the paths of inland commerce-第17节

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neer　lines。　The　coaches；　drawn　by　four　and　sometimes　six　horses；　were　usually　painted　in　brilliant　colors　and　were　named　after　eminent　statesmen。　The　drivers　of　these　gay　chariots　were　characters　quite　as　famous　locally　as　the　personages　whose　names　were　borne　by　the　coaches。　Westover　and　his　record　of　forty…five　minutes　for　the　twenty　miles　between　Uniontown　and　Brownsville；　and　〃Red〃　Bunting；　with　his　drive　of　a　hundred　and　thirty…one　miles　in　twelve　hours　with　the　declaration　of　war　against　Mexico；　will　be　long　famous　on　the　curving　stretches　of　the　Cumberland　Road。

Although　the　freight　and　express　traffic　of　those　days　lacked　the　picturesqueness　of　the　passenger　coaches；　nothing　illustrates　so　conclusively　what　the　great　road　meant　to　an　awakening　West　as　the　long　lines　of　heavy　Conestogas　and　rattling　express　wagons　which　raced　at　〃unprecedented〃　speed　across　hill　and　vale。　Searight；　the　local　historian　of　the　road；　describes　these　large；　broad…wheeled　wagons　covered　with　white　canvas　as　

〃visible　all　the　day　long；　at　every　point；　making　the　highway　look　more　like　a　leading　avenue　of　a　great　city　than　a　road　through　rural　districts。。。。　I　have　staid　over　night　with　William　Cheets　on　Nigger　＇Negro＇　Mountain　when　there　were　about　thirty　six…horse　teams　in　the　wagon　yard；　a　hundred　Kentucky　mules　in　an　adjoining　lot；　a　thousand　hogs　in　their　enclosures；　and　as　many　fat　cattle　in　adjoining　fields。　The　music　made　by　this　large　number　of　hogs　eating　corn　on　a　frosty　night　I　shall　never　forget。　After　supper　and　attention　to　the　teams；　the　wagoners　would　gather　in　the　bar…room　and　listen　to　the　music　on　the　violin　furnished　by　one　of　their　fellows；　have　a　Virginia　hoe…down；　sing　songs；　tell　anecdotes；　and　hear　the　experiences　of　drivers　and　drovers　from　all　points　of　the　road；　and；　when　it　was　all　over；　unroll　their　beds；　lay　them　down　on　the　floor　before　the　bar…room　fire　side　by　side；　and　sleep　with　their　feet　near　the　blaze　as　soundly　as　under　the　parental　roof。〃

Meanwhile　New　York；　the　other　great　rival　for　Western　trade；　was　intent　on　its　own　darling　project；　the　Erie　Canal。　In　1808；　three　years　before　the　building　of　the　Cumberland　Road；　Joshua　Forman　offered　a　bill　in　favor　of　the　canal　in　the　Legislature　of　New　York。　In　plain　but　dignified　language　this　document　stated　that　New　York　possessed　〃the　best　route　of　communication　between　the　Atlantic　and　western　waters；〃　and　that　it　held　〃the　first　commercial　rank　in　the　United　States。〃　The　bill　also　noted　that；　while　〃several　of　our　sister　States〃　were　seeking　to　secure　〃the　trade　of　that　wide　extended　country；〃　their　natural　advantages　were　〃vastly　inferior。〃　Six　hundred　dollars　was　the　amount　appropriated　for　a　brief　survey；　and　Congress　was　asked　to　vote　aid　for　the　construction　of　the　〃Buffalo…Utica　Canal。〃　The　matter　was　widely　talked　about　but　action　was　delayed。　Doubt　as　to　the　best　route　to　be　pursued　caused　some　discussion。　If　the　western　terminus　were　to　be　located　on　Lake　Ontario　at　the　mouth　of　the　Oswego；　as　some　advocated；　would　produce　not　make　its　way　to　Montreal　instead　of　to　New　York？　In　1810　a　new　committee　was　appointed　and；　though　their　report　favored　the　paralleling　of　the　course　of　the　Mohawk　and　Oswego　rivers；　their　engineer；　James　Geddes；　gave　strength　to　the　party　which　believed　a　direct　canal　would　best　serve　the　interests　of　the　State。　It　is　worth　noting　that　Livingston　and　Fulton　were　added　to　the　committee　in　1811。

The　hopes　of　outside　aid　from　Congress　and　adjacent　States　met　with　disappointment。　In　vain　did　the　advocates　of　the　canal　in　1812　plead　that　its　construction　would　promote　〃a　free　and　general　intercourse　between　different　parts　of　the　United　States；　tend　to　the　aggrandizement　and　prosperity　of　the　country；　and　consolidate　and　strengthen　the　Union。〃　The　plan　to　have　the　Government　subsidize　the　canal　by　vesting　in　the　State　of　New　York　four　million　acres　of　Michigan　land　brought　out　a　protest　from　the　West　which　is　notable　not　so　much　because　it　records　the　opposition　of　this　section　as　　because　it　illustrates　the　shortsightedness　of　most　of　the　arguments　raised　against　the　New　York　enterprise。　The　purpose　of　the　canal；　the　detractors　asserted；　was　to　build　up　New　York　City　to　the　detriment　of　Montreal；　and　the　navigation　of　Lake　Ontario；　whose　beauty　they　touchingly　described；　was　to　be　abandoned　for　a　〃narrow；　winding　obstructed　canal。。。for　an　expense　which　arithmetic　dares　not　approach。〃　It　was；　in　their　minds；　unquestionably　a　selfish　object；　and　they　believed　that　〃both　correct　science；　and　the　dictates　of　patriotism　and　philanthropy　＇should＇　lead　to　the　adoption　of　more　liberal　principles。〃　It　was　a　shortsighted　object；　〃predicated　on　the　eternal　adhesion　of　the　Canadas　to　England。〃　It　would　never　give　satisfaction　since　trade　would　always　ignore　artificial　and　seek　natural　routes。　The　attempting　of　such　comparatively　useless　projects　would　discourage　worthy　schemes；　relax　the　bonds　of　Union；　and　depress　the　national　character。　But　though　these　Westerners　thus　misjudged　the　possibilities　of　the　Erie　Canal；　we　must　doff　our　hats　to　them　for　their　foresight　in　suggesting　that；　instead　of　aiding　the　Erie　Canal；　the　nation　ought　to　build　canals　at　Niagara　Falls　and　Panama！

The　War　of　1812　suspended　all　talk　of　the　canal；　but　the　subject　was　again　brought　up　by　Judge　Platt　in　the　autumn　of　1816。　With　alacrity　strong　men　came　to　the　aid　of　the　measure。　De　Witt　Clinton's　Memorial　of　1816　addressed　to　the　State　Legislature　may　well　rank　with　Washington's　letter　to　Harrison　in　the　documentary　history　of　American　commercial　development。　It　sums　up　the　geographical　position　of　New　York　with　reference　to　the　Great　Lakes　and　the　Atlantic；　her　relationship　to　the　West　and　to　Canada；　the　feasibility　of　the　proposed　route　from　an　engineering　standpoint；　the　timeliness　of　the　moment　for　such　a　work　of　improvement；　the　value　that　the　canal　would　give　to　the　state　lands　of　the　interior；　and　the　trade　that　it　would　bring　to　the　towns　along　its　pathway。

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　stoppe