the paths of inland commerce-第24章

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　serve　commerce　there　as　well　as　in　tidewater　rivers。　True；　the　luckless　Ontario；　built　in　1817　at　Sackett's　Harbor；　proved　unseaworthy　when　the　waves　lifted　the　shaft　of　her　paddle　wheels　off　their　bearings　and　caused　them　to　demolish　the　wooden　covering　built　for　their　protection；　but　the　Walk…in…the…Water；　completed　at　Black　Rock　（Buffalo）　in　August；　1818；　plied　successfully　as　far　as　Mackinac　Island　until　her　destruction　three　years　later。　Her　engines　were　then　inherited　by　the　Superior　of　stronger　build；　and　with　the　launching　of　such　boats　as　the　Niagara；　the　Henry　Clay；　and　the　Pioneer；　the　fleet　builders　of　Buffalo；　Cleveland；　and　Detroit　proved　themselves　not　unworthy　fellow…countrymen　of　the　old　seafarers　of　Salem　and　Philadelphia。

But　how　were　cargoes　to　reach　these　vessels　from　the　vast　regions　beyond　the　Great　Lakes？　Those　thousands　of　settlers　who　poured　into　the　Northwest　had　cargoes　ready　to　fill　every　manner　of　craft　in　so　short　a　space　of　time　that　it　seems　as　if　they　must　have　resorted　to　arts　of　necromancy。　It　was　not　magic；　however；　but　perseverance　that　had　triumphed。　The　story　of　the　creating　of　the　main　lakeward…reaching　canals　is　long　and　involved。　A　period　of　agitation　and　campaigning　preceded　every　such　undertaking；　and　when　construction　was　once　begun；　financial　woes　usually　brought　disappointing　delays。　When　a　canal　was　completed　after　many　vicissitudes　and　doubts；　traffic　overwhelmed　every　method　provided　to　handle　it：　locks　proved　altogether　too　small；　boats　were　inadequate；　wharfs　became　congested；　blockades　which　occurred　at　locks　entailed　long　delay。　In　the　end　only　lines　and　double　lines　of　steel　rails　could　solve　the　problem　of　rapid　and　adequate　transportation；　but　the　story　of　the　railroad　builders　is　told　elsewhere。*

*　See　〃The　Railroad　Builders；〃　by　John　Moody　（in　〃The　Chronicles　of　America〃）。　


Ohio　and　Illinois　caught　the　canal　fever　even　before　the　Erie　Canal　was　completed；　and　the　Ohio　Canal　and　the　Illinois…Michigan　Canal　saw　preliminary　surveying　done　in　1822　and　1824　respectively。　Ohio　particularly　had　cause　to　seek　a　northern　outlet　to　Eastern　markets　by　way　of　Lake　Erie。　The　valleys　of　the　Muskingum；　Scioto；　and　Miami　rivers　were　producing　wheat　in　large　quantities　as　early　as　1802；　when　Ohio　was　admitted　to　the　Union。　Flour　which　brought　3。50　a　barrel　in　Cincinnati　was　worth　8　in　New　York。　There　were　difficulties　in　the　way　of　transportation。　Sometimes　ice　prevented　produce　and　merchandise　from　descending　the　Ohio　to　Cincinnati。　At　other　times　merchants　of　that　city　had　as　many　as　a　hundred　thousand　barrels　awaiting　a　rise　in　the　river　which　would　make　it　possible　for　boats　to　go　over　the　falls　at　Louisville。　As　these　conditions　involved　a　delay　which　often　seemed　intolerable；　the　project　to　build　canals　to　Lake　Erie　met　with　generous　acclaim。　A　northward　route；　though　it　might　be　blocked　by　ice　for　a　few　months　each　winter；　had　an　additional　value　in　the　eyes　of　numerous　merchants　whose　wheat；　sent　in　bulk　to　New　Orleans；　had　soured　either　in　the　long　delay　at　Louisville　or　in　the　semi…tropical　heat　of　the　Southern　port。

The　Ohio　Legislature　in　1822　authorized　the　survey　of　all　possible　routes　for　canals　which　would　give　Ohio　an　outlet　for　its　produce　on　Lake　Erie。　The　three　wheat　zones　which　have　been　mentioned　were　favored　in　the　proposed　construction　of　two　canals　which；　together；　should　satisfy　the　need　of　increased　transportation：　the　Ohio　Canal　to　connect　Portsmouth　on　the　Ohio　River　with　Cleveland　on　Lake　Erie　and　to　traverse　the　richest　parts　of　the　Scioto　and　Muskingum　valleys；　and　to　the　west　the　Miami　Canal　to　pierce　the　fruitful　Miami　and　Maumee　valleys　and　join　Cincinnati　with　Toledo。　De　Witt　Clinton；　the　presiding　genius　of　the　Erie　Canal；　was　invited　to　Ohio　to　play　godfather　to　these　northward　arteries　which　should　ultimately　swell　the　profits　of　the　commission　merchants　of　New　York　City；　and　amid　the　cheers　of　thousands　he　lifted　the　first　spadefuls　of　earth　in　each　undertaking。

The　Ohio　Canal；　which　was　opened　in　1833；　had　a　marked　effect　upon　the　commerce　of　Lake　Erie。　Before　that　date　the　largest　amount　of　wheat　obtained　from　Cleveland　by　a　Buffalo　firm　had　been　a　thousand　bushels；　but　in　the　first　year　of　its　operation　the　Ohio　Canal　brought　to　the　village　of　Cleveland　over　a　quarter　of　a　million　bushels　of　wheat；　fifty　thousand　barrels　of　flour；　and　over　a　million　pounds　of　butter　and　lard。　In　return；　the　markets　of　the　world　sent　into　Ohio　by　canal　in　this　same　year　thirty　thousand　barrels　of　salt　and　above　five　million　pounds　of　general　merchandise。

Ever　since　the　time　when　the　Erie　Canal　was　begun；　Canadian　statesmen　had　been　alive　to　the　strong　bid　New　York　was　making　for　the　trade　of　the　Great　Lakes。　Their　answer　to　the　Erie　Canal　was　the　Welland　Canal；　built　between　1824　and　1832　and　connecting　Lake　Erie　with　Lake　Ontario　by　a　series　of　twenty…seven　locks　with　a　drop　of　three　hundred　feet　in　twenty…six　miles。　This　undertaking　prepared　the　way　for　the　subsequent　opening　of　the　St。　Lawrence　canal　system　（183　miles）　and　of　the　Rideau　system　by　way　of　the　Ottawa　River　（246　miles）。　There　was　thus　provided　an　ocean　outlet　to　the　north；　although　it　was　not　until　1856　that　an　American　vessel　reached　London　by　way　of　the　St。　Lawrence。

With　the　Hudson　and　the　St。　Lawrence　in　the　East　thus　competing　for　the　trade　of　the　Great　Lakes；　it　is　not　surprising　that　the　call　of　the　Mississippi　for　improved　highways　was　presently　heard。　From　the　period　of　the　War　of　1812　onward　the　position　of　the　Mississippi　River　in　relation　to　Lake　Michigan　was　often　referred　to　as　holding　possibilities　of　great　importance　in　the　development　of　Western　commerce。　Already　the　old　portage…path　links　between　the　Fox　and　Wisconsin　and　the　Chicago　and　Illinois　rivers　had　been　worn　deep　by　the　fur　traders　of　many　generations；　and　with　the　dawning　of　the　new　era　enthusiasts　of　Illinois　were　pointing　out　the　strategic　position　of　the　latter　route　for　a　great　trade　between　Lake　Michigan　and　the　Gulf　of　Mexico。　Thus　the　wave　of　enthusiasm　for　canal　construction　that　had　swept　New　York　and　Ohio　now　reached　Indiana　and　Illinois。　Indian　ownership　of　land　in　the　latter　State　for　a　moment　seemed　to　block　the　promotion　of　the　proposed　Illinois　and　Michigan　Canal；　but　a　handsome　grant　of　a　quarter　of　a　million　acres　by　the　Federal　Government　in　1827　came　as　a　signal　recognition　of　the　growing　importance　of　the　Northwest；　and　an　appropriation　for　the　lighting　and　improving　of　the　harbor　of　the　little　village　of　Chicago　was　hailed　by　ardent　promoters　as　sure　proof　that　the　wedding　of　Lake　Michigan　and　the　Mississippi　was　but　a　matter　of　months。

All　the　difficulties　encountered　by　the　advocates　of　earlier　works　of　this　character；　in　the　valleys　of　the　Potomac；　the　Susquehanna；　and　the　Mohawk；　were　the　portion　of　these　dogged　promoters　of　Illinois。　Here；　as　elsewhere；　there　were　rival　routes　and　methods　of　construction；　opposition　of　jealous　sections　not　immediately　benefited；　estimates　which　had　to　be　reconsidered　and　augmented；　and　so　on。　The　land　grants　pledged　to　pay　the　bonds　were　at　first　of　small　value；　and　their　advance　in　price　depended　on　the　success　of　the　canal　itself；　which　could　not　be　built　unless　the　State　underwrote　the　whole　enterpriseif　the　lands　were　not　worth　the　bonds。　Thus　the　argument　ran　in　a　circle；　and　no　one　could　foresee　the　splendid　traffic　and　receipts　from　tolls　that　would　result　from　the　completed　canal。

The　commissioners　in　charge　of　the　project　performed　one　interesting　service　in　these　early　days　by　putting　Chicago　on　the　map；　but　the　two　terminals；　Ottawa　on　the　Illinois　and　Chicago　on　Lake　Michiganboth　plotted　in　1830were　very　largely　figures　of　speech　at　that　time。　The　day　of　miracles　was　at　hand；　however；　for　the　little　town　of　one　hundred　people　at　the　foot　of　Lake　Michigan。　The　purchase　of　the　lands　of　the　Potawatomies；　the　Black　Hawk　War　in　1832；　which　brought　steamboats　to　Chicago　for　the　first　time；　and　the　decision　of　Illinois　in　1836　to　pledge　her　good　name　in　favor　of　the　Illinois　and　Michigan　Canal　made　Chicago　a　city　of　four　thousand　people　by　the　panic　year　of　1837。　So　absorbed　were　these　Chicago　folk　in　the　building　of　their　canal