CHAPTER XXX.-COMPLETION OF THE ERIE CANAL

Clinton's Mania.-Governor Clinton, the "Father of the Erie Canal," had a mania for internal improvements by canals. He heroically overcame popular prejudice, personal antagonism, sectional indifference and jealousy, and the opposition of a strong political party to the waterway across the state. His zeal carried him to Ohio, Kentucky, and Pennsylvania to examine the canals. It was a most fitting tribute to Clinton to be recalled by the people to the governor's chair in time to conduct the ceremonies attending the completion of the great project launched eight years before.

Opposition. The most persistent opposition came from New York City. Many prominent men, like Judge Pendleton and Elisha Williams, were first hostile, then friendly. The latter said to the New York representatives: "If the canal is to be a shower of gold, it will fall upon New York; if a river of gold, it will flow into her lap." Daniel D. Tompkins and his adherents opposed the project, but were forced by popular approval to sanction it. It was said that Clinton's "big ditch " would be "filled with the tears of posterity." The project became a political issue favored by the west and opposed by the south and the southeast. Jefferson said to Joshua Forman in 1809: "You talk of making a canal of 350 miles through the wilderness! It is little short of madness to think of it at this day."

Canal Completed.-For a decade before 1817 Clinton, with others, zealously strove for this gigantic enterprise, and for eight years after that date, as governor and

president of the canal board, he prosecuted the construction of the canal. In two years the Erie Canal was completed from Rome to Utica (Oct. 22, 1819), and the day was celebrated in festive style. Cannon boomed, bells rang, and the people took a holiday all along the route, while the first boat, with the governor, other prominent men, many ladies, and a military band on board, was drawn by one horse from Rome to Utica. In November, 1819, twenty-four boats passed through the Champlain canal, which had been authorized in 1816 and was completed in 1823. By 1820 boats were running from Utica to the Seneca River. In 1823 boats navigated 280 miles of the canal. On October 26, 1825, the canal was open from Buffalo to Albany, 363 miles, having cost $7,143,789.

Opening of the Canal.-A new industrial and commercial era had begun for the Empire State, which was celebrated from the Great Lakes to the Atlantic by fitting ceremonies. At Buffalo the day was ushered in with the booming of artillery. The procession started for the canal. First came the band and soldiers; then the canal-diggers, stone-cutters, masons, and ship-builders; then the citizens in general; then the military officers, city officials, canal engineers and commissioners, followed by the orator of the day, Sheldon Smith; and last of all Governor Clinton, the patron saint of the canal. The "Seneca Chief," drawn by four fine gray horses, and accompanied by "The Young Lion of the West" and "Noah's Ark," loaded with all kinds of produce from the western states, started at 10 a.m. for its first voyage to the sea. On board were Governor Clinton, Joshua Forman, Colonel Stone, Chancellor Liv

ingston, Thurlow Weed, General Stephen Van Rensselaer, the committee from New York, and other prominent citizens. A thirty-two-pound cannon began the "state salute," which was carried by cannon placed at intervals to Albany and back to Buffalo in three hours and twenty minutes, while the glad news of the marriage of the Atlantic with the Great Lakes was carried from Albany on to New York in one hour and a half—a unique telegraph.

Celebration. The journey to New York was one round of addresses, fêtes, balls, toasts, salutes, and rejoicing. It must have been the proudest day of Clinton's life. Before daybreak on November 4, cannon and bells announced the arrival of the governor's party at the metropolis. They were welcomed and congratulated by a committee of the city, and then conducted by hundreds of vessels out to Sandy Hook, where the governor united the sea with the lakes by pouring a keg of Lake Erie water into the ocean. This was followed by a great land parade, fireworks in the evening, and festivities for several days. Thus passed a day so glorious to the state and city, and so deeply interesting to countless thousands who were permitted to behold and mingle in its exhibitions."

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The Traffic on the Canal was light at first, but soon boats loaded with grain, lumber, furs, provisions, and salt were going seaward and carrying back emigrants, machinery, clothing, and household goods. The products of the states bordering on the Great Lakes, as well as of western New York, were carried to eastern markets. The traffic past Utica both ways in 1825 and 1834 shows that flour had increased from 237,000 to

1,157,000 barrels; provisions from 19,000 to 40,000 barrels; salt from 43,000 to 176,000 bushels; wheat from 547,000 to 1,197,000 bushels; furs from 150 to 200 tons; household goods from 25,000 to 75,000 tons; and lumber from 8,667,000 to 38,291,000 feet. The values of produce multiplied fourfold and fivefold when carried to Albany and New York.1 The tolls increased from $2,200 in 1821 to $1,395,000 in 1835. In 1837 $47,740,000 worth of property was transported on the canal system of the state.

Rates and Tonnage. Before the canal was built it cost about $100 to take a ton of freight from Albany to Buffalo. In 1824, with the canal partly in use, it cost $22. By 1835 the expense had been reduced to $7, in 1860 to $3.50, and in 1880 to $1.70. When all toll was removed (1882) the cost fell to about $1.63. To-day it costs about 3.7 mills a bushel to carry wheat from Buffalo to New York, 3.5 mills for corn, and 2.4 mills for oats. For some years, however, the canal trade has been decreasing because of the speed of railroads and low freight rates. Since 1866 the two trunk lines of railroads have decreased their rates over 75 per cent, and consequently have increased their tonnage about 400 per cent. The canals carry about 5,000,000 tons of freight in a year now, while the New York Central and Erie railroads carry about 50,000,000 tons. This shows that the canal trade has gone to the railroads.

Lateral Canals.-Canal-building became a veritable

craze.

The "great canal bill" of April 20, 1825, au

2 In 1818 wheat sold in western New York for 25 cents a bushel. In Albany it brought $2.25 and still more in New York City.

thorized the surveying of twenty-one canal routes, aggregating 1,700 miles. Every part of the state was demanding a waterway, and 900 miles were surveyed. By 1833 seven canals, covering 632 miles, were built at a cost of $11,500,000. Besides the Erie and Champlain canals there were the Oswego (1826-1828), 38 miles; the Cayuga and Seneca (1827-1829), 23 miles; the Chemung (1831-1832), 39 miles; the Crooked Lake (1831-1833), 8 miles; and the Chenango (1833-1836), 97 miles. In 1836 the Black River, 35 miles, and the Genesee Valley, 107 miles, were authorized at a cost of $3,000,000. The Oneida Lake canal, begun by a private company in 1832, was purchased by the state in 1841 for $50,000 and improved. Thus by 1850 the state had built a complete system of branch canals in accordance with Clinton's plan at a cost of about $28,000,000. After 1850 railroad competition drove into disuse all the lateral canals except the Black River, Oswego, and Cayuga and Seneca, which are still used.

Improvements.-No sooner was the Erie Canal completed than the enormous traffic demanded improvements. As early as 1825 the canal commissioners urged the enlargement of the canal. Governor Marcy in 1834-5 called the legislature's attention to the need. The first act to enlarge it was passed May 6, 1834, and soon $4,000,000 was appropriated for the enterprise (1838). The work began in 1836 and continued from time to time. By 1844 over $13,000,000 had been thus spent, and in 1850 $10,000,000 was still needed to complete the enlargements. By 1863 about $32,000,000 was so used. The canal had been shortened twelve miles, the number of locks reduced, and the canal bed