The sun., 1883-12-09
ON THE CANAL.
Summing UP tho Years Rusiness-The Use
OF steam Encreasing.

"Wc have had little better than an
average season." was said in tho Office OF i. Il.
brooks Il Co.. canal forwurdcrs. when tho sub
ject of business on the Erie Canal was men
toned. We have had fair rates and good
despatch: that is. our boats have obtained car
goes without much delay. What we need is to
have tho canal drcdged out and tho banks
raised n little Boats arc allowed to load down
to draft Of six feet. In many places there is
scant water for that draft They drag Oh bars"
Has the prosperity of the boats made any
activity in boat building?"
Not very much. The increase has bocn
chiefly in the steamboats, and their bnrges.
This is an encouraging feature Of tho business.
Tho shoulder CALLED canal mule will eventual
ly live only in history A steamboat and its
barge will make seven round trips in all aver
age season. where II horse boat will make six.
They carry nearly rs much cargo as two horse
Was there any change in tie kinds Of frsighti,
No. More coarse freights were forwarded.
and hH iiS W. more ot i az much general mSr
years. Coal and iron hold the first place; The
boat Company, tho Western States TRANSFORM
ton line. and Others own lines of steambonts
or me asGs ana take 'rssh New YORK
Is it not likely that corporations will event.
bursh Eai!road contrae,ed nc s for the building @ Of
year. The corporate control OF the canal
traffic will not make the canal any tho less the
he a Tsn IS Se
roads parallel to the canal will get control and
use it for the benefit OF the roads instead OF
the people, as tho Delaware and Raritnn Canal
In Jersey is now controlled by the Pennsylvania
road. Speaking Of the steamboats,. some very
Cortes and consort left Buffalo Nov. "A at noon
and reached Fort Hunter. 30l miles east Of
Baao at noon the 29h This was an.
Thurber is now in the river on her way down
completing her, eighth round trip. Sho has
That is an unequalled record"
What is the fact about tho canal manage
Not much blame Is attached to superln-
bly, unanimous in their complaints about cer-
ter used from the canal by mills and manufnc-
Il system Of blackrnail at tho locks. 1t started
in voluntary gifts by bontmen to lock tenders.
90 the boa boz and help S SEW s"s
iron and grain; Cohoes is place particularly
obnoxious and II is charged that men who
| were discharged there for cause were again re-
instated; These matters lave been shown up
local payers. .Boatmen signed protests and
were afterward tricked into signing ondorse-
Chaes H. MK. % are 50 lhsy
| ested in local or way traffic along the canal.
sendinG freight 70 VILLAGES along the line as far
| ives, rs Rochester. Mr. Gage thought 1t poss-
| Bile that the railroads would eventually drive
all the way traffic from tho canal. With tho
and Western competing with the Central for
wtien9 SyrafGuse f. @ a.. and Mochester freight there
M es ehs s0.H
OF !he spIHciai yearly rates they receive.
Mr. A. d. Rice, boat owner, who was pres
| railways might tend to improve the way bust
ness, ness, , When tho Central had no opposition it
by raising It's winter rates to prohbtory is Ise
sIe Whsre shEnsr used tho during the
railway routes he will be froe to 60 to the canal
a noticeable feature of the canal business o,
system OF towing boats. This is modification
OF ths e. l-chunker" system on tho Delaware
two separate barscs united tosetbar While tow
ing but separated for convenience when re-
CURED Gume, in uni. unloading. T. On the Erie Canal two
end, and wore towed in that way: II required
seven sNet hands to handle tho double Ieadcr
x horses s are RE to handle n
required TO tow, the double header. instead OF
frd four on y e. single @ boat, The system has been
make rs many trips in season. Tho owners
9t boats who run single protest against tho
longer to run the double header through the
i2ck than /, does to put two single boats
| through. The insurance companies also de-
maand higher rates than on. single boats
IA osh steamboat and her barge costs about
cost about 5000 In speaking Of this a boat boat,
III / had money would build n steamboat
lashings between the forward and The S reaI emi
bonts and tho middle ono so that they could be
easrd ,nat up p., in going around curves twill CONC
|