the paths of inland commerce-第5节

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r　to　the　ancient　trail。　With　the　coming　of　the　wagon；　whose　rattle　was　heard　among　the　hills　as　early　as　Braddock's　campaign；　the　process　of　lowering　these　paths　from　the　heights　was　inevitably　begun；　and　it　was　to　the　riverways　that　men　first　looked　for　a　solution　of　the　difficult　problems　of　inland　commerce。　Eventually　the　paths　of　inland　commerce　constituted　a　vast　network　of　canals；　roads；　and　railway　lines　in　those　very　valleys　to　which　Washington　had　called　the　nation's　attention　in　1784。



CHAPTER　III。　The　Mastery　Of　The　Rivers

It　would　perhaps　have　been　well；　in　the　light　of　later　difficulties　and　failures；　if　the　men　who　at　Washington's　call　undertook　to　master　the　capricious　rivers　of　the　seaboard　had　studied　a　stately　Spanish　decree　which　declared　that；　since　God　had　not　made　the　rivers　of　Spain　navigable；　it　were　sacrilege　for　mortals　to　attempt　to　do　so。　Even　before　the　Revolution；　Mayor　Rhodes　of　Philadelphia　was　in　correspondence　with　Franklin　in　London　concerning　the　experiences　of　European　engineers　in　harnessing　foreign　streams。　That　sage　philosopher；　writing　to　Rhodes　in　1772；　uttered　a　clear　word　of　warning：　〃rivers　are　ungovernable　things；〃　he　had　said；　and　English　engineers　〃seldom　or　never　use　a　River　where　it　can　be　avoided。〃　But　it　was　the　birthright　of　New　World　democracy　to　make　its　own　mistakes　and　in　so　doing　to　prove　for　itself　the　errors　of　the　Old　World。

As　energetic　men　all　along　the　Atlantic　Plain　now　took　up　the　problem　of　improving　the　inland　rivers；　they　faced　a　storm　of　criticism　and　ridicule　that　would　have　daunted　any　but　such　as　Washington　and　Johnson　of　Virginia　or　White　and　Hazard　of　Pennsylvania　or　Morris　and　Watson　of　New　York。　Every　imaginable　objection　to　such　projects　was　advancedfrom　the　inefficiency　of　the　science　of　engineering　to　the　probable　destruction　of　all　the　fish　in　the　streams。　In　spite　of　these　discouragements；　however；　various　men　set　themselves　to　form　in　rapid　succession　the　Potomac　Company　in　1785；　the　Society　for　Promoting　the　Improvement　of　Inland　Navigation　in　1791；　the　Western　Inland　Lock　Navigation　Company　in　1792；　and　the　Lehigh　Coal　Mine　Company　in　1793。　A　brief　review　of　these　various　enterprises　will　give　a　clear　if　not　a　complete　view　of　the　first　era　of　inland　water　commerce　in　America。

The　Potomac　Company；　authorized　in　1785　by　the　legislatures　of　Maryland　and　Virginia；　received　an　appropriation　of　6666　from　each　State　for　opening　a　road　from　the　headwaters　of　the　Potomac　to　either　the　Cheat　or　the　Monongahela；　〃as　commissioners。。。　shall　find　most　convenient　and　beneficial　to　the　Western　settlers。〃　This　was　the　only　public　aid　which　the　enterprise　received；　and　the　stipulated　purpose　clearly　indicates　the　fact　that；　in　the　minds　of　its　promoters；　the　transcontinental　character　of　the　undertaking　appeared　to　be　vital。　The　remainder　of　the　money　required　for　the　work　was　raised　by　public　subscription　in　the　principal　cities　of　the　two　States。　In　this　way　40；300　pounds　was　subscribed；　Virginia　men　taking　266　shares　and　Maryland　men　137　shares。　The　stock　holders　elected　George　Washington　as　president　of　the　company；　at　a　salary　of　thirty　shillings　a　year；　with　four　directors　to　aid　him；　and　they　chose　as　general　manager　James　Rumsey；　the　boat　mechanician。　These　men　then　proceeded　to　attack　the　chief　impediments　in　the　Potomac　the　Great　Falls　above　Washington；　the　Seneca　Falls　at　the　mouth　of　Seneca　Creek；　and　the　Shenandoah　Falls　at　Harper's　Ferry。　But；　as　they　had　difficulty　in　obtaining　workmen　and　sufficient　liquor　to　cheer　them　in　their　herculean　tasks；　they　made　such　slow　progress　that　subscribers；　doubting　Washington's　optimistic　prophecy　that　the　stock　would　increase　in　value　twenty　per　cent；　paid　their　assessments　only　after　much　deliberation　or　not　at　all。　Thirty…six　years　later；　though　729；380　had　been　spent　and　lock　canals　had　been　opened　about　the　unnavigable　stretches　of　the　Potomac　River；　a　commission　appointed　to　examine　the　affairs　of　the　company　reported　〃that　the　floods　and　freshets　nevertheless　gave　the　only　navigation　that　was　enjoyed。〃　As　for　the　road　between　the　Potomac　and　the　Cheat　or　the　Monongahela；　the　records　at　hand　do　not　show　that　the　money　voted　for　that　enterprise　had　been　used。

The　Potomac　Company　nevertheless　had　accomplished　something：　it　had　acquired　an　asset　of　the　greatest　valuea　right　of　way　up　the　strategic　Potomac　Valley；　and　it　had　furnished　an　object　lesson　to　men　in　other　States　who　were　struggling　with　a　similar　problem。　When；　as　will　soon　be　apparent；　New　York　men　undertook　the　improvement　of　the　Mohawk　waterway　there　was　no　pattern　of　canal　construction　for　them　to　follow　in　America　except　the　inadequate　wooden　locks　erected　along　the　Potomac。　It　is　interesting　to　know　that　Elkanah　Watson；　prominent　in　inland　navigation　to　the　North；　went　down　from　New　York　in　order　to　study　these　wooden　locks　and　that　New　Yorkers　adopted　them　as　models；　though　they　changed　the　material　to　brick　and　finally　to　stone。

Pennsylvania　had　been　foremost　among　the　colonies　in　canal　building；　for　it　had　surveyed　as　early　as　1762　the　first　lock　canal　in　America；　from　near　Reading　on　the　Schuylkill　to　Middletown　on　the　Susquehanna。　Work；　however；　had　to　be　suspended　when　Pontiac's　Rebellion　threw　the　inland　country　into　a　panic。　But　the　enterprise　of　Maryland　and　Virginia　in　1785　in　developing　the　Potomac　aroused　the　Pennsylvanians　to　renewed　activity。　The　Society　for　Promoting　the　Improvement　of　Roads　and　Inland　Navigation　set　forth　a　programme　that　was　as　broad　as　the　Keystone　State　itself。　Their　ultimate　object　was　to　capture　the　trade　of　the　Great　Lakes。　〃If　we　turn　our　view；〃　read　the　memorial　which　the　Society　presented　to　the　Legislature；　〃to　the　immense　territories　connected　with　the　Ohio　and　Mississippi　waters；　and　bordering　on　the　Great　Lakes；　it　will　appear。。。　that　our　communication　with　those　vast　countries　（considering　Fort　Pitt　as　the　port　of　entrance　upon　them）　is　as　easy　and　may　be　rendered　as　cheap；　as　to　any　other　port　on　the　Atlantic　tide　waters。〃

Pennsylvania；　lying　between　Virginia　and　New　York；　occupied　a　peculiar　position。　Her　Susquehanna　Valley　stretched　northwestnot　so　directly　west　as　did　the　Potomac　on　the　south　and　the　Mohawk　on　the　north。　This　more　northerly　trend　led　these　early　Pennsylvania　promoters　to　believe　that；　while　they　might　〃only　have　a　share　in　the　trade　of　those　＇the　Ohio＇　waters；〃　they　could　absolutely　secure　for　themselves　the　trade　of　the　Great　Lakes；　〃taking　Presq'　Isle　＇Erie；　Pennsylvania＇　which　is　within　our　own　State；　as　the　great　mart　or　place　of　embarkation。〃

The　plan　which　the　Society　proposed　involved　the　improvement　of　water　and　land　routes　by　way　of　the　Delaware　to　Lake　Ontario　and　Lake　Otsego；　and　of　eight　routes　by　the　Susquehanna　drainage；　north；　northwest；　and　west。　A　bill　which　passed　the　Legislature　on　April　13；　1791；　appropriated　money　for　these　improvements。　Work　was　begun　immediately　on　the　Schuylkill…Susquehanna　Canal；　but　only　four　miles　had　been　completed　by　1794；　when　the　Lancaster　Turnpike　directed　men's　attention　to　improved　highways　as　an　alternative　more　likely　than　canals　to　provide　the　desired　facilities　for　inland　transportation。　The　work　on　the　canal　was　renewed；　however；　in　1821；　when　the　rival　Erie　Canal　was　nearing　completion；　and　was　finished　in　1827。　It　became　known　as　the　Union　Canal　and　formed　a　link　in　the　Pennsylvania　canal　system；　the　development　of　which　will　be　described　in　a　later　chapter。

In　New　York　State；　throughout　the　period　of　the　Old　French　and　the　Revolutionary　wars；　barges　and　keel　boats　had　plied　the　Mohawk；　Wood　Creek；　and　the　Oswego　to　Lake　Ontario。　Around　such　obstructions　as　Cohoes　Falls；　Little　Falls；　and　the　portage　at　Rome　to　Wood　Creek；　wagons；　sleds；　and　pack…horses　had　transferred　the　cargoes。　To　avoid　this　labor　and　delay　men　soon　conceived　of　conquering　these　obstacles　by　locks　and　canals。　As　early　as　1777　the　brilliant　Gouverneur　Morris　had　a　vision　of　the　economic　development　of　his　State　when　〃the　waters　of　the　great　western　inland　seas　would；　by　the　aid　of　man；　break　through　their　barriers　and　mingle　with　those　of　the　Hudson。〃

Elkanah　Watson　was　in　many　ways　the　Washington　of　New　York。　He　had　the　foresight；　patience；　and　persistence　of　the　Virginia　planter。　His　〃Journal〃　of　a　tour　up　the　Mohawk　in　1788　and　a　pamphlet　which　he　published　in　1791　may　be　said　to　be　the　ultimate　sources　in　any　history　of　the　internal　commerce　of　New　York。　As　a　result；　a　company　known　as　〃The　President；　Directors；　and　Company　of　the　Western　Inland　Lock　Navigation　in　the　State　of　New　York；〃　with　a　capital　stock　of　25；000；　was　authorized　by　act　of　legislature　in　March；　1792；　and　the　State　subscribed　for　12；500　in　stock。　Many　singular　provisions　were　inserted　in　this　charter；　but　none　more　remarkable　than　one　which　stipulated　that　all　profits　over　fifteen　per　cent　should　revert　to　the　State　Treasury。　This　hint　concerning　surplus　profits；　however；　did　not　cause　a　stampede　when　the　books　were　opened　for　subscriptions　in　New　York　and　Albany。　In　later　years；　when　the　Erie　Canal　gave　promise　of　a　new　era　in　American　inland　commerce；　Elkanah　Watson　recalled　with　a　grim　satisfaction　the　efforts　of　these　early　days。　The　subscripti