by the public documents of that day to have been an interchange of the mineral productions of our own State for those of Pennsylvania. Exactly by what channel this was to be effected was not then understood. A few years thereafter, the construction of the North Branch canal of that State, was authorized by the Pennsylvania Legislature; a work long delayed by casualties and financial embarrassments, but now at length finally completed and in operation to the southern line of New York. Thus the opportunity is presented for carrying out the great leading object of the Chenango canal-of making the connection without which it cannot be said to be complete.

The sentiment existing half a century ago as to this extension of the New York canal system, is well shown by the following extract from the resolution of the Tioga County Supervisors, already cited:

"In the meantime, inducements for engaging in this work, which could not then have been foreseen, certainly not fully realized, have been developed and accumulated. The canal system of Pennsylvania has been greatly enlarged and her resources rapidly developed. Her coal trade, then in its infancy, has become immense. The coal fields by the Susquehanna valley, then scarcely known, except to a learned few as an interesting geological feature, have been not only extensively opened, but penetrated by the North Branch canal, and thus practically brought to the borders of our own State, offering for our use a fuel illimitable in quantity, in quality unsurpassed. It wants but a small outlay to allow it to float on through the Chenango, Erie, Black River, Champlain, and other canals, to the central, northern and eastern portions of our State, to warm our hearths, supply our furnaces and forges, and propel our steamboats, cars, and machinery of every description. In exchange for it, Pennsylvania wants not one dollar in money. She wants our iron ore, our limestone, our salt, our gypsum, our hydraulic cement, our surplus agricultural products. The boats that bring her coal to us, will take these back to her. We have, of most of them, an inexhaustible supply upon the very banks of the Chenango canal. Shall we not open the communication, and allow this exchange? Pennsylvania has done her part. Shall we not do ours? Shall New York not accept her sister's proffered embrace ?"

Steamboat navigation of the Hudson river was begun in 1808 and grew in importance and magnitude from that time forward until the volume of commerce on that river exceeded the tonnage of the Ohio and the Mississippi rivers. The official (Government) report for the year 1907 gives the tonnage of the Hudson river at 16,403,642 tons, that of the Ohio river at 11,427,784 tons, and that of the Mississippi river at New Orleans at 4,036,594 tons.

Steamboat service on the Hudson river has been continuous from the building of the Clermont in 1808 and of a very high order of efficiency. The latest and one of the most commodious passenger vessels on any water of the world is the Henrich Hudson, of the day line between Albany and New York, licensed to carry 5,000 passengers.

All remember the famous Mary Powell, queen of steamers, which for many years held the world's record for speed, she having made the (then) phenomenal run of 26 miles per hour. The Hudson river steamers have been the best in the country, and in addition to those mentioned have included the Dean Richmond, Daniel Drew, New York, Albany and others celebrated for their sumptuous furnishings and equipment. The passenger service on the Hudson river is still large notwithstanding the fact that it is paralleled by excellent railway service on each side. The Hudson river, with its commodious and superbly equipped steamboats and with its picturesque scenery and towering palisades, and its historic places, has long been almost as popular and as celebrated as the Rhine with its historic castles, populous cities and flourishing vineyards. The tercentenary of its discovery is to be celebrated in an appropriate manner by the city and State of New York in 1909.

From a very early date Lake George has formed an important link in the route of military expeditions and of travel between Albany and Lake Champlain. It was discovered by Father Jogues in 1646 and named by him St. Sacrement. It has been likened by travelers to the Lake of Como, but its circumjacent mountains are not as lofty nor

are their summits capped in perpetual snow nor their bases clad in luxuriant sub-tropical vegetation. Several early expeditions were made through this valley and canoes and other small water craft were used for passenger service over its waters. It is uniquely located in the eastern foothills of the Adirondack mountains, with precipitous headlands projecting into its waters, which are deep and clear, and it is the favorite resort for the wealthy and some of the literary people of this State. On its shores have been built the summer homes of J. Fenimore Cooper and other writers. For many years there has been maintained an excellent passenger service through Lake George and at present there is on its waters a small boat known as the Elide, which has made the phenomenal speed of 40 miles per hour, thereby winning the record for being the fastest boat in the world.

Steamboat navigation began on Lake Champlain in 1809 and grew in importance and magnitude from that time forward until the volume of commerce transported over it and through the Champlain canal in the year 1890 amounted to 1,520,757 tons. The Government report for 1907 gives the tonnage at 676,051 tons. This decrease was due to the disappearance of the fleet of sloops and schooner-rigged canal boats which for many years carried on an active commerce on that lake and transported the tonnage between New York and Lake Champlain ports before the building of the Delaware and Hudson railroad along its west shore.

From the time of its discovery in 1609, its importance as a highway between New York and Quebec grew in popular favor and the tides of trade and travel passed to and fro through the picturesque Champlain valley to the portage between Skeensboro, now Whitehall, and the Hudson river, until the opening up of the Champlain canal in 1822, which effected a continuance of water communication between Lake Champlain ports and New York City. From the time of the building of the first passenger steamboat on that lake, in 1809, until the present, there has been maintained a continuous passenger service by the Champlain Transportation Company, which has owned and operated commodious steamboats and whose route for several years extended from

Whitehall on the south to Rouses Point and even St. Johns, in Canada, on the north. Charles Dickens and other tourists have commented very favorably upon the excellence of that service and the picturesqueness of the Champlain valley. During a portion of that period four large passenger vessels were in commission and active service, running the entire length of the lake, day and night. The tercentenary of its discovery is to be celebrated by the States of New York and Vermont in July, 1909.

Along the northwestern border of the State flows the St. Lawrence river, with its thousand islands, the popular resort for the people of this and other states, where there are maintained scores of fine steam yachts, plying upon its waters. It forms a highway between Lake Ontario ports and Ogdensburg, whose commerce at one time was quite extensive.

In Central New York are the several lakes, already mentioned, upon whose waters have been and are now maintained small passenger vessels, and these are becoming more numerous as the population around them increases. In the western portion is Lake Chautauqua with its flotilla of small vessels and its popular steamboat service. On the shores of this lake is located the world-famed Chautauqua Assembly grounds, the resort of students and scholars of many states.

In the Adirondack mountains are several hundred small lakes, many of which are the resort of the people of the metropolis. These vary in size from half a mile to several miles in length and some of them have an elevation of 2,000 feet above the level of the sea. On their waters are canoes, launches and other craft, that transport hundreds of passengers yearly over their waters. In the southeastern part of the State are the Catskill, Schoharie, Delaware and Susquehanna rivers, which before the construction of railroads formed highways of more or less importance in the building up of the Empire State.

From a very early period Long Island Sound has had an active and an extensive commerce. It is an arm of the sea and over its waters has been maintained an extensive

coastwise commerce between New York and the ports of Connecticut, Rhode Island and Massachusetts. The Government has expended large sums of money in clearing the channel at Hell Gate, so that some of the largest coastwise steamships may now safely pass over the Sound down the East river into the harbor of New York. The port of New York is one of the finest ports in the world. In its upper and lower bays may be seen the merchant marine of many nations. Through its harbor across the high seas are maintained many trans-Atlantic steamship lines, that annually transport to and from the metropolis thousands of passengers and upwards of 20,000,000 tons of freight. Its coastwise and domestic tonnage is far more extensive and is said to aggregate 150,000,000 tons annually. If it has not already done so, the volume of its commerce at the completion of the barge canal will undoubtedly surpass the commerce of London. Therefore I may be warranted in repeating a statement made in January, 1908, in reply to a report of a State official-suggesting that the barge canal project was the result of a short-sighted policy on the part of the State-in my advocacy of the prosecution of that undertaking in accordance with the plans already decided upon, which statement was as follows:

"Having put our hands to the plow, let us not look backward, but press on to the completion of this important public improvement, for if we divide, we may lose the commerce that we now have and which has contributed to the upbuilding of the cities, towns and villages of this State, and which has given us the metropolis of the western hemisphere whose commercial achievements will be given representation as time goes on under the masterly touch of some Tintoretto in adorning her stately halls and commercial palaces, with Apollo on the chariot of the sun relating his experiences at the great marts of trade after his circuit of the globe to the Council of the Gods, who pronounce New York the Sovereign Emporium of the world."

The conception and the magnitude of the barge canal were the result of an evolution of canal agitation extending over nearly a quarter of a century. The canal commerce declined somewhat in the '70's and it was thought that the