiently on until it reached Albany.

All along the shores 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