Wotherspoon, Superintendent of Public Works; Hon. Thaddeus C. Sweet, Speaker of the Assembly, and other State officials were present. Mr. S. H. Beach, Chairman of the local Committee of Arrangements, introduced Senator Hill with a brief, appropriate address. Chairman Hill in accepting the post of Chairman spoke as follows:

Mayor Midlam, Mr. Lawton, President of the Rome Chamber of Commerce, Mr. Clinton, Chairman of the Executive Committee of the New York State Waterways Association, State officers, ladies and gentlemen:

The celebration of Independence Day and of the beginning of the building of the Erie canal at Fort Stanwix, a century ago, was a happy omen of the fruition of both political and commercial freedom from pre-existing conditions, the first of which, prior to 1776, denied to the people of this and other provinces voice in public affairs and the latter of which hampered them in their activities. The enterprising citizens then residing in this historic region and the state officials, having the supervision of the first contract, dated June 27, 1817, for the construction of that section of the original Erie canal extending through the Rome summit level, wisely and enthusiastically participated in the public exercises on that occasion. Governor DeWitt Clinton, who took office on July 1, 1817, Col. Samuel Young and the other canal commissioners, state engineers, Judge Joshua Hathaway, who delivered an address, Judge John Richardson, who removed the first spadeful of dirt and many others joined in the ceremonies. That was the culmination of the long and untiring efforts of DeWitt Clinton and others to establish navigable communication between the great lakes and the Atlantic ocean, an event at that time and under the conditions then existing of consummate achievement in statesmanship, that betokened the ultimate upbuilding of the state in agriculture, manufactures and of its far-reaching commerce to that of the proportions of an empire.

Col. Samuel Young in his address 100 years ago in this town on that occasion said: "We have assembled to commence the excavation of the Erie canal. The work when accomplished will connect our western inland seas with the Atlantic ocean. It will diffuse the benefits of internal navigation over a surface of vast extent, blessed with a salubrious climate and luxuriant soil, embracing a tract of country capable of sustaining more human beings than were ever accommodated by any work of the kind."

DeWitt Clinton predicted it would be a "canal as to the extent of its route, as to the countries which it would connect, and as to the consequences, which it would produce, without a parallel in the history of mankind.''

These prophetic utterances to some extent indicate the sweep of vision of those who projected New York's matchless canal system, that has contributed immeasurably to the upbuilding of its diversified activities, its wealth and its liberal humanities.

In appreciation of the manifold activities and inestimable services of the Clintons and others, whose "number is legion," and of the foresight, liberality and sacrifices of the people of the state a century ago in providing for and carrying to completion the most gigantic American undertaking in some respects of the 19th century, we are assembled to observe the centenary of the beginning of its building in this vicinity on July 4, 1817.

The people of the State of New York are officially represented by His Excellency Governor Whitman and Speaker Thaddeus C. Sweet of the Assembly, State Engineer and Surveyor Frank M. Williams, Superintendent of Public Works General W. W. Wotherspoon, members of the canal board, the New York State Waterways Association, by its president, its vice-presidents, the chairman of its executive committee, George Clinton, the chairman of its committee on resolutions, P. W. Cullinan, several other state association officers and by many of its members, the City of Rome is represented by its mayor, Mr. Midlam, and other officers and many of its citizens and the Rome Chamber of Commerce by its president, Mr. Lawton, and many of its members and many other cities and commercial organizations are represented by delegates, a list of which so far as obtainable, will appear in the official records of the celebration. In addition to these, many representative citizens from the political divisions of the state are in attendance to join in the centenary exercises. To all these officials, delegates and representatives and to all others present on this occasion, we join with Chairman Beach of the Rome Canal Centenary Committee in extending a hearty welcome. We will now proceed with the formal addresses, which will be both edifying and highly entertaining.

New York has excelled in its chief executives. They have quite generally appreciated its unique position among the states of the Union and have done what they were able to do to promote its commercial as well as its general development to the proportions of an empire.

Chairman Hill introduced for the first speaker of the afternoon, Hon. George Clinton, chairman of the executive committee of the New York State Waterways Association, and special delegate from the Buffalo Historical Society for the centenary celebration. Mr. Clinton's address is given in full, in pages following. Others who spoke, following Mr. Clinton, were Governor Whitman; Hon. Frank M. Williams, State Engineer and Surveyor; Hon. Thaddeus C. Sweet, Speaker of the Assembly; Mr. E. R. Carhart of New York, former president of the New York Produce Exchange; Mr. W. Pierrepont White of Utica, and Oswald P. Backus of Rome.

EVOLUTION OF THE
NEW YORK CANAL SYSTEM

BY HON. GEORGE CLINTON.1

To give a complete history of the canals down to the time of the first improvement would take much greater time and space than the present occasion warrants. This paper will therefore be limited to sketching the evolution of our canal system and the improvement of the canals, with a mere outline of their history.

While all the heads of the state have contributed largely to its prosperity, by far the greatest agency in laying the foundations of New York's commercial and industrial supremacy has been the Erie canal, and the three canals most intimately connected with the early history of the state have been that and the Champlain and Oswego canals. This paper will, therefore, be devoted primarily to the Erie and the Oswego, with such relation of historic facts as cluster around the Champlain canal that may be of interest.

THE ORIGINAL CANAL IDEA.

In the past there has been much controversy over the interesting question, "Who originated the Erie canal?'' It is enough to say that after all that has been written and said on this subject it is not possible truly to give the credit for this to any one person for the simple reason that no one originated the idea of the Erie canal as constructed. So far as the basic idea of connecting Lake Erie with the Hudson by water channel is concerned, the statement made by Cadwalader D. Colden in 1825 in his memoirs prepared at the request of a committee of the Common Council of the City of New York correctly and clearly enunciates the impossibility of coming to any conclusion. He says: "How much in vain, then, must it be to inquire who first thought to connect the western and northern and southern waters. Many had opportunities of acquiring all the knowledge connected with the subject, and it is probable that the thought of water communications, where they are now made by the Western Inland Lock Navigation Company, was common to hundreds at the same time. Could we pursue this inquiry with any prospect of success it would be a futile labor. The discovery would be of no benefit to the community, and but little more credit would be due to one to whom the original thought might be traced if he did nothing towards executing the idea he had conceived than if it had been a dream (page 13).

1.

Address at the centennial of the beginning of construction work on the Erie Canal, at Rome, N. Y., July 4, 1917. Mr. Clinton was a special delegate from the Buffalo Historical Society on this occasion.

This was written by Mr. Colden almost one hundred years after the idea of making some connection with the Great Lakes by water had been suggested by his grandfather, Cadwalader D. Colden, then surveyor general of the Province of New York. The truth is that the Erie canal and our other canals are the products of evolution, increase of knowledge and the growing demands of commerce.

MANY DESERVE CREDIT.

If the limitations of this paper would permit, it would be interesting to trace at length the parts taken by the many thoughtful and able men in the projection, advocacy and construction of our canals; but there are so many who are entitled to greater or less credit that a discussion of the parts taken by them would occupy so much space it would be impossible to lay before this convention the facts which I regard as of most importance and of the greatest interest. I may, however, mention a few names of those who have been given, and are entitled to, credit for suggestion, promotion, investigation, advocacy and legislative and constructive action during the early stages of the consideration of the propriety of constructing the Erie, Oswego and Champlain canals and during the actual creation of those great works. In addition to Christopher Colles, an ardent advocate of constructing a canal through from the Hudson to the Great Lakes, Elkanah Watson, who claimed the credit of suggesting the idea of the Erie, but who merely independently voiced what was in the minds of many people; Gouverneur Morris, who was one of the first canal commissioners, appointed on account of his ability and because he had also suggested the possibility of connecting the Erie with the Hudson; Messrs. Adgate, Williams, Livingstone and Barker, all of whom took a very active part in the legislative transactions which resulted in canal construction; George Clinton, first Governor of the State; George Washington, first President of the United States and commander of the Revolutionary forces; Cadwalader D. Colden, John Smith, Peter Schuyler, Jesse Hawley, Joshua Forman, Thomas Eddy, Jonas Platt, Jeremiah Van Rensselaer and Cadwalader D. Colden, the younger. are entitled to our grateful remembrance and the greatest credit for promoting the artificial inland waterway system of our State. I have not yet mentioned my ancestor, DeWitt Clinton. He was chosen by the canal advocates of that day on account of his great ability, energy and deep interest in the public welfare as the great champion of our waterways, and to him the credit is due of co-ordinating the labor of the others and by his eloquence and knowledge securing the necessary legislation and finances and the actual construction of our great canals. Yet, when speaking of the canals, he, recognizing that he alone could never have brought about the consummation of these great works and that many others were as necessary as he to their achievement, said, "for the good which has been done by individuals or communities, in relation to this work, let each have a due share of credit."'

It is interesting to follow this process of evolution of ideas that has given us our artificial waterways. We are apt to give particular individuals too much credit for their greatness and we are prone not to acknowledge the great Power above which guides our destinies

and the lessons taught to men by nature herself. Indeed, we do not often enough stop to think that the individual-his physical energy and his mental capacity—is the child of nature and the servant of the laws of God, built up and enabled to see and to act through a growth of thought and action that has preceded him for centuries. Canals were constructed at least 600 years before Christ.

OUR EARLY SETTLERS.

When the English colonized America they planted their settlements along the Atlantic coast. The colonists were barred from the great middle west by the mountains, knew little thereof and of the Pacific coast. The great barrier between them and the middle west was the Appalachian chain of mountains. When the French took possession of the part of the North American continent which they at first occupied, they settled upon the St. Lawrence and were not harred from the great west by any high mountain ridge. At the time of these early settlements the great Iroquois Confederacy, the Five Nations, inhabited and dominated the State of New York from the Hudson to Lake Erie. They were savages pure and simple, cannibalistic, living by the chase, except as they raised maize and a few vegetables and gathered wild fruits, berries and bark. They were warlike and occupied the great military strategic point of this continent. From their domains they could reach the Atlantic coast by the Mohawk and the Hudson, by the Delaware and by the Susquehanna, and they could reach the Ohio and the Mississippi by the Allegheny and, with portages by the great rivers that run southerly from and northerly into Lake Erie, in addition to having the Great Lakes at their command for reaching the northwest, as well as the Desplaines and the Illinois, and, by that way, the Mississippi. With these water communications and through the valleys of the streams they carried on a ruthless war against their neighbors. There was practically no interchange of products between them and other tribes and no commerce.

The face of nature invited the English and the French by the way of the St. Lawrence, the Niagara and the Great Lakes. as well as the Ohio and the Mississippi, the Mohawk and the Hudson to extend their possessions and carry on the fur trade with the savages of the continent. This, the fur trade, was the beginning of the great commerce which now flows between the east and the west in the United States and Canada. The English were barred from the northern routes and the St. Lawrence, although they could reach the St. Lawrence by the Hudson, Lake George, Lake Champlain and the rivers, which, with portages, connect those waters with the Great St. Law

rence.

EARLY APPRECIATION OF WATER ROUTES.

I cannot go into detail of the contest for supremacy between the French and English and it must suffice to say that both the French and the English endeavored to take the greatest advantage of the water communications I have mentioned and that the easiest and most economical way for communication with the Great Lakes was