The Portland daily press., 1881-08-12
The Valley Of the Mohawk.

AAO esAAOy VI OAO x.
have recently passed through the Valley of
the Mohawk River, and have again admired
its wonderful fertility and its charming rural
landscapes. 1t was commonly called The Ger
man Flats in the old time. because it was SET
tied by Dutchmen. The lands were entirely
In the hands of these people at the time when
New York was Dutch colony, and for many
years after.
The fertility of the lands was such that fer.
tilizers were never used, and manures from the
stable and barnyard were hauled out upon the
ice in the winter to be carried out to sea ON the
breaking up Of the river in spring. Fertilizers
are even now used only ON the uplands border
ing the Valley. and not upon the lowlands,
which are abundantly enriched by the an
nual overflow of the river, producing large,
unfailing crops, by which the farmers are en-
riched, almost beyond any other In the coun-
try, because the cost of transportation to some
markets near at hand is comparatively small
The valley is hilled with Cities towns and vii.
lages, all busy and prosperous, and everywhere
are seen evidences OF industry, thrift and
wealth. l was the guest of great farmer,
living in fine house on the western slope of
the valley near Utica; and as we sat upon the
verandah at the going down of the sun behind
the hills, admired the scenery as equal If not
superior to anything of the kind had ever
seen in any country. a
Yes, said my host, there is not in the world,
probably, another valley equal to it for the
beauty OF its rural scenery, certainly not for
the magnitude of the values constantly passing
through it from the boundless interior to the
sea, and from the great entrepot, New York,
of all manner of manufactures and goods aud
products of every sort necessary for the supply
OF the immense population in the interior of
the continent On the opposite side of the
valley, you see, is the New York Central rail-
way, with four lines of rails, the only railroad
in the world that has so many, aud these rails
are covered from end to end-three hundred
miles-with constantly moving trains, none Of
them waiting for others; the slower trains and
the quicker trains each having their special
lines of rails ltI EHL
: One railway with four lines of rails can do
more business in transportation than can be
done by three railroads, each with two lines
Of rail, because the trains may be always in
motion, the slow trains never shunted upon
side tracks, to permit the passage of fast trains
which must always be done upon roads with
only two lines of rails
You observe that the river lies Just this side
the railway, which runs always very near it,
generally upon its bank, though it does not
follow all the detours of the stream. You see
also in the seat of the valley this side the river
that long line of fresh earthwork, with the
numerous carts. full and empty, passing to
and fro upon it. That is to be the bed Of q
new double track railway from Albany to Buff
falo,-three hundred miles-running parallel
with the New York Central, through its whole
length. This road is to be constructed because
the means of transportation through this val
ley are not sufficient now to meet the impera-
tive wants of the country.
Ihls new road is an immense commercial
undertaking, involving the expenditure of
great many millions of dollars, yet in its in
ception and execution, there has been ne talk
about it more than there would be about the
building OF country barn. There has been
money. The quietness with which the enter
prise was organized and the ease and rapidity
with which 1t is carried on, mark the amazing
wealth OF the country, showing that the drain
upon Its resources OF such great and costly
work are no more than would be the erection
OF a new stable or granary upon the purse of .
wealthy farmer.
The first we knew about it, busy engineers
were scattered all along the line. laying down
its direction and marking out its exact course
Then came along men With abundant means
and full power to settle damages" for land
taken, and this was promptly done, without
chaHering, to the entire satisfaction of the
farmers all along the line. Then, great num-
bers OF farm teams were hired on liberal terms
to "hauP, the earth and make the "fills"-and
this work Is going on rapidly through the
whole length Of the line, so that the trains may
be started, in the shortest possible time, to do
the immense work that is waiting for enlarged
means OF transportation.
Then there is the Erie Canal running along
through the valley, side by side with these
railways and the river; and all of them will
not be sufficient to do the work that will be
crowded upon them. The main railway must
soon have four lines of rails like the New York
Central, which is certainly the most profitable
railway in the world to its stockholders. Its
stock has been watered enormously, always
paying large dividends semi-annualy upon the
time Of eighty per cent. The telegraph wires
running through this valley are almost innu-
merable, sending news and messages to and
bringing them from all parts of the world,
where civilized men live. On all the globe
there is no other valley like this.
Utica" my host continued, "lying in this
neighborhood, is one Of the most beautiful
towns in this valley. From it to Syracuse,
eighty miles, the country is dead level, 80
that in all that distance the Erie Canal has no
IoOn, ouu eAo fauWdyS, uO luCuh6o. tiCdt
said, "that's where the dreadful suicide was
recently committed by the great Statesman
50 called" "Yes," he said, "never before was
there so great sacrafce for so Insignificant
reason. 1t was more pitifnl than the conduct
of spoiled school boy, who, in fit Of passion,
srnashes all the playthings Of his mates, and
goes off in sulk, declaring that he'll never
play with them again-never, all for the reason
that they wish for once, only for once, to play
some game that he objects to, because some one
else proposed it; then Immediately begs and en-
treats to be taken back into the comp pany, and
they will have none of him. He, calling them
hard names, while in abject fashion he be-
seeches them to take him back"
Much more, my host said, that have no
room for now.
NEAL Dow.