Steve and the Steam Engine Read online

  CHAPTER XIV

  A STEAMBOAT TRIP BY RAIL

  It was with a sense of deep regret that Stephen bade good-by to Mr.Ackerman and Dick and returned to the hotel to join his father. For thesteamboat financier he had established one of those ardent admirationswhich a boy frequently cherishes toward a man of attractive personalitywho is older than himself; and for Dick he had a genuine liking. Therewas a quality very winning in the youthful East-sider and now that thechance for betterment had come his way Steve felt sure that the boywould make good. There was a lot of pluck and grit in that wiry littleframe; a lot of honesty too, Stephen reflected, with a blush. He was notat all sure but that in the matter of fearlessness and moral courage theNew York lad had the lead of him. Certainly he was not one who shrankfrom confessing when he had been at fault which, Steve owned with shame,could not be said of himself.

  For several days he had not thought of his automobile escapade but nowonce more it came to his mind, causing a cloud to chase the joyousnessfrom his face. Alas, was he never to be free of the naggingmortification that had followed that single act? Was it always to lurkin the background and make him ashamed to confront the world squarely?Well, it was no use regretting it now. He had made his choice and hemust abide by it.

  Nevertheless he was not quite so spontaneously happy when he met hisfather at luncheon and recounted to him the happenings of the morning.

  "Mr. Ackerman is taking a big chance with that boy," was Mr. Tolman'scomment, when a pause came in the narrative. "I only hope he will notdisappoint him. There must be a great difference between the standardsof the two. However, Dick has some fine characteristics to buildon--honesty and manliness. I think the fact that he showed no cowardblood and was ready to stand by what he had done appealed to Ackerman.It proved that although they had not had the same opportunity in lifethey at least had some good stuff in common. You can't do much with aboy who isn't honest."

  Stephen felt the blood beating in his cheeks.

  Fortunately his father did not notice his embarrassment and as they soonwere on their way to a picture show the memory that had so importunatelyraised its unwelcome head was banished by the stirring story of aCalifornian gold mine. Therefore by the time Stephen was ready to go tobed the ghost that haunted him was once more thrust into the backgroundand he had gained his serenity. No, he was not troubled that night bydreams of his folly nor did he awaken with any remembrance of it.Instead he and his father chatted as they packed quite as pleasantly asif no specter stood between them.

  "Well, son, have you enjoyed your holiday?" inquired Mr. Tolman, as theysettled themselves in the great plush chairs of the parlor car andwaited for the train to start.

  "Yes, I've had a bully time, Dad."

  "I'm glad of that," was the kind reply. "It was unlucky that my businesstook up so much more of my time than I had expected and that I had toleave you to amuse yourself instead of going about with you, as I hadplanned. It was too bad. However, if you have managed to get some funout of your visit that is the main thing. In fact, I am not sure butthat you rather enjoyed going about alone," concluded he mischievously.

  Stephen smiled but did not reply. There was no denying that he had foundbeing his own master a pleasant experience which had furnished him witha gratifying sense of freedom and belief in his own importance. What atale he would have to tell the fellows at home! And how shocked hismother would be to hear that he had been turned loose in a great city inthis unceremonious fashion! He could hear her now saying to his father:

  "I don't see what you were thinking of, Henry, to let Stephen tear aboutall alone in a city like New York. I should have worried every instantif I had known what he was doing. Suppose anything had happened tohim!"

  Well, mercifully, nothing had happened,--that is, nothing worse than hisfalling into the hands of a detective and being almost arrested forrobbery, reflected the boy with a grin.

  Perhaps Mr. Tolman interpreted his thoughts for presently he observedwith a smile:

  "It is time you were branching out some for yourself, anyway, son. Youare old enough now to be treated like a man, not like a little boy."

  As he spoke he looked toward Stephen with an expression of such prideand affection that the force of it swept over the lad as it never haddone before. What a bully sort his father was, he suddenly thought; andhow genuinely he believed in him! Why not speak out now and clear up thewretched deception he had practiced, and start afresh with a cleanconscience? With impulsive resolve he gripped the arms of the chair andpulled himself together for his confession. But just at the crucialmoment there was a stir in the aisle and a porter followed by twobelated passengers hurried into the train which was on the brink ofdeparture. That they had made their connection by a very narrow marginwas evident in their appearance, for both were hot and out of breath,and the stout colored porter puffed under the stress of his haste andthe heavy luggage which weighed him down.

  "It's these two chairs, sir," he gasped, as he tossed the new leathersuit case into the rack. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

  "No," replied the traveler, thrusting a bill into the darkey's hand.Already the train was moving. "Keep the change," he added quickly.

  "Thank you, sir! Thank you!" stammered the vanishing negro.

  "Well, we caught it, didn't we, Dick? It didn't look at one time as ifit were possible. That block of cars on the avenue was terrible. But weare off now! It was about the closest shave I ever made." Then he turnedaround. "Hullo!" he cried. "Who's this? Bless my soul!"

  Both Mr. Tolman and Steve joined in the laugh of amazement.

  "Well, if this isn't a great note!" went on Mr. Ackerman, still beamingwith surprise. "I thought you people were not going until the afternoontrain."

  "I managed to finish up my business yesterday and get off earlier than Iplanned," Mr. Tolman explained. "But I did not know _you_ had anyintention of going in this direction."

  "I hadn't until this morning," laughed the financier. "Then a telegramarrived saying they could take Dick at the New Haven school to which Ihad written if he entered right away, at the beginning of the term. So Idropped everything and here we are _en route_. It was rather shortnotice and things were a bit hectic; but by turning the whole apartmentupside down, rushing our packing, and keeping the telephone wire hot wecontrived to make the train."

  "It is mighty nice for us," put in Mr. Tolman cordially. "So Dick issetting forth on his education, is he?"

  "Yes, he is starting out to make of himself a good scholar, a goodsport, a good athlete, and I hope a good man," returned the New Yorker.

  "A pretty big order, isn't it, Dick?" laughed Mr. Tolman.

  "It seems so," returned the boy.

  "It is not a bit too big," interrupted Mr. Ackerman. "Dick knows hehasn't got to turn the trick all in a minute. He and I understand suchthings take time. But they _can be done_ and we expect we are going todo them."

  He flashed one of his rare smiles toward his protege and the lad smiledback frankly.

  "I expect so, too," echoed Mr. Tolman. "You've got plenty of backersbehind you, Dick, and you have a clear path ahead. That is all any boyneeds."

  "You're going back to school, aren't you, youngster?" Mr. Ackermansuddenly inquired of Stephen.

  "Yes, sir. I start in next week."

  "Decided yet whether you will be a railroad man like your Dad, or asteamboat man like me?" went on the New Yorker facetiously.

  "Not yet."

  "Oh, for shame! It should not take you any time at all to decide aquestion like that," the capitalist asserted teasingly. "What'shindering you?"

  Stephen gave a mischievous chuckle.

  "I can't decide until I have heard both sides," said he. "So far I knowonly half the steamboat story."

  "I see! In other words you think that between here and New Haven I mightbeguile the time by going on with the yarn I began yesterday."

  "That thought crossed my mind, sir,--yes."

  "You should go into the diplomatic servic
e, young man. Your talents arebeing wasted," observed Mr. Ackerman good-humoredly. "Well, I suppose Icould romance for the benefit of you two boys for part of the way, atleast. It will give your father, Steve, a chance to go into the othercar and smoke. Where did we break off our story? Do you remember?"

  "Where the United States said anybody had the right to sail anywhere hewanted to, in any kind of a boat he chose," piped Dick with promptness.

  "Yes, yes. I recall it all now," said Mr. Ackerman. "The courts withdrewthe grant giving Livingston the sole right to navigate the waters of NewYork State by means of steamboats. So you want to hear more about it, doyou?"

  "Yes!" came simultaneously from both the boys.

  "Then all aboard! Tolman, you can read, or run off and enjoy your cigar.We are going on a steamboat cruise."

  "Push off! You won't bother me," was the tolerant retort, as the elderman unfolded the morning paper.

  Mr. Ackerman cleared his throat.

  "Before this decree to give everybody an equal chance in navigating thewaters of the country was handed down by the courts," he began, "variouscompanies, in defiance of Livingston's contract, began building andrunning steamboats on the Hudson. Two rival boats were speedily inoperation and it was only after a three years' lawsuit that they werelegally condemned and handed over to Fulton to be broken up. Then theferryboat people got busy and petitioned the New York Legislature forthe right to run their boats to and fro between the New York and NewJersey sides of the river, and it is interesting to remember that it wason one of these ferry routes that Cornelius Vanderbilt, the greatAmerican financier, began his career."

  "I never knew that!" ejaculated Dick, intent on the story.

  "After the ruling of the Supreme Court in 1818 that all the waters ofthe country were free there was a rush to construct and launch steamerson the Hudson. The route was, you see, not only the most direct onebetween Albany and New York but it also lay in the line of travelbetween the eastern States and those of the west which were just beingopened to traffic by the railroads and ships of the Great Lakes. Now youmust not for a moment imagine that in those days there were any suchvast numbers of persons traversing the country as there are now. Ourearly Americans worked hard and possessed only comparatively smallfortunes so they had little money to throw away on travel simply for itsown sake; moreover the War of 1812 had left the country poor.Nevertheless there were a good many persons who were obliged to travel,and it followed that each of the Hudson River lines of steamers waseager to secure their patronage. Hence a bitter competition arosebetween the rival steamboat companies."

  He paused and smiled whimsically at some memory that amused him.

  "Every inducement was offered the public by these battling forces. Theolder vessels were scrapped or reduced to tug service and finersteamboats were built; and once upon the water the engines were drivenat full speed that quicker trips might lure passengers to patronize theswifter boats. Captains and firemen pitted their energies against oneanother and without scruple raced their ships, with the result thatthere were many accidents. In spite of this, however, the rivalry grewrather than diminished."

  "It must have been great sport," remarked Stephen.

  "Oh, there was sport in plenty," nodded Mr. Ackerman. "Had you livedduring those first days of Hudson River transportation you would haveseen all the sport you wanted to see, for the steamboat feud raged withfury, the several companies trying their uttermost to get the trade awayfrom the Fulton people and from one another. Money became no object,the only aim being to win in the game. Fares were reduced from tendollars to one, and frequently passengers were carried for nothingsimply for the sheer spite of getting them away from other lines.Vanderbilt was in the thick of the fray, having now accumulatedsufficient fortune to operate no less than fifty boats. Among the finestvessels were those of the Emerald Line; and the _Swallow_ and the_Rochester_, two of the speediest rivals, were continually racing eachother. The devices resorted to in order to ensnare passengers were veryamusing: some boats carried bands; others served free meals; and becausethere were few newspapers in those days, and only limited means foradvertising, runners were hired to go about the city or waylayprospective travelers at the docks and try to coax them into makingtheir trip by some particular steamer."

  "That was one way of getting business!" laughed Steve.

  "And often a very effective way, too," rejoined Mr. Ackerman. "In Juneof 1847 a tremendously exciting race took place between the _Oregon_ andthe _Vanderbilt_, then a new boat, for a thousand dollars a side. Thesteamers left the Battery at eleven o'clock in the morning and a densecrowd turned out to see them start. For thirty miles they kept abreast;then the _Oregon_ gained half a length and in passing the other boatbumped into her, damaging her wheelhouse. It was said at the time thatthe disaster was not wholly an accident. Certainly there were groundsfor suspicion. As you may imagine, the calamity roused the rage of thecompeting boat. But the commander of the _Oregon_ was undaunted by whathe had done. All he wished was to win the race and that he wasdetermined to do. He got up a higher and higher pressure of steam, andused more and more coal until, when it was time to return to New York,he discovered that his supply had given out and that he had no morefuel."

  "And he had to give up the race?" queried Dick breathlessly.

  "Not he! He wasn't the giving-up kind," said Mr. Ackerman. "Findingnothing at hand to run his boilers with he ordered all the expensivefittings of the boat to be torn up and cast into the fire--woodwork,furniture, carvings; anything that would burn. In that way he kept uphis furious rate of speed and came in victorious by the rather closemargin of twelve hundred feet."

  "Bully for him!" cried Dick.

  But Stephen did not echo the applause.

  "It was not a square race," he said, "and he had no right to win.Anyway, his steamboat must have been pretty well ruined."

  "I fancy it was an expensive triumph," owned Mr. Ackerman. "Withoutdoubt it cost much more than the thousand dollars he won to repair thevessel. Still, he had the glory, and perhaps it was worth it to thecompany."

  "Were there other races like that?" Dick asked.

  "Yes, for years the racing went on until there were so many fires,explosions and collisions, that the steamer inspection law was putthrough to regulate the conditions of travel. It certainly was high timethat something was done to protect the public, too, for such universalrecklessness prevailed that everybody was in danger. Boats wereoverloaded; safety valves were plugged; boilers carried several times asmuch steam as they had any right to do, and many lives had beensacrificed before the government stepped in and put a stop to thisstrife for fame and money. Since then the traffic on the Hudson hasdropped to a plane of sanity and is now carried on by fine lines ofboats that conform to the rules for safety and efficient service."

  "And what became of Mr. Vanderbilt?" interrogated Dick, who was a NewYorker to the core and had no mind to lose sight of the name with whichhe was familiar.

  "Oh, Mr. Vanderbilt was a man who had many irons in the fire," repliedMr. Ackerman, smiling at the boy's eagerness. "He did not need to bepitied for just about this time gold was discovered in California and asthe interest of the country swung in that direction Vanderbilt, everquick to seize an opening wherever it presented itself, withdrew some ofhis steamers from the Hudson and headed them around to the Pacific coastinstead."

  "And your family, Mr. Ackerman, were mixed up in all this steamboatrumpus?" commented Steve suddenly.

  "Yes, my grandfather was one of the Hudson River racers and quite as badas the rest of them," the man replied. "Nevertheless he was a stanch,clever old fellow, and because he did his part toward building up thecommerce and prosperity of the nation I have always regarded him withthe warmest respect. I do not approve of all his methods, however, anymore than I approve of many of the cut-throat business methods of to-daywhich sometime will be looked back upon with as much shame as these havebeen. There are moments, I must confess, when I wonder if we, with allour supposed enlighten
ment, have made any very appreciable advance overthe frank and open racing done by our forefathers on the Hudson,"reflected he half-humorously. "Perhaps we are a trifle more humane; andyet there is certainly much to be desired in the way we still sacrificethe public to our greed for money. An evil sometimes has to come to aclimax to make us conscious of our injustice. Let us hope that ourgeneration will not be so blind that it will not heed the warnings ofits conscience, and instead delay until some such catastrophe comes uponit as pursued the racing boats of the Hudson River."