The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-12-05
THE CANALER,S WINTER.
An Old-Timer Tells How They Pasa the Months
when tho Canal Doesn't Rage.

From the Utica Daily Press.
How do canal men spend the winterl Is a
question many people are prompted to ask at
this time when tho snow is beginning to fly
and the boats are hurrying to their various
destinations. People arc Interested in canal
boatmen and the hardy lives they live because
they are out of tho usual run and their slow
method Of doing business savors of the past,
for canal boats moved just as rapidly many
years ago as they do now. Then the canal
zach year, and there is II tinge of the romantic
about his mode OF living. In the summer and
seen. for It's ali hard work then, and even in
its moro restful features canaling is like other
occupation, something of a grind.
strolled, into Barry's ,newsroom on Gencsee
street last evening. who told in the course Of
an hour his experience in that line. He was
past 30 and ever since boyhood had followed
tho life of a canalcr. In his younger days he
may haze h'n6t gI re P pro- GN, Of a G% Tns AS even
good reading for his wife during the winter.
He explained that something entertaining
during the long winter nights while no and
the boys were playing poker,
before the water runs out, and I guess viii
make ii all right" said he. Eyes. / was stuck
G%i .'m # 1 Sns t 4 r Years nsV sgo! gets %e s' SSs
IL week to make Troy and were taking it easy
when we were fronc hard and fast at The Four
Mile grocery Just below here. Those were the
again until The spring; we hadn't a heavy
Of them go TO Troy or Buffalo or down TO New
York: They stay there all winter, knocking
tho winterf Wei, / never have, but some oa1," Of
You sec, in the winter tho cabin Of n boat is
tho snugeest place on earth. ITS Is by II
in the ditch the wind don't catch you and the
boat Is alright with two feet OF dead air be-
It's made, Of match boards inside and out and
the roof is four inches thick so that "a little
stove makes tho cabin warm.
Me and my wife have been on the canal since
we were boys and girls and | haven't seen any
OF the country except that TO be seen from a boat
years. Wo winter at Troy. As soon as we get
there We take our, horses and drive them to a
lected. by u farmer and taken to winter quar-
tiers: There are farmers all along the route that
winter horses. Ours go to Fort Edward, about
twenty eight miles north of Troy, whore they
are turned loose In the fields. Kirkland is our
mans name, and no winters from 800 TO 800.
felds and the horses eat hay all winter and sleep
on clean straw in the sheds al night. About March
day, and Keep 1t up until the season opens. That
Is. we pay 30 cents a head every week for hat,
but don't know rs they get 1t, because | don't
Now, young fellow. when you ask il a man
can live and keep his family all winter on what
he makes in summer, you must know that he
can't nowadays If he goes to many dances or
gets many DRINKS. We manage to scrnpe along
on bacon and pancakes for breakfast, meat
hroc times a week for dinner, n chicken on Sun.
day now and then, and at supper wc generally
! would have II the trade kept. up 40 il was
thirty years ago. Why, in - think II was. |
cents a blshel tor freight. That was a living
! tell you: T. the State instead OF deepening the
ditch had built free elevators at buffalo 80 we
wouldn't have to pay the railroads for the use
OF theirs 1t would have done US some good, but
there amt II living in 1t now as there used to