hold of the people as the canal fever had done. In 1831 the legislature was petitioned for charters amounting to $43,000,000. A "railroad convention" was held at Syracuse, and the 84 delegates resolved to incorporate a railroad from Albany to Buffalo to carry passengers and freight (1831). There was like agitation for a road from Troy to Whitehall, and from Lake Champlain to the St. Lawrence. Soon roads were branching out in every direction to connect the chief points. By 1836 the railroad was formally opened from Albany to Utica by Vice-President Van Buren and the state officials. A train covered the 77 miles from Utica to Schenectady in three hours and fifty-four minutes. Three years later a train passed over the road to Syracuse, and the Syracuse Standard said, "It is an important event in our village history to be thus brought within ten hours. of Albany."

The Erie Railroad.—Meanwhile the New York and Erie Railroad was chartered " to lay a single, double, or triple track from the city of New York to Lake Erie " (April 24, 1832). The capital stock was limited to $10,000,000, and the charter was good for fifty years. The national government made the preliminary survey, and the state completed it (1834). A railroad through a sterile country was denounced as "chimerical, impracticable, and useless "; still the state had confidence enough in it to loan the company $3,000,000 (Sept. 8, 1836). Construction began at once, and by 1841 the road was opened 46 miles from Piermont to Goshen, by 1843 to Middletown, by 1848 to Binghamton, by 1849 to Elmira, by 1850 to Hornellsville, and by April 22 of the next year to Dunkirk.

Opening of the Erie. Such an enterprise must be celebrated with fitting ceremonies. Two carloads of people, with President Fillmore, Daniel Webster, and other great men among them, were carried over the 446 miles from the Hudson to the Lakes. At all points booming cannon, flying flags, cheering multitudes, banquets, and addresses greeted them. The New York Tribune stated that the train left the metropolis on "Monday, stopped for the night at Elmira, and arrived at Dunkirk about six o'clock on Tuesday evening, amid the rejoicings of thousands who had gathered to witness the advent of the first train of cars from the banks of the Hudson" (April 25). The road cost about $33,500,000. In 1854 it carried 1,125,123 passengers and 743,250 tons of freight, earning $5,360,000. It has had a very unfortunate career, but has been an undoubted benefit to the state.

Formation of the New York Central. All this time short lines were being built over the state, such as the Albany and Schenectady; the Schenectady and Troy; the Utica and Schenectady; the Rochester and Syracuse; the Buffalo and Lockport; the Mohawk Valley; the Rochester, Lockport, and Niagara Falls; and the Buffalo and Rochester. These were soon incorporated into the New York Central, the second state trunk line (April 2, 1853). In 1846 the Hudson River Railroad Company was chartered, and in 1851 it carried passengers from New York City to Albany in four hours. These two lines were consolidated in 1869 into a system which now includes the West Shore, from Buffalo to New York, leased in 1886 for 475 years, and the Harlem Railroad, also leased in 1873 for 400 years.

Other Railroads.-The Long Island Railroad Company was operating a road in 1844 from Brooklyn to Greenport, 95 miles. The Northern Railroad Company in 1850 opened a road from Ogdensburg to Lake Champlain. The Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad was organized in 1853 by the union of short roads, and in 1882 it ran to Buffalo. The 325 miles of railroad in New York in 1838 grew to 1,019 miles in a decade. Over $73,000,000 had been invested in 1,763 miles of road (1851) doing an $8,000,000 business. To give the canals an equal chance railroads had to pay tolls, and in 1853 $661,000 was paid to the state. Up to 1867 the state had given $8,000,000 to railroads. A board of railroad commissioners was created to manage them (1855). All the cities and villages were united by railroads and stages, and scarcely any part of the state was now distant more than a day from the metropolis.

Morse's Telegraph.-With railroads came the telegraph invented by S. F. B. Morse, a resident of New York City after 1815, a scholar, artist, and teacher. In 1837 he sent a telegraph message half a mile. Congress ridiculed his request for aid at first, but finally voted $30,000 for a test (1843). A line was built from Washington to Baltimore and successfully operated. Soon lines ran from New York to all the principal cities. In 1866 these various lines were consolidated into the The railroad and telegraph revolu

Western Union.

tionized business.

The Erie Railroad first used the telegraph to do its business (1852). In 1861 New York was united with San Francisco by telegraph.

The Submarine Telegraph was discussed by Peter Cooper, Moses Tyler, and Cyrus W. Field in 1854. Morse

had proved its possibility (1842), and New York and Jersey City had been united (1848). Field organized a company to cross the Atlantic. The first attempt (1857) failed, but the next year the cable was laid (Aug. 4), and 366 messages had been sent when the wire broke. The project was resumed after the Civil War (1865), and proved to be a great success (July 27, 1866).

Express Companies. With railroads and telegraph lines arose the need of express companies. This business had been done by stage-drivers, captains of canalboats, and railroad conductors. In 1839 William F. Harnden established the first package express between New York and Boston. He soon operated other lines and even one to Europe. Alvin Adams organized the Adams Express Company (1840), which by 1854 had swallowed up seven rival companies. Money was first sent by express in 1850. Other companies soon followed-American (1850), Wells Fargo (1852), the National (1853), and the United States (1854). New York men had most to do in organizing this branch of business.

The Traffic of the Canals was not immediately injured by the railroads. In 1855 over $2,805,000 in tolls was paid to the state-all but $300,000 coming from the Erie Canal. During the 25 years after 1835 over 68,000,000 tons, valued at $3,232,775,000 or a yearly average of $129,311,000, were moved. Forest products amounted to $229,000,000, agricultural produce $912,000,000, and manufactures $185,000,000. This was a large business for that day.

CHAPTER XL.-GENERAL RESULTS OF THE BUILDING OF THE RAILROADS

World's Fair in 1853.-As a fitting celebration of the marvelous inventions and growth of the state, the first "World's Fair" in America was held in the famous iron and glass building, the Crystal Palace, in New York City. It was opened (July 14, 1853) by President Pierce, accompanied by Jefferson Davis and other cabinet members, senators, three governors, officers of the army and navy, foreign ministers, and other dignitaries. The President and cabinet were banqueted. Eleven toasts were given praising the fair, the city, the state, and the nation. Davis eulogized the flag, under which both he and his father had fought, and the blessings of peace secured through free trade.

Exhibits from all the civilized countries of the world were there from over 6,000 contributors. It was the largest collection of paintings, sculpture, arts, inventions, and products ever seen up to that time in America. The newspapers of the day gave a glowing account of the varied display. About 4,000 persons each day visited it. The New York Tribune said: "The Crystal Palace is the most eminent tribute to art and industry that this country and this century can pay." It lasted several months and did much to further develop the state and nation. Of the exhibitors 2,083 were Ameri

cans.

Growth of the State.-The railroads continued the prosperity begun by the canals. The era of railroad