^^^^ .0^ . ^o1 •1 o ^•^ o. ^u y y/:h^rn^ '-^-^^ o ° " " * '^ '^. c -^.s^;^, ♦^ o. s ™. OF THE INTERNAL IMPROVEMENTS 7/2. ALREADY MADE BY PENNSYLVANIA; OBSERVATIONS UPON HER PHYSICAL AND FISCAL MEANS FOR THEIR EXTENSION; PARTICULARLY AS THEY HAVE REFERENCE TO THE FU- TURE GROWTH AND PROSPERITY OF PHILADELPHIA. ILLUSTRATED BY A MAP OF THE STATE OF PENNSYLVANIA: SECOND EDITION, REVISED AND ENLARGED. BY SAMUEL BRECK, ONE OP THE MEMBERS OP THE SENATE OF PENNSVLVANIA, FOR THE DISTRICT -COMPOSED OF THE CITY AND COUNTY OF PHILADELPHIA. PHILADELPHIA: PUBLISHED BY M. THOMAS, 52, CHESNUT STREET, AND TO BE HAD AT THE PRINCIPAL BOOKSTORES IN TOWN. •T. Maxwell, Piintev. 1818. S»ure» nnkio-wn /O-'il'^lZ NOTICE. This second edition of the small work, with which I ventured before the public last July, has been revised and enlarged, and is in every respect, I hope, less imperfect than the first; particularly as regards the view of the head-waters of our principal rivers, Y^hich is now given in one map, instead of three. It is to the liberality, kindness and public-spirit of Mr. Mathew Carey, that I am indebted for this map. That gentleman not only gave me the use of the plate, a/ dis- tance of the western waters: but more of this hereafter. On James River, in Virginia, many improvements have been effected. One near the city of Richmond, for the purpose of trans- porting coal, although imperfect, has been useful and profitable, and cost 231,000 dollars.* The annual toll raised on fourteen thou- sand tons of country produce, and on two thousand coal-boats, have amounted to 16,750 dollars, (in the year 1807.) So that the company, eleven years ago, were enabled to make dividends of se- ven per cent. As the coal business has increased very much since, no doubt the tolls have given a proportional increase of dividends to the stockholders. In North Carolina some important works in canaling have been finished, and others are now executing; but in South Carolina the improvement of the ri\er Santee, or Catawba, has cost vast labour and much money. This river is now connected with Cooper river, which empties into the harbour of Charleston, and gives that port a water communication, at certain seasons of the year, with the back country, of three hundred miles and more. The canal which unites these two rivers, cost 650,667 dollars; and will, when made more permanent, and somewhat deeper, uamit vessels which, on account of their draft of water, are now obliged to sail round the '''■' Gallatin's Report to Congress on Internal Imnroveraeat. 40 sea coast to Charleston; and in that event, the stockholders must receive good dividends. In 1807 the annual tolls were only thir- teen thousand dollars. The state of New- York, and our own state, as well as the state of Delaware, have each one or more unfinished canals; but they are not of sufficient magnitude to deserve a particular notice, ex- cept the vast canal which now occupies the attention of New- York, and which is, in every respect, a highly piaise worthy under- taking; and will, if ever Jinished^ and put into successful operation^ immortalize its promoters. It is yet, however, in embryo; and as I mean to speak of it in a subsequent page, I will only mention it now as a great and glorious enterprize, furnishing an example of ardent zeal for internal improvement, which should be followed by every state possessed of fiscal and geographical means. One other American canal, called Carondelet, and situate far to the south, ought here to be mentioned. It extends from the Bayou St. John, near New-Orleans, to the fortifications, or ditch of the city, and thereby opens an inland communication with Lake Pontchar- train.* A company was incorporated by the territorial legislature, for the purpose of repairing and improving that work, and of uni- ting the canal, by locks, with the Mississippi.! Independent of other advantages, this undertaking will enable government to trans- port munitions of war with facility, and use the same naval force for the defence of both the Mississippi and Lake Pontchartrain. After this short view of the canals of Europe and of America, with the benefits Avhich they invariably produce to the countries through which they pass, permit me to ask the very particular at- tention of the reader to the exposition, which I am now about en- tering upon, of the greatly superior natural advantages which Pennsylvania possesses over every one of those countries, and of the high degree of prosperity to which she and her commercial metropolis may arrive, by a proper harmony of effort, m the ap- plication of the small artificial aid required by nature for the full development of these extraordinary local benefits. There are four routes by which Philadelphia may be united to tlie Susquehanna: 1. Between the great falls of the Lehigh and Wilkesbarre; a dis- tance of only fourteen miles. 2. Between Lausanne, on the Lehigh, and Berwick; a distance of thirty miles. 3. Between the head waters of the Schuylkill and Berwick; and 4. By the grand canal, already partly dug, through the counties of Lebanon and Dauphin. The Schuylkill, it is now taken for granted, will be soon render- ed navigable, even for stean boats. This is an important link in the great western and northern chains; but the golden link — the * A steam boat has lately beea built ia Pliiladelpliia, which is intended to run between Mobille and New-Orleans, through this lake and canal, f Gallatin's Report to Cong^resa on Internal Improvement. 41 essential and high connecting part of that series of water-route, which is to convey so much wealth to Philadelphia, lies between Reading and Middletown. If we miike a good channel by means of the waters of the Tulpahocken, which empty into the Schuyl- kill, and those of the Swatara, which empty into the Susquehanna, and thus reach that great river, we are for ever safe as a town. When we are once able to attract to our wharves the produce of the Susquehanna, we command the trade of waters, which meander through more than half the state; of waters whicli interlock on the north with lakes and rivers running into Ontario, and through the richest counties of the state of New-York; waters which have their sources and navigable tributary streams within fourteen miles of those that run west; and by whose junction we open to our- selves a vast and ever-increasing trade, not only with all the fair, full-grown and numerous daughters of the Mississippi, but with that " mother of rivers" herself, whose wide spread branches flow from every point of the compass, through hill and dale of inex- haustible riches; along mountains and deltas of every variety of soil; covering a country capable of sustaining two hundred mil- lions of people! Between the Susquehanna and this vast territory only fourteen miles of land require to be cut, and if Philadel- phia forms the link, which is to unite her to the Susquehanna, she may with ease and with cheapness, break down this fourteen mile barrier, and bring to the Delaware, by steamboats and other water carriages, a great pax't, if not all this inland trade; and she may do it, too, without the dread of a rival in New-York, Balti- more, or any other town. She will of necessity become the en- trepot of this multifarious river-trade; her geographical position makes her such; she has nothing to do but to open the channel, and by the usual industry of commerce, appropriate to herself the countless treasures which will flow through it. A little more trouble, a little more cost, perfectly within her means, and Phila- delphia can draw to her market likewise, the whole commerce of the great lakes above Erie, and to these northern, western, and north- western sources, she must look for her future prosperity. If she does not make herscif fully sensible of the necessity of opening these co7?imunicatio7is, so easy, so certain, so advantageous, she will find herself, in a few yeai's, deprived of her wliole western trade;* in- deed of every kind of internal traffic, except that of the narrow dis- trict between the Susquehanna and the Schuylkill; and thus limit- ed, she must dwindle into a small town. But I have no such fears, no such anticipations. The share she has had in the expendi- ture of the eleven millions of dollars for public improvement; the alacrity with which she has lately filled up the subscription of half a million of dollars, for the perfection of the Schuylkill navigation, and her accustomed liberality in aiding objects of usefulness, are « Owing- to the new national road, from U^e Ohio to tbe Potomac, toll free, and the New-York canal. 42 so many guarantees for her perseverance in this all — all-important work. In discussing this great topic, I make no apology when I repeat what I have ah-eady saidj for it cannot be too often echoed and re- echoed in every quarter of the city. Other places around us are awake to its momentous consequences, and are vigilant, as I shall by and by show, in laying plans for the possession of part, or the whole of this great traffic. But it is a trade which geographically belongs to Philadelphia, and she has only to will it in order to have it. It is a trade with regions l)oundless in extent and in future riches, and calculated, if properly cherished, to raise our city to the very pinnacle of commercial grandeur; — to the very first rank among those which have distinguished themselves as conspicuous marts; it is calculated to sti-etch her limits even to the size of Lon- don, Canton, Calcutta; nay, bevond that of anij emporium on the GLOBE. This is no enthusiastic flourish; — no unnatural effort of thought. It is a safe calculation, grounded upon the positive wants and presumable industry of the millions who are destined to occu- py the fertile country, which must, in the event of a communica- tion being opened, resort to Philadelphia, as to their nearest and most healthful and convenient market; a communication which will give to us advantages so stupendous, that in contemplating them, nature seems to outwork fancy. I will endeavour to illus- trate this assertion. Suppose the Schuylkill united to the Susque- hanna; the only dividing point between the Juniata branch and western branch of that river and the Allegheny, will then be a dis- tance of about fourteen miles. After passing this, at the two places pointed out on the accompanying map, the whole western world is within our reach; and in order to show more distinctly the fu- ture destinies of Philadelphia, in the event of her extending these improvements to the Allegheny river, let us suppose the countries washed by the Ohio, Kentucky, Cumberland, Tennessee, Illinois, Wabash, Miami, Scioto, Muskingum, Mississippi fi'om its junc- tion with the Ohio to its source, Missouri, 2,800 miles up to the Great Falls, with its branches, the Osage, Kanses, Laplatte, Yel- low Stone, &c. each from five to eight hundred miles long: let us suppose the countries, I say, through which these vast rivers pass, to be fully peopled, and possessed of only two outlets; the one si- tuate far to the south, and almost within the tropic, surrounded by an atmosphere constantly heated, without elasticity or healthful- ness, and ungenial to the hardy constitutions of the north; the other standing in the temperate zone, with a route safe, salubri- ous, and equally short; could there be any hesitation in the choice? the one leading to the sickly mouths of the Mississippi, the other to the verdant and Avholesome banks of the Delaware? the first to New-Orleans; the second to Philadelphia. Could there be any he- sitation in the choice, I ask? no, not for a moment! — and tor less than one million of dollars, or about as much as we pay in munici- pal taxes every twenty months, the advantages derived from an 43 intercourse with that country as she now stands^ and prospectivelij as she •U'ill auind, become our own.* It must be repeated, that the future existence of Philadelphia, as a commercial town, depends upon her opening a water-route to the Susquehanna. This assertion ought to be considered by every house-owner, — every well-wisher to our city, in the form of a na- ked, incontrovertible truism; and thus aware of the importance of the faQt, each one must see that Philadelphia will cease to flounsh; that she will deteriorate and fall to ruin, if she does not apply the remedy; each one must see, that without that remedy the trade of the interior will flow into other channels, and leave her in a few years neither produce for her exports, nor buyers of her imports. Under these circumstances, and with this serious and alarming aspect of the future fate of this city before us, can 1 do less than solemnly adjure its wealthy and intelligent inhabitants to set about adopting a remedy? The evils which have already attained us, * The mind is lost in astonishment at the contemplation of the immensity of the scene which opens even beyond this; for when once arrived at the great Falls of the Missouri, there is a portage of only eighteen miles, over a level country, where again tlie navigation for large boats is practicable, and continues so for more than two hundred miles, until the source of that branch of the Missouri, called Jefferson's river, is attained. Here, and at the source of Madison river, the north and south forks of Lewis' river interlock. This last runs into the Colum- bia, which empties into the Pacific ocean. • But the Yellow 8tone river offers the nearest route to the Rocky mountains. It cuts off the great Falls of Missouri, and has its waters quite as nigh to those of Lewis' river, as are those of Madison and Jefferson rivers; and if its navigation be not interrupted by falls, the distance from Philadelphia to the mouth of Columbia river, in land cuts, will be eighteen miles less than when the Missouri is ascended to its source, and will make the whole distance of land to be removed at the head waters of the rivers between Philadelphia and the mouth of the Columbia river, on the Pacific ocean, thirty-eight miles.'! As thus: From the Talpahocken, a branch of the Schuylkill, to the Quiti- pahilla, a branch of tlie Susquehanna, - - - 4 miles. From Poplar run, a branch of the Juniata, to the Little Conne- waugh, a branch of the Allegheny, - - - - 14 From the Yellow Stone River, a branch of the Missouri, to Lew- is' river, a branch of the Columbia, - - - 20 • 38 miles. Colonel James Johnston haa contracted with the war department, says a Cin- cinnati paper of June 16, to furnish rations for the troops to be stationed at the mouth of Yellow Stone river, 1 800 miles up the Missouri. He has offered, or in- tends offering, to convey munitions of war, baggage, and provisions, to that point in steam boats. By that mode of conveyance, they will reach their place of desti- nation in sixty days, that is to say, in one seventh the usual time, because by the common mode, they would not reach there before July or August, 1819. This is a beginning. When the waters of the east are united with the vast streams of the west, merchandize from the Pacific may reach the Atlantic by steam boat conveyance, and it is not soaring into the regioHS of fancy to suppose tliat at a future day (no doubt remote) we may receive our teas and silks from Canton, by the way of the Columbia, Missouri, Ohio, Allegheny, Susquehanna, and Schuylkill.— Nature has done her share of the work; let art complete it. G 44 are few, and can, as well as those in prospect, be easily averted; and it shall be my endeavour to show, in the following pages, both the danger and the safe- guard. The great protecting feature of that safe-guard is the commerce of the Susquehanna, and I will begin by giving a short description of its waters. THE SUSQUEHANNA.* A great proportion of the country, watered by the Susquehanna, is already in a state of cultivation, and the rest will be settled whenever a good route is constructed to an Atlantic market. To trace the source, and the course of this river; to state its immense importance to Pennsylvania} the situation of its present, and the probable extent of its future trade; its capability of improvement, and the large and fertile territory which it accommodates, is my present aim. The north-east branch of the Susquehanna takes its rise from Lake Otsego, in a central part of the state of New- York, and 60 miles west by north from the city of Albany, and from 15 to 20 miles south of the Mohawk river. This lake is about nine miles long, and one mile wide, situated in a tract of country extremely fertile and well settled. Six miles to the west of Otsego lies Cani- aderago lake, which is nearly as large as the other. From this last mentioned lake a stream called Oaks-creek, falls into the Susque- hanna, nearly five miles to the south of Otsego. These lakes lie so near the Mohawk river, and the creeks which flow into it from this direction, that a complete water communication could doubt- less be made between them. At present the distance is not twenty miles. From Lake Otsego, to which batteaux pass up the stream, the Susquehanna is navigable to the town of Columbia^ in comparative safety. The few impediments which exist, can be ea- sily and cheaply removed, when no danger whatever will remain: below Columbia^ the navigation downward is always dangerous; upwards impossible; at least for trading boats. From Lake Otsego the Susquehanna runs in a southerly direction, through Cherry- valley, about twenty miles; thence it*takes a general south-west course, with many meanders, until it comes within eight or ten miles of the Pennsylvania line, which it crosses about 12 miles west of the north-east corner of that state. In this part of its cur- rent, about 45 miles froin Otsego, the Susquehanna receives the Unadilla, with a considerable accession of water, and a number of smaller streams. At Harmony, which is situated at the point where the river crosses the line of the two states, there is a por- tage of nineteen miles to the waters of the Delaware, at Stockport. After passing the Pennsylvania line, the Susquehanna runs a small * For part of this description, I am indebted to a valuable pamphlet, written by Mr. Condy, in the year 1796, — and have very frequently borrowed both his thoughts and language. 45 distance to the south, and winding at the great bend in a course to the north-west, it again crosses that line, seven or eight miles further, in a direction nearly north-west, receiving in Pennsylvania a number of small creeks. Meandering then to the westward, through the state of New- York, it is increased by the Tioughni- oga, and Chenengo rivers, in a joint current, and other waters of less importance. It then crosses the line of the two states a third time; flowing hence to the south, the Susquehanna is joined at Tioga-point by the Tioga river, three or four miles from the New- York line, with a very considerable increase of water. The Tioga is navigable from its mouth for batteaux to the distance of fifty miles, and its northwesternmost sources are but a few miles from the Chenessee river ^ which runs into Lake Ontario. With this lake it is also nearly connected with many streams, which flow into it from the north, and the numerous smaller lakes which are situated between the Ontario, Chenessee, and north-east branch of the Sus- quehanna, watering large tracts of some of the richest land in the United States. The Tioga is thus very conveniently connected with Lake Ontario, by a communication neai-ly, and which, at a small expense, may be made completely, a water communication. From the mouth of Tioga to Newtown is 18 miles — the portage thence to Seneca lake is 19 miles more. This last distance has lately been surveyed by order of the Pennsylvania government, and I shall refer to it in the course of my remarks, to prove that a lock navigation can be made, without much difficulty, from Se- neca lake to Newtown. From Seneca lake the distance to Ontario is 122 miles; over, however, a navigation considerably impeded by falls, yet presenting nothing insurmountable in the way. By these two streams, (the north-east, and the Tioga branches of the Susquehenna), all the country lying between them, and lake Ontario, together with the trade of that lake, and those attached to it, will be connected with Philadelphia, by means of the Swa- tara at Middletown, and the Tulpahocken near Reading, on the Schuylkill. At the Painted post, within twenty miles of the mouth of New- town creek, in the state of New- York, the Tioga is separated into two branches, the northwest, and the south branch. This last ap- proaches very near a branch of the Alleghany, and will perhaps one day offer an easy communication with the western countries, for the people of that district, as it is not more than 10 or 12 miles distant. From the junction of the Tioga, and the northeast branch of the Susquehanna at Tioga-point, the river flows in a general southeast course, with very considerable meanderings nearly to Wyoming, without any obstructions by falls. Mr. Chapman, to whose manuscript report I have already allud- ed, speaks of this section of the river thus:* * This part of the * Manuscript report in the Surveyor General's office. 46- tiortheast branch is navigable for boats, carrying about twenty tons, at all seasons of the ycar^ when not obstructed by ice, which ob- structions occur generally about Christmas, and continue until the middle of March. The boatmen are getting more into the use of sails, and I have seen during the last season, in a number of in- stances, boats loaded with twenty tons, ascend the Wyoming falls, by the force of wind only.' About eight miles below where this branch enters Pennsylvania, there is a village on an elbow of the river, called ' Great-Bend,' from whence a turnpike road has been made to Coshecton, on the Delaware river; another turnpike from Milford, on the Delaware, to Owego on the Susquehanna, in the state of New- York, is now making; and as may be seen on the map, there is a portage of only nineteen miles from Hai'mony on the Susquehanna, to Stockport on the Delaware. The intercourse be- tween the two rivers, is daily increasing, so that vast quantities of lumber are carted across these turnpikes, though at a heavy land expense, and floated to our market down the Delaware. These ob- jects would be at half price, if the waters of these two great rivers were united by a canal, and so abundant as soon to become an ar- ticle of export to the West Indies or elsewhere. A few miles on this side of the line, which divides New- York from Pennsylvania, the Tioga river, as I have already said, comes into the Susquehanna from the northwest, and just within the line of New- York, and on the Tioga, stands the small village of New- town. From this place to Seneca Lake, the legislature had a survey made last summer by two able engineers, Mr. Robert Brooke, of Philadelphia, and Mr. Charles Treziyulny, of Centre county. — These two gentlemen fulfilled their task satisfactorily, and laid before the assembly a plan and profile of the survey and levels, executed in a style of great elegance, and accompanied by a report, from which I makt the following extracts: * ' The subscribers, commissioners appointed by his excellency Simon Snyder, in pursuance of an act of the general assembly of the said commonwealth, passed the 22d of March, 1817, to ex- plore the route of the intended canal for uniting the waters of the Seneca Lake and Tioga river, in the state of New- York, report: ' That we believe the making of the canal practicable, there being no other difficulty to encounter, but the great descent of the ground, and the consequent number of locks which will be required upon it. Although the descent from the summit level to the Seneca lake be great, it is pretty regular, and the ground will be easily dug, there being no rocky or otherwise difficult ground to pass. ' If this canal be made, it will, with the proposed canal from Ca- nandaigua outlet to Sodus' bay, complete a chain of boat 7iaviga- * See report in the journal of the House of Representatives, page 394. 4/ tion from lake Ontario to the Susquehanna;* thus uniting the great northera and southern waters. The immediate bent-fits w^hich will result to the people of Pennsylvania, will be the plaster and salt trade of New- York, by which the interior of the state will be sup- plied with those necessary articles of subsistence and of agricul- ture. In return the citizens of Pennsylvania, will find a maiket for their coal and iron in the lake country of the state of New- York.' The length of this canal will be nineteen miles and one hundred and thirty-five poles, and will cost by the computation of these gentlemen, ^5 83,300. All necessary materials for building the locks, &c. can be obtained in great abundance, and of an excellent quality, in the hills adjacent to the route of the canal, in all parts, from the middle ground northward to the Seneca lake. The northeast branch of the Susquehanna was minutely exami- ned by order of government,! and a full report made thereon to go^ ernor Mifflin. The commissioners began at the line which di- vides us from New- York, and ' proceeding thence downward to the junction of this branch with the west branch, found the ri- ver to be of easy current, and a regular and most beautiful stream, containing very few obstvctio7is to the ?iav?g'athn.^ At Sunbury, the northeast branch of that river is joined by THE WEST BRANCH. This branch takes it rise to the west of the Alleghany mountains, and runs with many considerable windings, in a northeast coui-se, until it meets (about one hundred and six miles from its mouth at Sunbury), the Sinnemahoning,by which it nearly communicates with the two branches of the Alleghany; coming in contact, as it were, with those branches, by its two courses to the north and to the west. Through either or both of these courses, the navigation of the Susquehanna is connected with the trade of lake Erie and the surrounding country, almost by a water communication. There is a portage, as marked on the map, of 23 miles from the north branch of the Sinnemahoning, to the Alleghany, and another from the west branch of that river to Little Toby's creek, (a branch of the Alleghany) of only 14 miles. They both lead to lake Erie; while the western one alone leads to Pittsburg. As all the branches have been very exactly examined by order of the legislature, and are of the utmost importance to the state and to Philadelphia, I shall speak of them and of the Alleghany interlocking xvaters^vfxxh as much precision as possible, even at the risk of prolixity. * And by consequence, if the Middletown canal be finished, from the Susque- hanna to Philadelphia. t See report of Beading Howell and others, to governor Mifllin, page 20, in Appendix to journal of House of Representatives of state of Pennsylvania, for the session of 1815-16. 48 THE FIRST ROUTE TO LAKE ERIE. From the north branch of the Sinnemahoning, there is a portage of 23 miles (see the map), to the head of the Alleghany river; downthe Alleghany (partly through New- York state) to the mouth of Conewango, good navigation 76 miles; — up Conewango to Cha- tauque lake, twenty-eight — across this lake to its head, seven- teen, portage to lake Erie from Chatauque, nine miles twenty chains. SECOND ROUTE TO LAKE ERIE. By the west branch of Sinnemahoning, the connexion is thus: — From the upper navigable part of said branch to Little Toby's creek, (see map) a portage of fourteen miles; down that creek to the main branch, ten — down the main branch of Toby's creek to the Alleghany, seventy— -up the Alleghany to French creek, thir- ty-five — up French creek to portage, sixty-six; — across the por- tage to the town of Erie on lake Erie, (see the map) fifteen and an half. — These are the distances between the waters of the west branch of the Susquehanna and lake Erie, remembering always that the last route, as a view of the map will show, leads by an excellent navigation to the Ohio and the great rivers of the west, as well as to lake Erie. I will now turn to the report made by the commis- sioners appointed by the state to examine these waters.* * Lake Chatauque, say they, is about 18 miles in length, and near three miles in width. The depth is much more than is ne- cessary for any navigation there. The lake affords water sufficient to render the Conewango navigable both in the fall and spring, and it is capable of improvement, so as to make that creek navi- gable through the summer. The lower end of the lake may, at a small expense, be dammed across at the head of the creek, so as to raise the water in the lake several feet, and it appears reasona- ble to presume, that by this means, boats drawing twenty inches of water, may at any time be transported down the Conewango to its mouth. They, (the commissioners) are of opinion, that there is no part of this creek, which may not be improved for the purposes of navigation. ' From the mouth of this creek upward to the carrying place, opposite to the north branch of the Sinnemahoning, the Alleghany river is a gentle stream with a smooth bottom, wholly free from rocks, and requiring nothing more to render it navigable than clearing it from fallen timber, and some few amendments where the channel is divided by small islands, of which there is not one of any difficulty. ' The portage here (marked 23 miles on the map) from the Al- leghany river to the place where they left their canoes on the Sinnemahoning, measures along the path twenty-three miles and * Report of commissioners, appointed to view the western watersi 49 twenty-four perches; but they conceive, that the north branch of Sinnemahoning may be improved by lock navigation, from the place where they left their canoes, up to the Elk-lick, and that the Connenogahee branch of the Alleghany may in like manner be improved, so as to bring the distance between the two, to nine miles. ' The Sinnemahoning from that fork down to the west branch of that creek, will require some expense to make it navigable.' This is an extract from their report of the first route to lake Erie; the second is thus examined by the same commissioners, begin- ning at the present town of Erie: ' The harbour of Presquisle, (or Erie) is capacious and equal to any trade which can lead to it. From this harbour to Le BoeufF, on the margin of the lake of that name, the distance is 15 miles and an half, on the course of the road. French creek leads from lake Le BceufF, and has been in use for conveying provisions and stores for many years. There are no falls in this creek of any dif- ficulty; but near the mouth the channel is wide, and the waters consequently shoal towards the latter end of summer. The Alle- ghany river, from the mouth of the Conewango to the mouth of French creek, and from thence down to the Kishkemanettas, is free from rocks, which in any degree impede the navigation, and no where so rapid as to be dangerous.' The commissioners en- tered Toby's creek August 7, and found the waters towards its head, very low. This creek is rapidly raised by rains, but is in midsummer generally very bare of water. They had no opportu- nity of examining precisely where the portage from Little Toby's creek to the main branch of Sinnemahoning, might most advan- tageously commence; but they conceive it may safely be estimated at not more than fourteen^ nor less than twelve miles. ' The main west branch of the Sinnemahoning may be render- ed navigable: it is however rocky, and will require some labour.' From the mouth of the Sinnemahoning, the Susquehanna turns, with many extensive and irregular windings, to the east, until it reaches the mouth of Muncy creek, receiving in its course a num- ber of considerable streams, such as Bald-Eagle, Pine creek, Ly- coming and Loyal Sock. Among these. Pine creek should be par- ticularly distinguished, as affording at all seasons a great plenty of water. John Keating, Esq. who was deeply interested in the Asy- lum purchase, and who has an intimate knowledge of this creek, says in a letter to me, ' that it affords a third route to lake Erie, by a short cut of eighteen miles between it and the Alleghany river. The distance from the mouth of Pine creek to the Third Forks (Big meadows) is about 5S miles, and from thence, 11 or 12 miles up the west branch of said creek, to the canoe place, (Elk-lick.) I have seen a canoe several miles higher up than the commonly called canoe place, and from that spot there is but a distance of eighteen miles to Condersport on the Alleghany river.' 50 There is a good road between Pine creek and this river, which has been constructed principally by the state. ' Pine creek has been considered,' says Mr. Keating, ' not only as affording an easy and short communication between the eastern and western waters, at the very head of the navigation, but also as a most advantageous outlet for the counties of Tioga, Potter, and M'Kean, and of all that part of the state of New- York, lying on, and contiguous to the Gennessee river; the head-waters of which interlock with those of Pine creek and the Alleghany.' The Gennessee (or Chenesee) river flows into lake Ontario, and will furnish a short route to that inland sea. There is a curious circumstance (see the map) sometimes occurs at the northeast head of Pine creek, whose source is in a morass, the same in which the south branch of the Tioga rises. It happens in wet weather, that by means of this morass, there is water enough for canoes to pass from one source to the otherj thus insulating all the country between these head waters, and the forks of the Susquehanna at Sunbury. — It is likewise worthy of note, that the Avest branch of this creek, takes its rise as may be seen by the map, on the very highest ground in Pennsijlvania; from which height, in a circum- ference of about twenty miles, rise all the sources of the Allegha- ny, the western branch of the Susquehanna, Tioga, Pine, and Che- nesee rivers. From Pine creek down to Sunbury, and thence to Middletown, ten miles below Harrisburg, there are no material obstructions. The water is generally smooth, the stream wide, and susceptible with very few improvements, of constant navigation, at all sea- sons, except when frozen. A few miles above Harrisburg, the Susquehanna receives a great accession to its waters, by the junc- tion of the Juniata. This is a very important branch, particularly to Philadelphia, and has been accurately examined by state com- missioners, at various times. On one occasion by Mr. Timothy Matlack, and two other gentlemen, and on another by Mr. Wil- liam Findley. I shall give a few extracts from each of their re- ports, remarking, en passant, that they both concur in giving the Juniata the preference as a leading route to the Ohio. Those gen- tlemen began by examining the interlocking branches of the Al- leghany, and then proceeded to view the Juniata itself, and in that course we will follow them. They entered the Kishkemanettas^ a branch of the Alleghany, (see map) on an 18th of August, and of consequence saw it when the waters were very low — indeed they happened to be lower than they had been for many years; yet they proceeded up this river and up the Conewaugh in their canoes, with their provision and baggage to within a mile and a half of Chestnut ridge. By di- verging to the right and left, they entered the Loyal-hanning and Black-lick creek (lateral streams of this branch of the Allegha- ny) and afterwards the channel of the Conewaugh, and found them nearly as beatable as the Kishkemanettas. They next pro- Si ceeded to examine very minutely the passage through Chestnut ridge, and other parts of these waters, until they reached a small branch called the Little Conemaugh, which they represent as rocky in places; ' but the whole of this creek,' say they, ' may be made navigable by removing the rocks, there being water sufficient for the purpose.' They judged the distance or portage from this creek to Poplar nai^ which is the head water of the jfuniatn^ to be 16 and one quarter miles.* These same gentlemen entered on the view of the Juniata on the 6th of September, commencing at the mouth of Poplar run. The channel down to Frank's-ok'- town. contains a quantity of water, more than sufficient for lock navigation, and if it were properly confined, perhaps equal to a navigation for flat-bottomi d boats. The water continues plentiful through abed rather rocky, down to the Canoe narrows, and thence it is increased by other streams, till it reaches a place called the Bend, without other material obstructions than fish-dams. In com- mon freshes there is a good navigation from Huntingdon to the junction of its waters with the Susquehanna; a distance of about eighty-six miles, at which time boats with one hundred and se- venty barrels of flour descend to a market; and it is navigable also on those occasions for good sized flour-boats, as high up as 120 miles from its mouth. The Susquehanna receives the Juniata about thirteen miles above Harrisburg, and twenty-three above Middletown, and spreading to the breadth of a mile or more, after this great accession of water, flows with majesty and beauty until it passes the town of Columbia. Thus far this noble river is all that could be wished; thus far have we traced it in its flexuous passage, along the shores of an extensive region, either cultivated or cultivable, in a distance of perhaps one thousand miles, in the whole of which course it is not interrupted by a single fall. There are many rapids within its bed; but no impediments which a trifling effort of art and small expense may not be able to remove, and leave a sufficient depth of water at most seasons, for any boats which the trade, the most extended may require. But nature, after giving the greatest facilities to the navigation of this fine river, from its somxes to the town of Co- lumbia, has, a few miles below that town, narrowed its bed, heaped rock upon rock, and made a descending voyage perilous in the extreme, and by this contraction of its waters and consequent rapidity of its current, precipitous banks, and iron bound shores, utterly precluded all hope of obtaining a secure ascending navi- gation. Mr. Latrobe, who was appointed by the state some years ago, to view and report upon the Susquehanna, says in a letter to * This portag'e, says Mr. Findley, in his report, might by a canal and locit navigation oi the Poplar run branch of Juniata, and the Little Connrmaugli, be reduced to a distance not evcceding Cive or six miles, or possibly removed alto- ST'-'her by locking the waters of Hoj)lar run, Bob's creek, aud Little Conneinaugh into each other, by means of a reservoir near the Biunmit of the Alleghany hill. H 52 the secretary of the treasury of the United States,* that from Smith's fi rry, six miles above Havre de Grace, to Columbia, ' the whole extent is one tremendous rapid, although not every where of equal velocity, or equally dangerous. Wherever the river crosses a valley of limestone or slate, the rocks are worn down into a smoother and wider bed; but when it has to cross a ridge of granite, its course is immediately broken by irregular masses and range of rocks; its bed is narrowed and inclosed by precipices, and its torrent furious and winding. After it has passed Jochara valley it suddenly contracts and is received into the narrow ravine which it has saxved down in the granite hill called Turkey hill. From its first entrance into the Turkey hill, to the tide (six miles from its mouth at Havre de Grace) there is no part that deserves the name of a sheet of smooth water. When the river is full, the whole ravine, about half a mile in width, contains only one fu- rious torrent, in which few rocks comparatively are to be seen above the v/ater; but the danger is not the less, and very skilful pilots, and many and stout hands are required to carry a boat or an ark safely down. But in the autumn, and in a dry season, the ri- ver itself can for six miles scarcely be seen, and its bed appears a barren and dry waste of irregular rocks, among which the loud roaring of water is only heard: for, from the Turkey hill to near the mouth of Conestogo, the whole river is discharged through a channel generally about sixty feet wide, in the greatest part of which the depth and the rapidity of the torrent is such, that it has not been fathomed.' From this description, adds Mr. Latrobe, ' it may easily be imagined that if the descent of the river (^from Co- lumbia) with boats loaded with produce is dangerous and difficult, the ascent must be still more so.' Thus much says Mr. Latrobe. As it is of the greatest impor- tance to the Philadelphians to be perfectly well informed of the obstacles placed in the way of navigation on this river below Mid- dletown, so as to appreciate properly the vast advantages to be derived to them from these natural and insurmountable impedi- ments, I will add to the extracts already made from Mr. Latrobe's letter, the report of commissioners appointed by the state last year, for the express purpose of examining these difficulties. Be- fore I give that report, let me refer, however, to what I have al- ready said as to the most advantageous way for Philadelphia to participate in, I may say engross the commerce of the Susque- hai na. The Schuylkill being cleared, the next link, and which may em- phatically be called the golden link of the water chain, is across from Reading to Middletown. This last village situate at the con- fluence of the Swatara and the Susquehanna, is surrounded for 30 or 40 miles in every direction, by a country the most fertile, the most fruitful, and the best cultivated in America; it is a country * Gallatin's report upon inland improvement, pag'e 93. 53 which may with great propriety be call the Belgium of the Union. Through part of this district runs the Swatara, which wiih its branch, the Quitapahilla, reaches to within a little more than four miles of the head- waters of the Tulpahocken, which empties itself into the Schuylkill, just below Reading. Now if the Philadel- phians join these waters by finishing a canal already begun, or even dig a canal across the whole of Lebanon and Dauphin coun- ties, (a distance of only 70 miles) they unite the Schuylkill and Susquehanna, and bring to their city the trade of this last river, which from the embarrassments at its mouth can never through that out-let become extensive; whereas a sale for all manner of produce could readily be made at Philadelphia, if the river and canal navigation was completed; and the same conveyance would furnish the most secure means to the trader to carry home every object of traffic with which he might incline to load his boats Upon this great geographical advantage, I congratulate Phila- delphia. It will give to her market, I repeat it, the exclusive cus- tom of a numerous people, inhabiting the upper banks of the Sus- quehanna, and who can sell and purchase there as advantageously as at any other place in America, while the Middletown canal will obviate to them, all the difficulties which nature has thrown in their way, at the mouth of that river. Intending hereafter to re- turn to the subject of this canal, I proceed to state what was done by the gentlemen before ^alluded to. Last year, commissioners were appointed by Pennsylvania to examine the state of this river, in conjunction with commissioners appointed by Maryland. Benjamin R. Morgan, Esq. a gentleman well known to this district for his long public services and accu- rate acquaintance with every part of the state, was at the head of the Pennsylvania commission. At the last session, he and his col- leagues reported the following facts in relation to the Susque- hanna. * *• In pursuance of your joint resolution, passed the 25th of March, 1817, and of communications received from the commis- sioners appointed by the state of Maryland, we met six of their number at Havre de Grace, on the 30th day of June and the first day of July; but from the unusual height of the river found it would be useless, if not impracticable, to ascend and examine its bed. Messrs. Harris, Hallenback and Wilson, were therefore ap- pointed to engage at Columbia or elsewhere, a suitable river-boat, with at least six hands, properly equipped with ropes, poles and oars, and meet the other commissioners of the two states at Port Deposit, on the 11th of August, to proceed with them in her to Columbia or Harrisburg. The commissioners then adjourned to meet at that time and place. ' On the 14th of August, having been joined by general Winder, Messrs. Gale, Couden, Hollingsworth and Jarrett, we proceeded * fiez journal oi tjenatc, for session of 1817-11! — page 44. 54 with the three former to the mouth of the Maryland canal, and the height of water continuing such as to prevent our further ascent in the bed of the river, entered the canal, and on the succeeding day, reached the upper end of it, making during our progress, such obsc rvations on the bed of the river, and collecting such informa- tion respecting it as our situation enabled us to do.' The commissioners go on to state their difficulties in ascending the river, which were so considerable, that though they were in a well equipped boat, they did not reach Columbia until the 21st; talcing seven days to go fifty miles; and they then proceed thus: * The result of our examination of this part of the river, is an unanimous opini tn that, any continuation of a canal navigation, from the head of that already existing in Maryland to Columbia, or the head of Turkey-head falls, is impracticable. In this opinion, we believe those of the Maryland commissioners who accompanied us, fully concur. ' 2d. That although the ascending navigation, may, by means of towing paths, wing dams, chains, and perhaps in one or two places, short canals with locks, be considerably amended, it must ahvays remain tedious^ dijfficult and dangerous^ and if even free from toll^ more expensive and less eligible than the present land carriage from Baltimore, and even from Philadelphia.' This was the unanimous opinion of our commissioners. The Maryland canal, of which these gentlemen speak, extends around the falls, between the Pennsylvania line and tide water. The utility of this work, says Mr. Gallatin in his report to con- gress, is but very partially felt, whilst the bed of the river remains the only communication from its upper extremity to Columbia. The canal, 30 feet wide, 3 feet deep, and admitting boats of 20 tons, is nine miles in length, with a fall of 59 feet.* The descent is effected by eight stone locks, each of which is 100 feet in length, and 12 feet wide. The water is supplied by the river itself; and in order to cross the rivers Conawingo and Octorava, these, by means of dams, have been raised ten and twelve feet to the level of the canal. Its defects consist in the want of sufficient breadth of the locks, which do not admit the rafts and wide flat bottom boats, generally used in bringing down the country produce, and in want of water at the lower end of the canal. The annual tolls have not yet amounted to one thousand dollars, whilst the expenses are stated at tzvelve hundred; and the capital expended^ at 250,000 dollars!! This canal has lately been sold, I understand, to a gentleman of Baltimore, for much less than one half its cost.f But to return to the commissioners. Those gentlemen next give an account of their further progress up the river, until they * The whole fall from Columbia to tide water, in a distance of about 50 miles, is 140 feet. f This must always be a bad stock, owing to the frightful hazards which boats encounter below Columbia. 55 reached Northumberland, where the waters of the two great branches mtet, and they then proceed thus: * From the very attentive view we have taken of this part of the river, (that is, from Columbia to Northumberland) and the inti- mate knowledge some of us possess, as well of the advantages as the obstructions and difficulties attendant on its navigation, we are impressed with a thorough conviction that there is no part of the internal communicutions of this stute^ which can be more effec- tually improved at so small an expense^ probably not exceeding the losses that may occur in a single year, if the river is permitted to continue in its present imperfect state of improvement; nor can we, impressed as we are, with the importance of the great and in- creasing-population and trade of the northern and western branches of the Susquehanna, forbear recommending them to early and ef- fectual legislative attention, as they appear to us intimately con- nected with the objects, although not specifically embraced by the words of the resolution appointing us, and susceptible of great improvement at a comparatively small expense.' ' We recommend a division of the different parts of the river into the following sections, the improvement of each to be entrus- ted to separate agents and contractors, viz. Section 1. Columbia to mouth of Juniata. 2. Mouth of Juniata to Northumberland. 3. Northumberland to Wilkesbarre. 4. Wilkesbarre to Tioga Point. 5. Northumberland to mouth of Anderson's creek in Clearfield county.' * The commissioners then give in detail the sums required for this important object. I dare say, the reader is prepared to see a column of some hundred thousands of dollars! Let him peruse the following official return made, as the commissioners say, ' with great care, and with the aid of persons well acquainted with the river, and consulted by them;' a return which I give here less in detail than they have done, by omitting, for the sake of brevity, the minute divisions into which they have separated each section. The commissioners state, that from the little Conewago, a few miles above Columbia, to Shamoken ripples, near Sunbury, the totality required is - - - - - 8,100 NORTH BRANCH. From Crook's ripples to Tioga Point, - - 6,900 wp:st branch. From Scott's ripples to Anderson's creek, - - 3,780 Superintendance and contingencies, - - . 1,500 S20,280 Twenty thousand two hundred and eighty dollars for the im- provement of the navigation of a river from Columbia upwards, which with its ramifications extends at least one thousand miles! 56 and that too through a fine fertile country, wanting nothing to peo- ple it with roimsc farmers, but a good safe road to market!! That road the Philadelphians can and will open. Need I repeat that it lies between Middletown and Reading. Having shown, I think, in the fullest manner, the vast value of the Susquehanna; the goodness of its navigation above the Co- lumbia, and the badness of it below that town, it remains to speak a little more at large of the practicability of turning its waters towards those of the Delaware, as well as to consider generally the preeminent advantages which we possess for monopolizing not only the trade of that river, but also of the lakes and western wa- ters; for, *•• within the whole habitable globe, there is not a coun- try, of equal dimensions, which offers to its industrious inhabi- tants more resources of wealth, independence and happiness, than Pennsylvania; considering the salubrity of climate, the fertility of soil, and the means of communication by the inland navigation of our great rivers and their numerous branches, embracing and in- terlocking with each other, and spreading themselves (up to their sources) through all parts of the state; and forming ivater com- munications by sundry routes, from the tide rvaters of the Dela- ware and the Atlantic^ to the great lakes and extreme bounds of the United States.' The canal which is to connect the Schuylkill and Susquehanna navigation is, as I have several times observed before, the chief link of this vast chain, and is a work which ought to be speedily executed. Surveyors are at present occupied in revising former explorations. Upon their care and accuracy very much depends; perhaps the future fate of Philadelphia. The business, however, is in good hands, and in order to throw as much light as possible upon this extremely important section, I will examine the subject, 1st. As to its practicability. 2. Estimate of cost. 3. Supply of water on summit level. 4. Trade and tolls. 5. Comparative expense between land and water carriage. 1st. Its practicability. The ground between the Schuylkill and Susquehanna, along the Tulpahockon and Quitapahilla, was explored in the year 1790, by Messrs. Timothy Matlack, Samuel Maclay and John Adlum, in pursuance of a vote of the general assembly, and the report of these gentlemen, which is full and copious, may be seen in an ap- pendix to the Journal of the House of Representatives, for 1815-16. They speak very favourably of the streams which they examined; which are represented as susceptible of easy improve- ment by the usual method of contracting the channels. * Report of Schuylkill and tiusquehanna canal company in the year 1794, to general assemblr. S7 *But the summit level, or middle ground, between the head waters ot the Quitapahilla near Lebanon, and those of Tulpa- hocken near Myer's town, (a distance of about four miles and a half) had been examined and levelled even before this. As far back as the year 1770, a committee appointed by the American Philosophical society, attended with precision to that business, and were followed some time after by David and Benjamin Ritten- house, Mr. Matlack, Mr. Adlum, and others, who all agreed in the results of their work, respecting the proper tract of the canal. These gentlemen were succeeded by Mr. William Weston, son- in-law of the Duke of Bridgewater's famous engineer Brindley^ who had been induced to leave England upon the promise of a salary of 1500/sterl. per annum, to be continued to him for seven years. This gentleman, who had directed the execution of some of the principal canals in England, and whose great abilities, ac- tivity and experience in all the branches of his department, me- rited and obtained the entire confidence of those who employed him, repaired to the ground marked out for the canal, immedi- ately after his arrival at Philadelphia, and the following was his written opinion upon this first survey: ' From such a view as the time and the season of the year (month of February) would per- mit me to take of the canal through the middle ground near Le- banon, I have little doubt but the most favourable line has been adopted.' Mr. W^eston, in a subsequent report to the managers of the Schuylkill and Susquehaima navigation, goes at large into an examination of the propriety of connecting the two rivers Tul- pehocken and Quitapahilla by a canal, or of making a canal along- side of these I'ivers from Reading to Middletown, so as to use their waters as feeders to the canal rather than improve them in their natural channel. Both plans are submitted by him, how- ever, and left to the managers to decide upon. He inclines to fa- vour the long canal; but no where does he deny the practicability of uniting along this route the waters of the Schuylkill with those of the Susquehanna. That the work is capable of being exe- cuted, does not then admit of a doubt. Let us next consider, 2dly, The estimated cost. Whole cost from Lebanon to Schuylkill, as estimated by Mr. Weston,! including purchase of land, mills, water, &c. 38 miles, at 18,666 67 per mile, - - S709,333 Z3 From Lebanon to Susquehanna, 32 miles, at 16,000 per mile, _ . - . 512,000 00 §1,221,333 33 * Historical account of canal naviaration in Pennsylvania. f The worli done on this route under Mr. Weston's superintendance, fell short of his estimate in its actual cost, about eight thousand dollars; a strong proof of his good judgment. 58 If instead of a canal navigation along the margin of the rivers, the beds of the said rivers, wherever they can be made safe and permanent, should be adopted, the expense may possibly be found less. It should be noted too, that a great deal of land has already been paid for as well as all the water rights on the summit level, and three miles and five locks of the canal finished; all which be- long to the present Union Canal company. Zdly. Supply of -water on summit level. This supply is ample, according to actual measurement, as is verified by Mr. Weston on the 5th February, 1793, who speaks thus on this very essential point: ' The first and most important obj( ct is a due and adequate supply of water. I judged it expe- dient to examine the various springs which are to supply the sum- mit of the canal. It is very apparent they may be conducted into the canal with great ease. The springs were lower than when gaugtd last summer. It will be needless to say any thing further on this subject, as Dr. Smith will deliver to the committee a cal- culation of the number of lock-fulls of water they yield in twenty- four hours; which seems to have been made with great care* and attention. This, I apprehend, will be adequate to the trade that may reasonably be supposed to pass over the summit, making pro- per allowance for exhalation and leakage. Suppose the crown level 3 1-2 miles in length, the extra depth 4 feet, the mean width 32 feet, it will contain 2,365,440 cubic feet of water, which, at 3,420 cubic feet to a lock, will give 691 locks full.' 4thly. Trade and tolls.] 1. Taking the extent of country on an average width of 10 miles on each side of the canal from Reading to Middletoivn^ the dis- tance being 55 miles by a straight course, we shall have 1100 square miles, or 704,000 acres; and taking each plantation at 320 acres, we have 22<30 plantations. Supposing each planta- tion to cultivate 40 acres of grain, at 15 bushels per acre, the total produce will amount to 1,320,000 bushels, which, at 57 lb. per bushel, gives 37,620 tons; and taking the average tonnage at half the length of the canal, or Z5 miles, according to its va- rious windings, it amounts to, at 6 1-4 cents per ton per mile, ..... g82,293 75 2. The produce of the extensive country bordering on the navigable waters of the Susquehanna and its numerous branches, is at present very great; but in a few years, particularly if this canal should be perfected, it will, from the natural increase of population, and the rapid manner in which vacant lands must settle, from the certainty that will then * I refer those who wish to see the particulars oi this calculation, to pag-e 70 of the Hiiton of Canal iSavigatiou in Pennsylvania, where a very exact table may be found. f See pag'e 62 of the same. 59 Amount brought up, - - - . 82,293 75 exist ol having always a good road to a good mar- ket, augment bLVond all bounds of calculation. It was estimated in 1793, at 600,000 bushels. Those districts contain now more than double the inha- bitants they did then, so that 1,200,000 bushels, or 32,142 tons is a moderate calculation; particu- larlv if we take into view the improvement in farming; and as the distance is 70 miles, the ton- nage will amount to 4 dollars ^7 cents per ton. 142,460 54 3. Back carriage, consisting of salt^ groceries^ li- quors^ and various kinds of European and do- mestic manufactures; this it is supposed will bring one-fourth oi the ?ihove, ... 56,188 57 4. Exclusive of grain, &c. there will be transported vast quantities of lime^ plaster of par in ^ timber for building, coals, firewood^ iron, stone, bricks^ &c. which may safely be put at one-tenth of the two first articles. - - - . 22,475 42 S303,418 28 Besides the above annual income, the stockholders will derive great emolument from the seats for water-works, &c. But as the expenses, both current and contingent, will be heavy, this item, together with a large deduction from the foregoing sums may be set aside to meet them. Taking the cost of the canal for 70 miles at the full amount stated by Mr. Weston, which is about Si, 200,000; and supposing the nett income from the above items to be only 240,000 dollars, we shall see this canal yielding at once to the stockholders a divide nd of 20 per cent, per annum. The rapid increase of the country would soon carry that dividend to the extent allowed by law, which to the Union Canal company is 25 per cent. It now remains to consider, Sthly. The comparative expense between land and water carriage. WATER CARRF.AGE. LAND CARRIAGE. From Middletown to Phila- From Middletown to Phi- delphia, 70 miles by canal ladelphia by land 90 and 62 by Schuylkill, make 132 miles miles. Toll ou 20 tons of produce at 20 tons at 1 dollar per hun- 6 I -4 cents per mile, $165 00 dred, - - $400 00 ■ days p 00 2 00 70mle W»»'«r'^e 2 00 ) boat lure I 50 Frei<^bt of j^oods down Schuylkill, 26 30 35 00 $200 00 Hauling ) I man 3 c 20 tons \ 1 ^oy — 60 It appears, then, that by land the expense is double the cost of water carnage, while the latter saves a great deal in breakage, and conveys property in greater security. The water expense too, is unusually high, as I have put it, on account of the large allowance made for the river navigation of the Schuylkill, where no horses will be used in all probability, and the boats will require a strong crew to pole up against the stream. In a long continued line of well established canals, these expenses would be much less: as it is, we find the transport half the cost,* and performed with one horse and five men and a boy at most, whilst by land the same goods would require at least 15 men and 60 horses. So that 9 or 10 able bodied farmers and 59 horses might, upon the simple carriage of 20 tons of produce, be turned from the toils of the road to the much more useful labours of husbandry. For further particulars upon this subject, which is becoming so inter- esting to us all, I refer the reader to ' The Historical Account of the Progress of Canal Navigation in Pennsylvania,' a book from which I could very profitably borrow more than I have done, did my limits admit of it. If we reach the Susquehanna by the route indicated on the map; that is to say, through the country lying between Reading and Middletown, we shall be below all the large tributary streams of that river, and have greatly the advantage of those who may attempt to cut a passage eidier from the Lehigh to VVilkesbarre or Bcrvv'ick, or from the head waters of the Schuylkill to the mouth of the Mahonoy. I'his latter route offers, however, some tempta- tions; for the distance from the uppermost dam erected on the Schuylkill, to a saw mill on the Mahonoy creek, is only eleven miles. That mill stands about twenty miles from the mouth of the creek, which empties into the Susquehanna ten miles below Sunbury; and of course this r©ute would have the advantage of the waters and commerce of the two great branches of that river.f It is said that the waters of this creek can be rendered naviga- ble for several miles above the mill, and that from the head of the Mahonoy to a small creek that empties into Mill'Creek, (which is a branch of the Schuylkill) the distance is short and the inter- vening ground low and level. This route, therefore, is well worthy of examination; and it is believed that the managers of the Schuylkill navigation have explored it this summer, as well as the one which leads from the northern branch of that river over to Berwick. Our undivided efforts at present, however, had better be direct- ed to the Middletown canal; because it takes in all the great wa- ters of the Susquehanna, and offers the shortest route to Pitts- burg. The course is distinctly marked on the map, and is as fol- lows: * If team-boats are employed on a river where coal is so abundant as here, the 'iesi^at'-h will be greater and the expense much less. f Letter from John Keating, Esq. 61 On leaving Micldletown we ascend 23 miles against a gentle current, to the moutia of the Jiunuta. This is a large river, and may, with few improvements, be easily ascended at all seasons of the year, when not frozen, to Poplar run; from the head waters of which, to those of the Connemaugh, there is a portage of sixteen miles; and down the Connemaugh to the Alleghany, the water- route is perfectly practicable, as we have seen; and once arrived at the Alleghany the navigation is good into the Ohio and all the vast waters of the west. Some idea of the importance of the trade over this portage, even with its present embarrassments, may be formed from the following fact; * From the 5th of March, to the 10th of May last, there passed down the Connemaugh river to Pittsburgh, 59 flat-bottomed boats, loaded with bar iron, salt, and store goods, y;or/z Philadelphia; and each boat carrying from 20 to 40 tons burthen. No. 1. The distance from Philadelphia to Pittsburg by this route, is the following number of miles, omitting the chains: From the tide water of Delaware at Philadelphia to the Tulpahocken - - - - 61 miles. Up the Tulpahocken to the canal laid out and com- menced - - - - 37 Length of the canal and summit level - _ 4 Navigation of the Quitapahilla creek to the S^vatara 15 Down the Swatara river to the Susquehanna - 23 Up Susquehanna to Juniata - - - - 23 Up Juniata to Huntingdon - - - 86 Up Juniata from Huntingdon to Poplar run - 42 Portage to the Little Connemaugh - _ . 15 Down Little Connemaugh to Stoney creek - 18 Down the main Connemaugh and Kiskemanettas to Alleghany river - - - - - 69 Down Alleghany to Pittsburg at the confluence of the Ohio ----- - 29 Miles — 4-23 No. 2. When arrived at the mouth of the Kiskemanettas, the trader can turn to the right, if he pleases, and reach lake Erie, at the town of Erie, in the following manner, and by the following distances: From Philadelphia to the junction of the Kiskemanettas and the Alleghany, as above - - - 394 miles. Up the Alleghany to French creek - - 83 L^p French creek to Le Boexijf - - - 65 Portage from Le Boeuff X.o the town of Erie - 15 Miles— 557 Pittsburg Gazette. 62 No. 3. The next route from Philadelphia to Pittsburg is much longer, and also distinctly marked on the map as follows: From Philadelphia to Middletown, or Swatara, as above . - - . _ . _ 140 miles. Up Susquehanna to the west branch at Sunbury 65 Ujj the west branch to the mouth of Sinnemahoning 106 Up Sinnemahoning to the Forks - - - 15 Up the west branch of Sinnemahoning - - 24 Portage to Little Toby's creek - - - 14 Down Little Toby's creek to the main branch 10 Down the main branch of 1 oby's creek to the Al- leghany -.-_._- 70 Down the Alleghany to Pittsburg - - - 74 Miles — 5 1 8 The trader can arrive at lake Erie by two passages, via this course: as may be seen by tracing the following statements on the map: No. 4. From Philadelphia to the forks of Sinnemahoning as before . _ . _ _ 326 miles. Up the north branch of the Sinnemanoning - 19 By the portage to the head of Alleghany river 23 Down Alleghany river (partly through New York State) to the mouth of Conewango - - 76 Up Conewango to New- York line 11 miles — thence "| up the same through the state of New- York, 17 S> 28 miles to Chatoughque lake - - - J Across Chatoughque lake to its head - - 17 Portage to lake Erie at the mouth of Chatoughque creek - - - _ . 9 Along lake Erie to the town of Erie - - 25 Miles— 523 A part of the foregoing route is through the state of New- York, and is the shortest from Philadelphia. — 1 have already shown by No. 2, that by going a few miles further, that lake may be reached without entering the state of New- York, and by portages one mile less; and I will now give the second route alluded to above, which is also wholly through our own state. It is as follows: 63 No. 5. From Philadelphia to the junction of Toby's creek, as already stated . . . - . 444 miles. Up the Alleghany to French creek - - 33 Up French creek and the portage to Erie - 81 Miles— 560 From all these views, it results: 1. That the distance to Pittsburgh by the Juniata is 423 miles, with 16 miles portage from the Susquehanna. — 2. That the distance to Pittsburg by the rvest branch of the Sus- qxiehanna is 518 miles, with 14 miles portage from ditto. — 3* i hat the distance to the town of Erie, on the lake of that name, by the Juniata is 55 7 miles, with a portage ot 31 miles from the Susquehanna. 4. That the distance to the same town, by Chatoughque is 523 miles, with a portage of 3 i miles from ditto, and, 5. T hat the distance to that town, by the west branch of the Sin- nemahoning is 560 miles, with 29 miles portage from ditto. The next point to consider is, the advantage which one course may have over the other, with reference to the two routes lead- ing from Middletown to Pittsburg. There are conflicting opinions upon the subject: future surveys must settle the point. Meantime I give to the reader what I have collected. We have se'. n that the commissioners appointed to examine the head waters of the interlocking rivers of the west branch of Sus- quehanna and Toby's creek, and the Juniata and Connemaugh, con- curred in recommending the two latter as the best connecting route; and the preference as to distance too, is much in its favour; for here, as No.' 1 will show, Pittsburg is only 423 miles from tis; the course being almost due west; whereas, in the former, as may be seen by No. 3, the distance to th:'.t city is 518, on account of the great sweep to the northwest, which the Sinnemahoning and Little Toby's route occasion. — The expense over the shortest route (by the Juniata) has been estimated by the aforesaid commission- ers at 108,000 dollars only. Whether this included a full estimate of lock navigation, and cutting through or round the hills, or oth- erwise surmounting the difficulties which lie between the union of the two waters, 1 much doubt. Future surveys alone can ascer- tain this fact.* * While on the subject of the Juniata, it may be well to notice the Bacetown branch of that river. Bj* a fflancc at the map it will be seen that this branch is extremely tortuous: 1 will add that it is a good deal obstructed by dams. Yet I h:ive seen large arcs, four miles aliove Bedford, prepared to receive a load of wheat, hazard the passage of these dams, wmd round its numerous curvatures, and encounter the frightful dangers below Columbia, in search of a market! How soon would these dams be kvellcd, and how m.uch would the number of these '.lie . increase, if a safe aavigdtiua was opened for them through the Mid- dletown canal to Philadelphia? 64 The west branch is preferred by some, without, however, denying the practicability ot the Juniata route. Mr. Charles Treziyulny,the same gentleman who surveyed the ground between the Tioga and Seneca lake, in company with Mr. Brooks last year, wrote thus upon this subject, to the chairman of the committee of roads and inland navigation. Harris burg ^ March 9, 1818. Dear Sir, In answer to your inquiries, I can say, that I have no doubt of the practicability of connecting the head- waters of the branches of the Susquehanna and those of the Alleghany. I have frequently been, at various seasons of the year, upon the ridges which sepa- rate the waters of the Juniata from that of the Connemaugh branch of the Alleghany, and have always been of opinion that there is a sufficiency of water, tp make a reservoir upon the summit level, adequate to the feeding of a canal to connect the eastern and western waters. The highest part of the ridges is well supplied with natural springs and rivulets. But it appears to me further, that a far easier connexion could be effected, and at much less ex- pense, with the west branch of the Susquehanna, Anderson's and Sandylick creeks.* The last mentioned creeks being m all seasons of the year plen- tifully supplied with water, and at the points of separation, there are numbers of other streams in the vicinity which could be con- nected, for the purpose of feeding an elevated reservior. The levelling and surveying of such parts will be the only means of ascertaining the true state with certainty. I am respectfully. Sir, Your humble servant, CHARLES TREZIYULNY. William Lehman, Esq. Chairman of the Com- mittee of Roads and Inland Navigation. By this letter, Mr. Treziyulny thinks, that the route to the north of the Juniata, and which may be seen in the map, is not only easier of execution, better supplied with streams for a reservoir, but can be executed cheaper, than that from the liead-waters of the Juniata. If that be the case, it shows how very little the cost will be, since the estimate of the expenses from the Juniata to the canoe place on the Connemaugh is only 108,000 dollars, as already observed. The dividing ground to the west, between the Alleghany river and Susquehanna, is not so high as has been oveixome even in America. Mr. Treziyulny's letter upon the union of the waters in question, is perfectly satisfactory; but even if the hills were higher, and without water to form reservoirs, Mr. Fulton was of opinion that they might be passed. His words are these: * Head-waters of west branch. 65 * ' Should doubts arise on this part of the plan, I beg leave to assure you, that there is no difficulty in carrying canals over our highest mountains, and even where nature has denied us water. For water is always to be found in the valle} s, and the canal can be constructed to the foot of the mountain, carrying the water to that situation. Should there be no water on the mountain or its sides, there will be wood or coals; either or both of which can be brought cheap to the works, by means of the canal. Then with steam engines, the upper ponds of the canals, f can be filled trom the lower levels, and with the engines the boats can, on inclined planes, be drawn from the lower to the upper canal. For this mode of operating, it is necessary to have small boats of six tons each. As the steam engines are to draw up and let down the boats on inclined planes, no water is drawn for the upper level of the canal, as when locks are used; consequently when the upper ponds have been filled, it is only necessary that the engine should supply leakage and evaporation. There is another mode of sup- plying the leakage and evaporation of the higher levels: on the tops and sides of mountains, there are hollows or ravines, which can be banked at the lower extremity, thus forming a reservoir to catch the rain or melted snow. From such reservoirs the ponds of canals can be replenished in the dry months of summer. This mode of reserving water is in practice in England for canals, and in Spain for irrigation. In this manner I will suppose it necessary to pass a mountain 800 feet high; then four inclined planes of 200 feet rise, would gain the summit, and four would descend on the other side. Total, eight inclined planes and eight steam engines. Each steam engine of 12 horse power, would cost about ten thou- sand dollars: in all 80,000. Each would burn about 12 bushels of coal in 12 hours, or 96 bushels for the eight engines for one day's work. The coals in such situations may be estimated at 12 cents a bushel; or, - - - - - SU 52 At each engine and inclined plane, there must be five men — total, forty men at one dollar each, - - 40 Total, S 51 52 ' For this sum they could pass five hundred tons in one day over the eight inclined planes, which for each ton, is only ten cents. Suppose the mountain to be tAventy miles wide, boating for each ton would cost twenty cents; making a total of thirty cents per ton.' •'■■ See Mr. Fulton's letter to Mr. Gallatin, in liis report upon inland improve- ments. f As may be seen every doy at the Fair- Mount woriis on the Sc'iuylkill, where a single engine throws U() more ttian one million gallons of water in 20 hours, for the supply of the city, a height of more than t>t> feet. 66 This great man estimated the cost of transportation, with an average of rough country, at six doUars per ton for 1200 miles by canals^ perhaps by river navigation, aided incidentally only by ar- tificial cuts, it may be brought nearly as cheap. But suppose it should amount to double, we might have, with the inland openings which the physical construction of Pennsylvania invites us to make, a ton of goods brought from the Mandan villages,* sixteen hund- red miles up the Missouri, to the Philadelphia market, at less cost than we now send two hundred weight by land to Pittsburg! That is to say, three thousand one hundred and twenty-three miles by ■water, ten times cheaper than three hundred by land! more espe- cially if steam-boat transportation should get into general use in connexion with the canal-boats. This Missouri commerce, although certain, is yet remote. It is well enough, however, to consider frequently, the vast extent to which our hydrographical capabilities can take us. In a former page, when describing the north east branch of the Susquehanna, I endeavoured to show the facilities which the ra- mifications of that branch, together with the opening of a water communication between Newtown and Seneca lake, would give to the trader, for conveying from the very interior of New York, as well as from the Genesee lakes, and lake Ontario, every kind of produce which can be spared: I now beg leave to draw the attention of the reader to the advantage Philadelphia possesses over New York city, both in distance and mode of conveyance; and I acknowledge myself indebted, for these items to a pamphlet lately published, and full of useful information upon the internal improvement of this state, ascribed to Mr. Samuel Mifflin, whose activity and zeal in the promotion of these great concerns, merit the thanks of the community. FIRST ROUTE TO NEW YORK. Geneva to Albany, land, . _ « 192 miles. Albany, by water to New York, - - 165 Z57 On this route there is a land carriage of nearly two hundred miles. SECOND ROUTE TO NEW YORK. Geneva to Oneida lake, water, - - 90 miles. Oneida lake to the Mohawk falls, water, - 109 Mohawk falls to Schenectady, water, - 56 255 * Sixteen hundred miles dowa the iVIissoiiri — eleven hundred up the Oiiio to Pittsburisrh — four hund-^ed and ivventy-three 'Vo i Pittsburg-h to Philadelphia by water. Total, three thousand one hundred and twenty-three. 67 Number of miles brought up, - - - 255 Schenectady to Albany, land, - - 15 Albany to New York, water, - - 165 435 ROUTE TO PHILADELPHIA BY MIDDLETOWN CANAL. From Geneva to Newtown, down the canal in agitation between *Elmira and Seneca lake, - - 45 miles. From Newtown or Elniira to Tioga Point, 18 From Tioga Point to Berwick, - - 121 From Berwick to Middletown, - -75 From Middletown to Schuylkill at Reading, - 65 From Reading to Philadelphia, - -55 379 From Geneva to New York is then by a bad navigation and fif- teen miles of land, four hundred and thirty-five miles; whereas the distance all the way^ by an excellent water route^\ will be from Ge- neva to Philadelphia only three hundred and seventy-nine miles: difference in favour of Philadelphia, fifty -six miles. Besides, the Susquehanna extends to some of the finest western counties of New York, and even as far as Lake Otsego, or within ten miles of the JMohawk, and is then sixty miles nearer Lake On- tario than the tide water of the Hudson; another branch of this ri- ver may be ascended as far as Bath, in Steuben county. New York; from whence the portage to Crooked lake is not ten miles, and from this lake to Ontario there is an uninterrupted water communi- cation. It is well known that the people inhabiting the western counties of New York, look to Philadelphia as to their geographical mar- ket. :|:Mr. Church has written and laboured hard with the influ- ential men of this state, to get the waters which do or can be made to lead to our city, cleared of their obstructions. The time is now come, when this great business is about to be accomplished. The following letters, upon this subject, do honour to the parties, particularly to the liberality of governor Clinton, who seems to me to imply that Pennsylvania is the route through which the produce of the western counties of New York should pass. * The land part of this route has been surveyed, as alreadj mentiooeci, and is about 21 miles long. Jt can be converted into a canal at an expense of about 500,000 dollars, or into a rail-road at a much cheaper rate. This last may be found most feasible, on account of the long; winters of that country, during wliich the canal would be useless; whereas a rail-road, on which one horse may draw four tons, would be in permanent use. t if the canal scheme is adopted. i A large landholder near Seneca lake. K 68 Copy of a letter from the Gorernor of Pennsylvania to the Governor of New York. Harrisburg, September 3, 1817. Sir, For obvious reasons, I take the liberty to transmit to your ex- cellency, a copy of an act passed by the legislature of Pennsylva- nia at their last session, under the authority of which I have ap- pointed Robert Brooke and Charles Treziyulny, esquires, commis- sioners. Those gentlemen have fixed on the 29th of the present month, to meet at the head of the Seneca lake, for the purpose of performing the duties contemplated by the law. I anticipate no objection to a co-operation on the part of this State, to carry into effect some portion of the vast internal im- provements, contemplated by the enterprizing and liberal legisla- ture of the state over which you preside. Should, however, any present themselves to your mind, or should your excellency have any suggestions to make on the subject, I shall feel gratified by an early answer to this letter. 1 have the honour to be. With high consideration and respect, Your obedient servant, SIMON SNYDER. His excellency De Witt Clinton, Esq. Governor of the State of New York. Governor Clinton's Answer. Albany, 2lOth September, 1817. Sir, My absence from this place, has prevented an earlier reply to your excellency's communication of the 3d instant. The measures adopted by Pennsylvania to connect the waters of the Seneca lake and Tioga river, exhibit an intelligent, enterprizing and patriotic spirit; and the benefits which will arise from the ex- ecution of the plan, will be experienced in the creation of an exten- sive inland trade, and in the consequent encouragement of agri- culture, commerce, and manufactures. The obvious tendency of this measure is to facilitate the transportation of commodities from this to neighbouring states. From a full persuasion that the pros- perity of our country will be best advanced by multiplying the markets for our productions, and by an intimate and beneficial connexion between the different members of the confederacy, I consider it a sacred duty to overlook local considerations, and to promote, to the utmost of my power, this, and every other plan, which may be subservient to these important objects. And I che- rish, with confidence, the opinion, that the state over which you preside will, under the influence of an enlightened public spirit, co-operate with this state in promoting our contemplated naviga- ble communication between the northern and western lakes and the Atlantic ocean. 69 Under this impression, I now transmit to your excellency the official report of the canal commissioners, and the acts of the le- gislature of this state on this subject. I have the honour to be, Very respectfully, Your most obedient servant, DE WITT CLINTON. Governor Snyder. Both these letters allude to the efforts making by the state of New York, to possess itsdf of the northern and western trade. — Her efforts, and those of Maryland ought to stimulate Pennsyl- vania, and particularly Philadelphia, to take immediate measures for the security in perpetuity of those advantaged which nature has given to them; and in adverting to these rival attempts, I cannot discuss the subject better than by quoting the language and sentiments of the committee on roads and inland navigation,* of last session. * 1. Pennsylvania, (possessed of rivers, the impediments of which, as experience proves, may be passed by short canals and locks) re- quires an artificial channel of about sixty or sixty-five milts in length; whereas New York requires an artificial channel three hun- dred and twenly-st ven miles in length. * 2. In Pennsylvania the same boat will answer for the whole route, whenever the rivers are united by canals and locks, or ca- nals and inclined planes, and consequently no unlading or deten- tion will take place; whereas, on the route from New York to the Ohio river, the boat which navigates the Hudson river, will not suit the canal; and the boat which navigates the canal will not be adapted to lake Erie, and a fourth boat will be necessary for the Alleghany river, and the canal which connects that river with the lake. * 3. The boats on the Pennsylvania route, may, throughout the whole extent, if they are not driven by machinery, be propelled by poling or rowing: and thus a more certain calculation may be made as to time. * 4. On the Pennsylvania route, the distance from the commer- cial city (Philadelphia) on the Atlantic waters, to the banks of the Ohio, will be but little more than four hundred miles; whereas on the New York route, it will be about seven hundred and fifty miles, Philadelphia will consequently afford a more speedy and less pre- carious market, and a quicker communication by mail. * 5. The frequent unlading and warehousing on the New York route, will give opportunities of pilfering; an evil considered of great magnitude in Europe, and which the change of manners which is taking place in this country, will render of great magni- tude here. * Journal, House oi Kepreseaiauves, 1817-16 — ^/age4iy. 70 ' 6. Nearly the whole of the Pennsylvania route will be through the richest parts of the country, along the banks of rivers already improved and peopled, affording conveniencies and comforts, which many parts of the New York route cannot for a long period possess. * 7. Pasture last longer in Pennsylvania than in New York, and there will not be as long an interruption by ice; (the difference in the course of the year being computed at two months in favour of Pennsylvania) which, in connexion with the great length of the New York route, will render a communication difficult in the spring and autumn; the most natural seasons for communication.' So much for our advantages over New York. Let us now con- sider how we stand with Baltimore, — what is our present situ- ation? No water communication with the Susquehanna, and a hea- vy toll to pay upon a road three hundred miles long! It does not require the gift of prophecy to foretell, that if we remain idle un- der such circumstances, Baltimore will acquire very soon a superi- ority over us; nay, I will boldly aver, that the trade from the Ohio, through its usual overland route^ will wholly leave Philadelphia in a few years; and, 1. Because Baltimore is nearer to that river by ninety miles, over the new national road, tollfree^ from Wheeling to Cumber- land, and will of course supply the western states with all light Atlantic luxuries, much cheaper than w^e can; and, 2. Because the steam boats on the Mississippi and its tributary streams, and which are already numerous and susceptible of any increase, will transport all articles of bulk from New Orleans at a less rate than can be done by us. To counteract these threatened evils, we must furnish a cheaper water intercourse, by some of the routes hinted at; and knowing as we do the natural impediments which the lower part of the Susquehanna offers to a communication with Baltimore, we can with certainty monopolize the whole of the commerce of the western waters. But we must make our way to the Susquehanna, and thence to the Alleghany first; and we must go about it soon * This national road is marked on the map, and is seventy-two miles long. It is constructed (and constructing) of the most solid materials, and is supposed to be very superior to any turnpike or other road in America. A line of stages now runs three times a week, by the way of this road, from Baltimore and Washing- ton. The distance from Baltimore to Wheeling is about 270 miles: the stage runs it in five days. There is now established in Baltimore, a complete uninterrupted stage communication to Louisville, in Kent'icky. I will add to this note, that the Baftimoreans, deservedly famed for their enterprize, are getting surveys made of the Codorus and Cone joag-o streams, in order to ascertain the practicability of carrying a water route from York-haven, at the mouth of the Conewa^o, all the way to Baltimore, and thus at once dispense with the mouth of the Susque- hanna, by bringing the produce — the entire produce if they can, of that river, to their city, tliroiiirh a canal navigation, by the way of the borough of York- *^* This last circumstance is very peculiarly iuteresting to every Pbiladelphian^ and should arouse them all! n too; for without the accomplishment of this object is it to be con- ceived that Philadelphia can long continut- to offer attractions su- perior to Baltimore, particularly when every foot of the way, as the road now stands, must be paid for on turnpikes to our city, while the trader goes free to the other? while he travels from Wheeling three hundred and forty miles to this^ and only two hundred and seventy to thatP We have a transporting company, it is true; but this does not exclude Baltimore from having one likewise; and all the other advantages which we now enjoy, of better assortment, larger capital, &c. will soon be acquired by that city; her locality will then triumph over all our land efforts, — and we shall diminish in trade and size daily; perhaps even by a re- moval of our western merchants themselves, to swell the capital of our rival city: a rival^ however, only so long as we neglect to open a water intercourse. If this approximation of Baltimore to the Ohio, by the new national road, toll free^ does not awaken us to exertions I invite the Philadelphians to re-peruse the following advertisements, co- pied from a Buffalo paper of May 12th. WESTERN LINE. Sloop Sappho, captain I. Gillaspie, and five other vessels, will sail from New York and Albany every Wednesday and Saturday through the season. The subscribers, who are connected with some of the most respectable establishments in the interior of the state, on lakes Ontario and Erie, and at Orleans, are enabled to forward to any point, west of Albany, and to Montreal, at prices much below the ordinary rates. In particular they guarantee^ that to Detroit and Sandusky^ their charges shall in no case exceed four dollars and fifty centSj aiid to Pittsburgh six dollars per hundred -weight. Smyth and Wendell, 1 r a lu o J o ?• oi Albany. SaTTERLEES and bELDEN,J •' And the other advertisement is by Charles Smyth, who ' guar- antees to his customers, that the cost of transporting packages of ordinary bulk from New-Tor k to Detroit^ shall in no case exceed four dollars and fifty cents, per hundred weight, and that sum shall include every charge.' From Philadelphia to Pittsburg, the common freight varies from six dollars fifty cents, to seven fifty; seldom below the latter; but if the water communication is opened, it will fall by that route to one dollar fifty cents, or less. In order to explain more in detail the means by which we can counteract the measures taking by New- York to deprive us of the western trade, I will compare the distances between the cities of New-York and Philadelphia and Pittsburg. e: 357 miles 120 100 15 1-2 65 109 766 1-2 72 From Philadelphia to Pittsburg by the Juniata, as stated mi- nutely a few pages back, - - 423 miles While the distances from New York to Pittsburg are: From New York to Geneva 169 miles by land; the rest by water, - - Geneva to Buffalo, Buffalo to Erie or Presqu'isle, •■ Portage 15 1-2 miles to French creek, Down French creek to Alleghany, Down Alleghany to Pittsburg, - - - Land travelling by New York route as above, including portage at trie, to be converted into water, - - 184 1-2 miles Land by Philadelphia route to be converted into water, (supposing the cut at Lebanon to be only 4 miles, and the portage at the head of the Juniata 16, - - - - 20 Difference in favour of Philadelphia, 164 1-2 Whole distance from New York, - - 766 1-2 miles I)iuo ditto from Philadelphia, - 423 Difference in favour of Philadelphia, 343 1-2 New York has another route to Pittsburg through Lake Cha- toughque into the Alleghany; but it is several miles longer, and Worse water. New York, then, cannot rival us to the west. She is, however, making gigantic efforts to unite the Atlantic waters with those of the great lakes^ which lie to the northwest of us, by the construc- tion of a canal 353 miles 29 1-2 chains long,* with an aggregate fall from Lake Erie to Albany of 661 feet by 77 locks. The ave- rage expense per mile of this stupendous work, is calculated at 13,800 dollars, which will make the whole cost amount (according to the commissioners) to - - - 84,881,738 But Mr. Sullivan of Boston, who superintended the construc- tion of the Middlesex canal, the most perfect work of the kind in America, after stating that 27 miles of his canal cost 470,000 dollars, calculates that 353 miles of the New York canal will, by the rule of three, come to - - 6^500,000 To which he adds, for increase of size and depth of water, . - - - - 927,960 S7,4 27,960 * OiScial report ot the caaai commissioaers, page b8. The state of New- York has coupled with this great worlc, a northern canal, which it is supposed will cost about one million of dollars. For the execution of labours of such magnitude, very large re- sources are necessary. It is not sufficient to possess an enterpriz- ing spirit; it is not enough to begin with a great bustle and great efforts: that spirit and those efforts must be sustained. It is money- alone which will keep them in activity, and the enlightened state of New- York is well aware of it. Presuming that every Penn- sylvanian, who takes an interest in the internal improvement of his own state, feels somewhat curious to learn the ways and means provided by New-York for the completion of her two canals, I will give an abstract of the report upon that subject. The annual revenue of that state is now upwards of S924,000, and its ordinary expenses about S547,000 leaving a surplus of near §400,000 applicable to extraordinary demands on the treasury, and to the extinguishment of the state debt. It is proposed to borrow on the credit of the state one million and a half of dollars, and to appropriate 60,000 dollars of auction duties (out of 160,000 which annually accrue from that source) in part payment of the interest on that loan. And as they will then have to provide only for an annual interest on 4,500,000 dollars; (the two canals being estimated by the commissioners to cost about 6,000,030.) it is intended to raise 270,000 dollars; which is to be done as follows: 1. Interest on sale of unappropriated lands and Indian reservations, supposed to be worth two millions 120,000 2. Revenue on steam-boats, [this is a poll-tax on every traveller. I f it be not an unconstitutional imposition, it is an extremely odious one] _ - - 30,000 3. Income from Salt Springs _ _ - 40,000 4. A revenue from Lotteries _ - . 50,000 5. Interest on donations of lands, which are estimated 1 -„ „„q at a million of dollars* - - - - J ' 6. Auction duty as mentioned before - - 60,000 S36OO0O This sum will cover the interest upon the whole six millions of dollars which will be wanted, and which it is proposed to borrow either in Europe or America. The finances of Pennsylvania will not lose by a comparison with those of New- York. The latter has a larger income; but she has many taxes, and among others a state tax. *■ Many individuals have patrioticallv given lands to tjiis canal-fund. The Hol- land company, through iheir agpnt, Paul Busti, ilsq.of P'',ilacioi' hia, save hfslow- ed upwards of 100,000 acres upon it, on condition that ilie caual shall be uuished in twenty years. 74 The former has no state tax, and few taxes of any kind. The latter has a large state debt. The former has no debt whatever. If then New- York has ventured under the pressure of debt and taxes, to undertake so vast a work, with how much more facility could Pennsylvania execute one (if necessary) of still greater magnitude? The view taken by the commissioners of the trade present and future, between the Hudson and the Lakes is truly magnificent, and I cannot deny myself the satisfaction of giving it, as it will be, even if realized to the extent here set down^ but a miniature picture of the commerce which Philadelphia may expect in her intercourse with the lakes and the rivers of the west, should she prove true to her interests, and open her way to those vast and daily augmenting sources. It is stated by the canal commissioners, that the late Mr. Ful- ton, from data furnished by the custom-house, calculated the an- nual freight on the Hudson at 400,000 tons. And supposed that the country bordering on the canal would increase this tonnage to one million. The present cost of transportation by land, from Buffalo to Al- bany, is SlOO per ton; Mr. Fulton thought the canal would reduce this to 3 dollars fifty cents. This last sum appears, however, much too small; for the toll now paid on the western inland lock navi- gation-company, in a distance of only one hundred miles, is five dollars and twenty-five cents, besides a considerable duty upon vessels. ' The same charge,' continue the commissioners, 'for the whole extent of the western canal, a distance of 55Z miles, which is now made by that company for less than one third of the dis- tance, would in a short time produce the enormous income of ^5,000,000; but lowering the duty to one dollar a ton, the whole expense of this magnificent operation would be defrayed in a few years; and an immense revenue would be secured to the state, which would enable it to patronize literature and science; to pro- mote education, morality, and religion; to encourage agriculture, manufactures and commerce, and to establish the interests of hu- man improvement upon an imperishable basis, and to an incalcula- ble extent.' — Surely this fine example will elicit something great from Penn- sylvania. New- York is conquering nature by extraordinary efforts of art; nature, with us, has left very little for art to do. Let us then hope that the rulers of the state, will, at their approaching session, adopt some grand system of inland ivater improvement, commensurate with the wants and the means of the whole com- monwealth; a system which shall extend from the western waters and the waters of the lakes to those of the Delaware. Applications upon this subject will undoubtedly be made, and urged with ar- dour. Government will be called upon with a voice of entreaty and earnestness. The inhabitants of the fine counties washed by 75 the Susquehanna will represent to it the dangers they encounter at the mouth of that river, and the unsettled situation of millions of acres for want of a safe route to market; Philadelphia, the parent town and only sea-port of the state, so long the leading commer- cial city of the union, will, in her petitions for succour, dwell with emphasis upon her great, though neglected, natural advantages; she will speak of the efforts of her rivals, who threaten to divert from her market the great trade of the interior. She will show how easily that trade can be brought to her own door; — how much it will increase her exports and her tonnage; — what vigour it will infuse into her commerce, her ship-building, and her mechanical arts. In connexion, too, with her own supplications, she will ask the general assembly to consider and alleviate the sufferings of her brethren who reside on the Susquehanna, or who possess lands there, and with whom Philadelphia has a reciprocity of interest and affection, and with whom she is desirous to extend an intercourse so necessary to all; she can, in short, predict the commencement of a new era whenever the Susquehanna shall mingle its waters with those of the Delaware, from which the commonwealth may date a course of prosperity surpassing far our accustomed good fortune. The legislature will not be deaf to prayers so reasonable. Hav- ing already done much, and having the ability to do so much more, she will exercise that ability, I doubt not, with wisdom and ce- lerity.* Before I conclude I must say a few words more upon the lake and western commerce. It is satisfactory for us to know, that by a few short cuts, per- fectly practicable, and some small improvement in the head-waters of the interlocking rivers, we can get to the great inland seas and rivers of the north west, and west, with expedition and safety; and, as relates to lake Erie, our connexion with it is moreover of great additional importance, as furnishing at a future day, when the western states shall become populous, three or four shorter water routes, through those states to the rivers Ohio and Mississippi, either by the Sandusky and Scioto, lake Michigan, or the little Miami, the Wabash and Illinois rivers; all which waters approach either by lateral streams or their sources, to within a few miles of each other: indeed it is asserted in a late Ohio newspaper by the authority of B. F. Sickney, Indian agent at fort Wayne, that there now exists an uninterrupted navigation from lake Erie to some one of these rivers; [he does not say which,] and also from lake Michigan to the Mississippi, by the Auplain river, which throws * It does not become me in this place, to suggest a plan of general improve- ment. Some have already been before the public: others will appear, no doubt, in due time. But whether a board of commissioners be appointed, or a guaran- tee be given to make good, from the public treasury all deficiencies in dividends below six per cent, to subscribers for public works, certain it is, that a scheme for general improvement is loudly called for, and ans^ously expected of the state government. L re part of its waters into the lake, and part into Illinois river. A BufFaloe paper mentions the following fact: On Tuesday last [some day in July 1818.] the sloop Hannah, captain O. Coit, arrived here from Sandusky, with 350 packs of furs, belonging to Mr. A. Patterson, of Vincennes, state of Indi- ana. They were brought up the Wabash to its head waters^ and from thence they were carried across a portage of niiie ?niles^ into the head rvaters of the river Mianii^ above fort Wayne^ and thence down that river to Sandusky. They have since proceeded to Mon- treal ybr a market. These furs would have found as good a market at Philadelphia by a route of less than one half the distance, if the water com- munications, either to Pittsburg or lake Erie had been opened. This commerce is already very great, and fast augmenting. As an example of the constant and increasing movement on the Mis- sissippi and its tributary waters, and of the immediate advantages to be derived to us by connecting those waters with the Susque- hanna, by means of the Allegheny river, I will state that: * 1st. There will be thirty steam-boats this year on the Missis- sippi and its tributary streams. jFive hundred and ninety-four flat-bottomed boats, and three hundred barges arrived at New-Or- leans from the upper country, in the year ending October 1, 1816; fifteen hundred flat-bottomed boats and five hundred barges, ditto, in the year to October 1, 1817. A large proportion of this came from the waters which would be united with the Susquehanna, and of course would come to the Philadelphia market. 2d. More than 2000 rafts, from 2 to 300 arcs, and innumerable boats, carrying 200 barrels of flour, or 6 or 700 bushels of wheat each, descend the Susquehanna annually, in spite of its present im- pediments and dread of the horrible passages below Columbia. If the upper impediments were removed, as I have shown they could be, with twenty thousand dollars,:}: and a good route made to Phila- * List of Steam-Boats trading to New Orleans. "J In addition, it is said in a Cinci- natti paper of the 14th of August last, that the iion work and engines for 7 steam-boats ■ are now making at the found ery of William Green &; Co. Those gen- to be added tlemen employ 80 workmen. 2 steam boats of 240 toas 2835 were launched in September, f Letter from New-Orleans, published in the Boston Fallaiium. I See Commissioners' report to the Legislature. Tons. Tons. Vesuvius, 390 Ohio, 364 ^tna, 360 Louisiana, 102 Orleans, 324 Napoleon, 315 Washington, 403 Franklin, 131 Harriet, 53 Buffalo, 246 912 Kentucky, 112 2835 Constitution, Gov. Shelby, 112 106 3747 Geo. Madison, Vesta, 123 203 Eagle, ) Genl. Jackson, 242 Pike, \ Cincinatti, 157 James Monroe, ) 77 delphia, the whole of this trade would come to us, and finding here a good market, would increase beyond all measure. 3. Some years ago, I engaged a man at Sheridan's tavern, at the then upper ferry, to keep an account of all the articles brought down the Schuylkill, in the eleven boats, which plied when the waters were high, between Reading and Philadelphia. He fulfilled this task satisfactorily, and I published the particu- lars at the time. The amount of these articles which consisted of flour, whiskey, iron, hats, windsor-chairs, and various etceteras, was, for one year, between five and six hundred thousand dollars, cal- culated at the market prices. What then will be that amount, when the coal is added? when the trade of the west is turned into this river? when at Flat Rock alone* the one hundred and forty over- shot mill-wheels are at work grinding the wheat from that inex- haustible granary, the Susquehanna? This work, without a single auxiliary, would double the exports of Philadelphia. But to these m:iy be added grist mills, the saw mills, for sawing stone and wood, grinding of plaster of paris; cotton manufactories, woollen ditto, rolling and slitting mills, for all kinds of iron, copper, brass, and other metallic work; factories for spinning flax and hemp, nail works, trip hammers for sithes, saw-mill saws, rotatory saws, for veneer-boards, mills for turning and boring cannon; works for making anchors for ships of war and others; works for manufac- turing muskets, swords with turning lathes, grind-stones, &c. mills to rasp up and manufacture dye-woods, for boring pump logs and other purposes; works for forge hammers, and various other pur- poses; oil mills, and cleaning flax,f &c. — All which, can be easily accommodated by the vast water power at the disposal of the com- pany, along a distance of eighty-five miles, with a fall of four hundred and eighty feet, and may employ a capital of one hundred millions of dollars, and one hundred thousand workmen. To all which, we may further add, besides the coal and other articles al- ready enumerated, and ship timber of every kind, the following produce: — Oats, barley, beans, grain and pulse of all kinds; cyder apples, and fruits of all kinds; salt, salted beef, pork and other meats; hides, tallow, beeswax; pot and pearl ashes; tanners' bark and ground bark, plaster of Paris; hemp and flax; marble, lime poultry, alive and dead, ginseng, cheese, butter, lard, staves,%c. &c. And all this can be had at the following cost, even if we have to cut a canal the -whole distance J 7-0 m Reading to Middlttouun: Mr. Weston's estimate of a canal from the Schuyl- kill at Reading to Middletown, to be cut the whole seventy miles, - - - 1,200,000 Estimate across the portage from Juniata to Alle- ghany, ..... 120,000 1,520,000 * t?t-e reporL of bciiuylkill Navig'ation Company. t Many of which are contemplated to be erected upon a much smaller space near Boston. , 78 Brought over, - - - 1,320,000 From head %^^ters of French creek to Erie, 15 miles, - . - . . irOjOOO Clearing the Susquehanna as per commis- sioners' report last year, - - 20,000 Ditto head waters of interlocking rivers, suppose . - - 50,000 ro,ooo Cutting canal from Tioga to Lake Seneca, as per surveyors' report, . . . . 560,000 S2,l 20,000 N. B. I say nothing of the Schuylkill expense, because it is already provided for. Here we want then only about two millions of dollars to open all these vast sources of inland commerce! But who is to incur this expense? I answer, that if the state should decline to contribute towards it; which, however, is not at all probable, it will be for the interest of Philadelphia, single- handed and alone, to encounter it. This, I hope I have abundantly proved; and I will add to what I have already said, that she has at hazard a stake sufficiently large, to induce her to undertake it; that she has over and over again, the means to accomplish it; and that it is of paramount and vital importance to her existence as a great city, that she should set about it, without loss of time; that by doing so,* she will be making, not only a profitable investment to the stockholders of the funds wanted, by procuring for them the dividends authorized by law; which are twenty-five per cent, but that she will quintuple the size of her town, and be able to sustain the present value of every house in it. Her means, her wealth and property at stake, I propose to set forth, somewhat in detail: and for that purpose, I ask the attention of the reader to the following items; all which may be considered as minutely ac- curate, except that on merchandize, which alone is conjectural. Estimated value of property within the city of Philadelphia, liable to taxation, as I'etumed by the assessors for the year 1817 — Millions of dollars, - . . . 30,585,947 Add ten per cent, for commissions for collecting and allowance, - . . _ 3,058,594 g3 3,644,541 City Tax, 50 cts. per glOO - 168,222 70 From this deduct abatement, supposed to have been made by the city com- missioners, _ . - _ 3,410 38 164,812 3,2 a ,— . .1. ... K il l . * See the laws incorporating Union Canal Company. 7§ Amount brought up, - - - 164,812 S2 County Tax 35 cts. per SlOO on pro- perty valued at g55,418,579 00* - - 193,965 01 Poor tax, . - - - - 15«,461 35 S515,238 68 Now by the following estimate, the coal alone brought down the Schuylkill, will annually save to the city and county, nearly the whole of this enormous tax, as thus: The city and county are supposed to consume annually two hun- dred thousand cords of wood, at six dollars, 1,200,000 Equal at twelve bushels per cord to two millions four hundred thousand bushels, which at thirty cents per bushel (a very high estimate) - 720,000 Saving— ^differences - §480,000 Again. The whole of the assessment upon which our city and coimty tax is levied, amounts officially as above, to - §55,418,579 As it is well known that these assessments are made upon pro- perty valued at most, at one-half of their market price, I will double this sum, in order to come at an estimate of the real es- tate in the city and county of Philadelphia, which will be thus, §110,837,158 Add to this, bank stock in the city and county ,f 17,516,000 128,353,158 Insurance Stock.t - - - 3,800,000 132,153,158 * This includes the valuation of city and county by the assessors. -f Commercial bank, . . . Dolls. 1,000,000 Germantown, ... . . 153,000 Mechanics, ... ... 534,000 Northern Liberties, .... 250,000 Schuylkill, . .... 400,000 Pennsylvania, .... 2,500,000 Farmers' and Mechanics', . . 1,250,000 Philadelphia, . ... 1,800,000 Bank United States, .... 8,000,000 Girard's Bank, .... . 800,000 Bank North America, .... 830,000 Pollars 17,516,000 % North America, .... Dolls. 600,000 Pennsylvania, .... 500,000 Philadelphia, e ... . 400,000 Phenix, . . . . . 480,000 Union, ..... 300,000 Delaware, . . ... . 200,000 United States, , . . . 100,000 Marine, . . . ' , 300,000 2,880,000 to Amount brought up, _ - - 132,153^158 Shipping. Philadelphia owned in 1817, ninety-five thousand, four hundred and fifty-three tons of shipping, which at forty dollars per ton for ves- sels fully equipped, will be - - 3,818,120 Capital in foreign commerce^ merchandize^ furniture^ £5fc. It is impossible to do more than conjecture upon these points. But if we take into view, monies vested in bonds, in public stock, in plate, furniture, and especially in merchandize: if we consider the number and opulence of our stores and shops — the great capital employed in the Chi- na, India, and other foreign trade, we might, per- haps, with safety carry the aggregate amount of th< se objects as high as the real estate; but to be within bounds, I place it at only the one-half, 55,271,278 8191,371,278 It is true that the state has a concern in our bank-stock, to the amount of about 2,100,000 dollars; from which should be deduct- ed, however, the proportional interest which the city and county of Philadelphia, as a component part of the state, has in this fund; but the whole among so many millions is too small an item to separate. It is true also that our merchants owe debts upon these sums; but debts are likewise due to them. At any rate their debts are stakes; they are answerable for them, and must pay them. THE PROPERTY AT STAKE, THEN, IN THE CITY AND COUNTY OF PHILADELPHIA, AMOUNTS TO NEAR TIVO HUNDRED MILLIONS OF DOLLARS! Foreign comm*ce, during the golden days of neutrality, and a monopoly of the best share of the western trade, have heaped to- gether in this small district, so vast a treasure. But our foreign commerce is less extensive and less gainful now, and rivals to the north and south are about to deprive us of our home trade. We must defeat their efforts; we must maintain, protect, and increase these riches. We can and will baffle the attempts of our neigh- bours. We have a motive in the defence of our property; we have AmouMi brought over, .... 2,800,000 Fire Insurance offices, American and others, and offices for insuring lives, ..... 1,000,000 Dollars 3,880,000 N- 15- I know that some of these companies have diminished their capitals, by buying' in their o^vn stock; but others again have large contingent funds; so that the one will balance the other. 81 the means in that property itself; and nature points out to us the road; — a road, broad, fair, safe, and interminable! If we follow it, we shall insure to ourselves, without the possibility of rivalship from any quarter, the most brilliant career and highest destiny. We may command at one and the same time, the trade of the Great lakes — of the Ohio — half the Mississippi — the whole of the Missouri — three parts of Pennsylvania, — and one third of New- York; — and in such event — an event in train to be realized — we shall see the expectations of the great founder of our city fulfilled. We shall behold store-houses and commercial streets lining the banks of the Schuylkill, and receding east, until they meet those of the Delawari , and thus cover the vast area marked out by Penn, as the ground-plot of his city of brotherly love. APPENDIX. [See page 22, New York and Connecticut School appropriations.'] By the report of the honourable James Hillhouse, commissioner of the school-fund, dated May, 1818, it appears that the exact amount of that fund was then, one million six hundred and eight thousand, six hundred and seventy -three dollars eighty -nine cents. Governor Clinton says in his speech to the legislature of New York, last January: * The flourishing condition of our higher seminaries of educa- iion is a pleasing demonstration of the increasing progress of mental improvement, and a powerful incentive to liberal dispen- sations of public patronage. Under the auspices of learned and enlightened instructors, our colleges are constantly increasing in students, and extending in usefulness; and the intermediate semi- naries between the common schools and colleges, have also greatly diffused the blessings of education. Funds to the amount of 750,000 dollars, have been granted to the three colleges, and about 100,00Q dollars to the thirty-eight incorporated academies. While this liberality of patronage reflects honour on the state, it cannot be too forcibly inculcated, nor too generally understood, that in promoting the great interests of moral and intellectual cultivation, there can be no prodigality in the application of the public treasure.' Virginia has endowed her colleges and schools in the most libe- ral manner, and so has North Carolina. South Carolina has expended within the last twenty years 200,000 dollars in buildings and other accommodations for its university, and has paid from the public treasury 12,000 dollars annually to- wards the support of the instructors. In Massachusetts, by a wise provision in the constitution of that commonwealth, it is made the duty of the legislature to foster the interests of the University at Cambridge. Most liberal grants have been made from time to time by the state, and large donations by individuals; so that the institution now enjoys an annual income of more than forty thousand dollars, principally from permanent funds. 3477-212 LOT 12-13 STYLE ?^35(F.EBIKi:'5j iil ,-\c ^ - - - A A 0^ ■C-, ^ o " o ''^ ^_ i*^ •*_rJJ<>tv *♦■ '^ Deacidified using the Bookkeeper process. '^ « > d <:^5$v\UC^'' "^ J- Neutralizing Agent: Magnesium Oxide «>*_ w'D* o /ts^^^JLttI "• *?■ Treatment Date: ^0 ^- ^ I MAY 13S8 IBaaKKEEPER PRESERVATION TECHNOLOGIES, LP. 1 1 1 Ttiomson Park Drive Cranberry Tovmship. PA 1606S (724)779-2)11 • ^^ L • '^ '> ■a? -^