The Dec. 11, 1878 Baltimore Daily News reported that Paul Boyton was sailing to New York from Queenstown [Maryland?]. It reported that Paul recently took refuge in Belgium to avoid legal entanglements. A young girl was allegedly wounded in one of his torpedo experiments. Her guardian sued Paul and won a judgment of 500 francs and 1,000 francs cost. Boyton challenged the young girl's counsel to "coffee and pistols for two." When the authorities heard of this threat, Paul quickly departed for Belgium.
By December 28th,1878 Paul Boyton was back in New York, showing off his medals, one presented to him by the late Queen Mercedes [of Spain?]. Prominent citizens entertained him. He must have vividly recalled his youth, when he immediately threw himself into promoting a voluntary life saving corps, then manned by young Nan the Newsboy and two of his companions. Boyton went on a fund raising campaign to put together ongoing support and an organization to assist the work of these boys on the waterfront.
The Baltimore Daily News (January 15, 1879) reported that Boyton swam to Hunter's Point from the Battery and towed back a boat , fulfilling a promise to the members of the Amateur Life Saving Association. The boat was presented to him at New Rochelle , and not forwarded to him in New York. At his waist he carried a knife. He took with him a bottle of French brandy. With a small American flag attached to his right foot, he seized his paddle and commenced his voyage. Mr. E. B. Woodward, Captain C. B. Dix, "Nan the Newsboy," and two reporters followed him in a row boat. The crossing took three hours in the icy water.
On January 25 Paul made a midnight journey to Stapleton on Staten Island accompanied by James Creelman of the New York Herald, who was also in a rubber suit. (At that time the Herald was probably the most profitable and powerful of all the newspapers in the world and was very news oriented)
On an invitation from a member of Congress, Paul visited Washington, where President Hayes and his Cabinent received him with high praise for his daring acts to promote the public interest in life saving. On February 1st, 1879, at the request of the President, he gave an exhibition in the naval yard for members of the Senate and House of Representatives. A few days later, he travelled to Pittsburgh to visit with old friends.
On February 6, accompanied by newspapermen, he started a float down the Allegheny from Oil City. On February 24th, he was at the Point, the junction of the Monongahela and the Allegheny. The March 28 New York Times reported that 100,000 people lined the shores at Pittsburgh and cannons boomed when he made his departure down the river.
Captain Boyton received an invitation to visit a friend in St. Louis. Ice still floated down the Mississippi and the temperature was below zero when he decided to float from Alton to St. Louis, about twenty-five miles. A boat containing newspaper reporters was to accompany him, but finding the weather too cold, they abandoned him after a few miles. At his arrival in St. Louis, the deafening noise made by the steamers and tug boats as they passed the bridge was heard far beyond the city limits. In St. Louis, he gave a lecture for the benefit of St. Luke's Hospital. General Sherman presented him with a massive silver service. (Boyton, 1892)
From St. Louis he continued on to New Orleans, arriving there on April 27th badly tanned and exhausted. He was welcomed by large crowds that gathered along the river banks. In the New York Times (May 8) an editorial speculated on Paul's motive for all these river trips. Reportedly a bill in the Senate would require that all American sailing and steam vessels be equipped with the Boyton suit. The bill would require from one to five on sailing ships based on tonnage and seven on steamers.
On May 15th he possibly sailed to Baltimore from New York?
On July 6 Boyton went to discuss the Volunteer Life Saving Corps with the young boys, Nan the newsboy and his friends. With him were George Kiefer and James Creelman. Paul met with Gilbert Long at the Volunteer Life Saving station and later met up with Nan the Newsboy in the street. George Kiefer and James Creelman heard the conversation. Nan complained about the payment for his services and Paul said for him to stick by the station, but if nothing turned up, he would take him in his employ. However, Paul was discouraged by the stories that Nan was spreading to the papers about him. (New York Times, July 16, 1879)
On July 16, 1879, Captain Paul Boyton returned to New York from Portland, Connecticut. The following day, at the meeting of the Executive Committee of the New York Volunteer Life-Saving Society, Nan the Newsboy resigned, claiming that promises made to the young men had not been kept. The committee accepted their resignation.
Nan charged that Captain Boyton only desired to use the Society to advertise himself. Paul's efforts had not made their work better, and they were not better for his acquaintance. Captain Boyton responded that he would never "try to ride into notoriety on the backs of boys." Nan accused Paul of using them as a send off for his swim down the Narrows. He explained that Boyton promised more than he delivered, such as saying he would lecture for them.
On October 7th Boyton started down the Merrimac from Plymouth, New Hampshire.
Resources:
Boyton, Paul. 1892. The story of Paul Boyton: voyages on all the great rivers of the world, paddling over twenty-five thousand miles in a rubber dress. Milwaukee: Riverside. 358 pp.
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