The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1878-07-16
BOATING ON A GREATCANAL
THB Possible CLOSING or THE DELA-
wIRE AND HUDSON
a Giaat Co-s,srat on Ionded Down with
Debt-A MiiIinr and - Hnf Dcac,t In .
Single Ycar-'rhe Life OF it- Employees

a oiaat Co-c"rat I.ondea Down with
Debt-A Mnii"r and - Hnr Dcac,t In I.
Single Year-rhe Life or it- Employees
KRRHoNKsoN, July .-Ntwithstand ng
the Delaware and Hudson Canal In not pay.
Ing Institution to tho capitalists who own and
operate 1t, IL gives lifo aud business activity to
considerable extent of territory. The husi-
ness Interests Of tho whole Rondout valley, n
large portion Of UlstNr county, would dwindle
to insign n 'ance should this ounnl he pcrnn-
nently closed, IA it il probable TINT II will b. Mt
distant day for II Ia not only of service in tho
transportation Of millions OF tons Of coal yearly
from tho coal fields Of Pennsylvania to lido
water. but 1t 10 very useful In other respects to
the large extent Of territory through which II
passes. The yearly shi pments OF cement and
blue tagging stone alone by way OF 1t to market
amount to n large sum and from It's shipments
OF cord wood railroad ties. tan bark. lumber,
barrel heading, and other products. IL derived
large income by the surrounding country.
Tho canal was put in operation In 1928. and
for many years WINS one OF the most nourishing
and money-makna institutions In eastern New
York. Its managers. however made invest
ments In railroads, met with heavy loeses. and
the corporation became encountered with debts
that II could not and probably cannot liduidat
The canal scarcely paid its running expenses
after this injudcious step and last year. accord
ing TO tho Presidents report II fell 81 100000
behind. This change has had most unhap-
by effect on its employees. particularly the boat
men. Of whom there are about 1000. They are
chiefly foreigners and men who. with rarc ex-
captions, follow the canal for life. They havo
no trade. and with their illicracy and INSULT
Gent capital they are unfttcd for any business
purEult. and they are too indOlCnt and indie
pend, nj for day abOrcrs.
The canal boats curry from 100 10 1870 tons
4
nedsum pcrton n freight for al the coal boated
by them. Each Captain virtually buys the boat
he runs Tor II * understood that he is 10 pay
for II hy lnstallments 81 $50 q trip. These in
siallments are deducted from his freight money.
and. besides, 81 egch trip is retained 10y the
company and l,aid him nj the end Of the season
This Is called e back money" and often proves
agodsend 70 the poor hoatmen, many Of whom
dollar for a rainy day IL they .ricd. A boat is
valued NJ something Ike 81 200 aud II takes a
IreM many seasons 40 pay ior w. fonsldeLng
tho most busy boating season.
Years ago boating on The Delaware and Hud-
son canal WIS ono of tho most profitable pur-
suits that poor man could engage in Tho
freight was high, ranging rs 1t did from 81 10
~ % per ton, and the canal company had all il
could do to MI its contracts. Those were palmy
days Tor the boatmen, many OF the most thrifty
and Intelligent Of whom saved enough 10 pur-
chase comfortable homes. and even 10 lay by
someth ne for time of need. OF late years the
freight has been eighty cents or thereabouts.
Added to this disadvnntage IN freight are the
delays 20 which tho canailer Is now subjected
while max ing a trip. Hts progress IL regulated
by the company. that sends the coal TO market
only SO fast ms wanted. His running hours vary.
sometimes embracing both day and night Gen
erally. however, he Is permitted to run only
during the day, and there are times when he is
detained great portion Of that. Besides these
dctentions ara those caused by strikes in tina
coal mines. that are often OF months duration.
Then again. on reaching Honesdalr. IL others
are ahead Of him the hOaman has to wait until
his turn comes before he cun get load. The
same is the case at Rondout. whero he delivers
his cargo. This delay NJ each end of the canal
frequently makes tho round trip. that under
favorable circumstances IL two weeks. IA many
months. So that his income IL barely sufficient
TO Keep body and soul together and used for
the support of his family is often mere pitt
tance. So poor WIS the boating season last year
in consequence of tho causes mentioned that
hundreds left tho canal in a condition border
ing on absolute want.
This season the boatmen have suffered an
additional ANNOYANCE in the shape of robbcries.
One or two masked men board a boat after the
Captain and hands have gone TO bed. aud
chloroform and rob them OF everything OF the
oast value. Sometimes these robberics which
have been Of frequent occurrence take place
at about dusk. Before the Captain is aware of
II his bost Is boarded. and at the point of a re-
Noiver his money. sometimes his last cent, is
forced from him. So skful are the p"rpe-
vnrinhly escape detection and punishment.
Taking into consideration all the disadvantages
with which the bOatmcn have had to contend
tn" present season. their pros poets are even
worse than They were last year. for many
canaller has only nude two trips. whereas in
moro favorable seasons five ana six have been
made in the same length OF time.