the paths of inland commerce-第16部分

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The　Erie　Canal　was　born　in　the　Act　of　April　14；　1817；　but　the　decision　of　the　Council　of　Revision；　which　held　the　power　of　veto；　was　in　doubt。　An　anecdote　related　by　Judge　Platt　tends　to　prove　that　fear　of　another　war　with　England　was　the　straw　that　broke　the　camel's　back　of　opposition。　Acting…Governor　Taylor；　Chief　Justice　Thompson；　Chancellor　Kent；　Judge　Yates；　and　Judge　Platt　composed　the　Council。　The　two　first　named　were　open　opponents　of　the　measure；　Kent；　Yates；　and　Platt　were　warm　advocates　of　the　project；　but　one　of　them　doubted　if　the　time　was　ripe　to　undertake　it。

Taylor　opposed　the　canal　on　the　ground　that　the　late　treaty　with　England　was　a　mere　truce　and　that　the　resources　of　the　State　should　be　husbanded　against　renewed　war。

〃Do　you　think　so；　Sir？〃　Chancellor　Kent　is　said　to　have　asked　the　Governor。

〃Yes；　Sir；〃　was　the　reported　reply。　〃England　will　never　forgive　us　for　our　victories；　and；　my　word　for　it；　we　shall　have　another　war　with　her　within　two　years。〃

The　Chancellor　rose　to　his　feet　with　determination　and　sealed　the　fate　of　the　great　enterprise　in　a　word。

〃If　we　must　have　war；〃　he　exclaimed；　〃I　am　in　favor　of　the　canal　and　I　cast　my　vote　for　this　bill。〃

On　July　4；　1817；　work　was　formally　inaugurated　at　Rome　with　simple　ceremonies。　Thus　the　year　1817　was　marked　by　three　great　undertakings：　the　navigation　of　the　Mississippi　River　upstream　and　down　by　steamboats；　the　opening　of　the　national　road　across　the　Alleghany　Mountains；　and　the　beginning　of　the　Erie　Canal。　No　single　year　in　the　early　history　of　the　United　States　witnessed　three　such　important　events　in　the　material　progress　of　the　country。

What　days　the　ancient　〃Long　House　of　the　Iroquois〃　now　saw！　The　engineers　of　the　Cumberland　Road；　now　nearing　the　Ohio　River；　had　enjoyed　the　advantage　of　many　precedents　and　examples；　but　the　Commissioners　of　the　Erie　Canal　had　been　able　to　study　only　such　crude　examples　of　canal…building　as　America　then　afforded。　　Never　on　any　continent　had　such　an　inaccessible　region　been　pierced　by　such　a　highway。　The　total　length　of　the　whole　network　of　canals　in　Great　Britain　did　not　equal　that　of　the　waterway　which　the　New　Yorkers　now　undertook　to　build。　The　lack　of　roads；　materials；　vehicles；　methods　of　drilling　and　efficient　business　systems　was　overcome　by　sheer　patience　and　perseverance　in　experiment。　The　frozen　winter　roads　saved　the　day　by　making　it　possible　to　accumulate　a　proper　supply　of　provisions　and　materials。　As　tools　of　construction；　the　plough　and　scraper　with　their　greater　capacity　for　work　soon　supplanted　the　shovel　and　the　wheelbarrow；　which　had　been　the　chief　implements　for　such　construction　in　Europe。　Strange　new　machinery　born　of　Mother　Necessity　was　now　heard　groaning　in　the　dark　swamps　of　New　York。　These　giants；　worked　by　means　of　a　cable；　wheel；　and　endless　screw；　were　made　to　hoist　green　stumps　bodily　from　the　ground　and；　without　the　use　of　axe；　to　lay　trees　prostrate；　root　and　branch。　A　new　plough　was　fashioned　with　which　a　yoke　of　oxen　could　cut　roots　two　inches　in　thickness　well　beneath　the　surface　of　the　ground。

Handicaps　of　various　sorts　wore　the　patience　of　commissioners；　engineers；　and　contractors。　Lack　of　snow　during　one　winter　all　but　stopped　the　work　by　cutting　off　the　source　of　supplies。　Pioneer　ailments；　such　as　fever　and　ague；　reaped　great　harvests；　incapacitated　more　than　a　thousand　workmen　at　one　time　and　for　a　brief　while　stopped　work　completely。

For　the　most　part；　however；　work　was　carried　on　simultaneously　on　all　the　three　great　links　or　sections　into　which　the　enterprise　was　divided。　Local　contractors　were　given　preference　by　the　commissioners；　and　three…fourths　of　the　work　was　done　by　natives　of　the　State。　Forward　up　the　Mohawk　by　Schenectady　and　Utica　to　Rome；　thence　bending　southward　to　Syracuse；　and　from　there　by　way　of　Clyde；　Lyons；　and　Palmyra；　the　canal　made　its　way　to　the　giant　viaduct　over　the　Genesee　River　at　Rochester。　Keeping　close　to　the　summit　level　on　the　dividing　ridge　between　Lake　Ontario　streams　and　the　Valley　of　the　Tonawanda；　the　line　ran　to　Lockport；　where　a　series　of　locks　placed　the　canal　on　the　Lake　Erie　level；　365　miles　from　and　564　feet　above　Albany。　By　June；　1823；　the　canal　was　completed　from　Rochester　to　Schenectady；　in　October　boats　passed　into　the　tidewaters　of　the　Hudson　at　Albany；　and　in　the　autumn　of　1825　the　canal　was　formally　opened　by　the　passage　of　a　triumphant　fleet　from　Lake　Erie　to　New　York　Bay。　Here　two　kegs　of　lake　water　were　emptied　into　the　Atlantic；　while　the　Governor　of　the　State　of　New　York　spoke　these　words：

〃This　solemnity；　at　this　place；　on　the　first　arrival　of　vessels　from　Lake　Erie；　is　intended　to　indicate　and　commemorate　the　navigable　communication；　which　has　been　accomplished　between　our　Mediterranean　Seas　and　the　Atlantic　Ocean；　in　about　eight　years；　to　the　extent　of　more　than　four　hundred　and　twenty…five　miles；　by　the　wisdom；　public　spirit；　and　energy　of　the　people　of　the　State　of　New　York；　and　may　the　God　of　the　Heavens　and　the　Earth　smile　most　propitiously　on　this　work；　and　render　it　subservient　to　the　best　interests　of　the　human　race。〃

Throughout　these　last　seven　years；　the　West　was　subconsciously　getting　ready　to　meet　the　East　halfway　by　improving　and　extending　her　steamboat　operations。　Steamboats　were　first　run　on　the　Great　Lakes　by　enterprising　Buffalo　citizens　who；　in　1818；　secured　rights　from　the　Fulton…Livingston　monopoly　to　build　the　Walk…in…the…Water；　the　first　of　the　great　fleet　of　ships　that　now　whiten　the　inland　seas　of　the　United　States。　Regular　lines　of　steamboats　were　now　formed　on　the　Ohio　to　connect　with　the　Cumberland　Road　at　Wheeling；　although　the　steamboat　monopoly　threatened　to　stifle　the　natural　development　of　transportation　on　Western　rivers。

The　completion　of　the　Erie　Canalcoupled　with　the　new　appropriation　by　Congress　for　extending　the　Cumberland　Road　from　the　Ohio　River　to　Missouri　and　the　beginning　of　the　Pennsylvania　and　the　Chesapeake　and　Ohio　canals；　reveal　the　importance　of　these　concluding　days　of　the　first　quarter　of　the　nineteenth　century　in　the　annals　of　American　transportation。　Never　since　that　time　have　men　doubted　the　ability　of　Americans　to　accomplish　the　physical　domination　of　their　continent。　With　the　conquest　of　the　Alleghanies　and　of　the　forests　and　swamps　of　the　〃Long　House〃　by　pick　and　plough　and　scraper；　and　the　mastery　of　the　currents　of　the　Mississippi　by　the　paddle　wheel；　the　vast　plains　beyond　seemed　smaller　and　the　Rockies　less　formidable。　Men　now　looked　forward　confidently；　with　an　optimist　of　these　days；　to　the　time　〃when　circulation　and　association　between　the　Atlantic　and　Pacific　and　the　Mexican　Gulf　shall　be　as　free　and　perfect　as　they　are　at　this　moment　in　England〃　between　the　extremities　of　that　country。　The　vision　of　a　nation　closely　linked　by　wellworn　paths　of　commerce　was　daily　becoming　clearer。　What　further　westward　progress　was　soon　to　be　made　remains　to　be　seen。



CHAPTER　IX。　The　Dawn　Of　The　Iron　Age

Despite　the　superiority　of　the　new　iron　age　that　quickly　followed　the　widespreading　canal　movement；　there　was　a　generous　spirit　and　a　chivalry　in　the　〃good　old　days〃　of　the　stagecoach；　the　Conestoga；　and　the　lazy　canal　boat；　which　did　not　to　an　equal　degree　pervade　the　iron　age　of　the　railroad。　When　machinery　takes　the　place　of　human　brawn　and　patience；　there　is　an　indefinable　eclipse　of　human　interest。　Somehow；　cogs　and　levers　and　differentials　do　not　have　the　same　appeal　as　fingers　and　eyes　and　muscles。　The　old　days　of　coach　and　canal　boat　had　a　picturesqueness　and　a　comradeship　of　their　own。　In　the　turmoil　and　confusion　and　odd　mixing　of　every　kind　of　humanity　along　the　lines　of　travel　in　the　days　of　the　hurtling　coach…and…six；　a　friendliness；　a　robust　sympathy；　a　ready　interest　in　the　successful　and　the　unfortunate；　a　knowledge　of　how　the　other　half　lives；　and　a　familiarity　with　men　as　well　as　with　mere　places；　was　common　to　all　who　took　the　road。　As　Thackeray　so　vividly　describes　it：

〃The　land　rang　yet　with　the　tooting　horns　and　rattling　teams　of　mail…coaches；　a　gay　sight　was　the　road　in　those　days；　before　steam…engines　arose　and　flung　its　hostelry　and　chivalry　over。　To　travel　in　coaches；　to　know　coachmen　and　guards；　to　be　familiar　with　inns　along　the　road；　to　laugh　with　the　jolly　hostess　in　the　bar；　to　chuck　the　pretty　chamber…maid　under　the　chin；　were　the　delight　of　men　who　were　young　not　very　long　ago。　The　road　was　an　institution；　the　ring　was　an　institution。　Men　rallied　around　them；　and；　not　without　a　kind　of　conservatism　expatiated　on　the　benefits　with　which　they　endowed　the　country；　and　the　evils　which　would　occur　when　they　should　be　no　more　decay　of　British　spirit；　decay　of　manly　pluck；　ruin　of　the　breed　of　horses；　and　so　forth　and　so　forth。　To　give　and　take　a　black　eye　was　not　unusual　nor　derogatory　in　a　gentleman：　to　drive　a　stage…coach　the　enjoyment；　the　emulation；　of　generous　youth。　Is　there　any　young　fellow　of　the　present　time；　who　aspires　to　take　the　place　of　a　stoker？　One　sees　occasionally　in　the　country　a　dismal　old　drag　with　a　lonely　driver。　Where　are　you；　charioteers？　Where　are　you；　O　rattling　Quicksilver；　O　swift　Defiance？　You　are　passed　by　racers　stronger　and　swifter　than　you。　Your　lamps　are　out；　and　the　music　of　your　horns　has　died　away。

Behind　this　change　from　the　older　and　more　picturesque　days　which　is　thus　lamented　there　lay　potent　economic　forces　and　a　strong　commercial　rivalry　between　different　parts　of　the　country。　The　Atlantic　States　were　all　rivals　of　each　other；　reaching　out　by　one　bold　stroke　after　another　across　forest；　mountain；　and　river　to　the　gigantic　and　fruitful　West。　Step　after　step　the　inevitable　conquest　went　on。　Foremost　in　time　marched　the　sturdy　pack…horsemen；　blazing　the　way　for　the　heavier　forces　quietly　biding　their　time　in　the　rearthe　Conestogas；　the　steamboat；　the　canal　boat；　and；　last　and　greatest　of　them　all；　the　locomotive。

Through　a　long　preliminary　period　the　principal　center　of　interest　was　the　Potomac　Valley；　towards　whose　strategic　head　Virginia　and　Maryland；　by　river…improvement　and　road…building；　were　directing　their　commercial　routes　in　amiable　rivalry　for　the　conquest　of　the　Western　trade。　Suddenly　out　from　the　southern　region　of　the　Middle　Atlantic　States　went　the　C