Handicaps　of　various　sorts　wore　the　patience　of　commissioners；　engineers；　and　contractors。　Lack　of　snow　during　one　winter　all　but　stopped　the　work　by　cutting　off　the　source　of　supplies。　Pioneer　ailments；　such　as　fever　and　ague；　reaped　great　harvests；　incapacitated　more　than　a　thousand　workmen　at　one　time　and　for　a　brief　while　stopped　work　completely。
  For　the　most　part；　however；　work　was　carried　on　simultaneously　on　all　the　three　great　links　or　sections　into　which　the　enterprise　was　divided。　Local　contractors　were　given　preference　by　the　commissioners；　and　three…fourths　of　the　work　was　done　by　natives　of　the　State。　Forward　up　the　Mohawk　by　Schenectady　and　Utica　to　Rome；　thence　bending　southward　to　Syracuse；　and　from　there　by　way　of　Clyde；　Lyons；　and　Palmyra；　the　canal　made　its　way　to　the　giant　viaduct　over　the　Genesee　River　at　Rochester。　Keeping　close　to　the　summit　level　on　the　dividing　ridge　between　Lake　Ontario　streams　and　the　Valley　of　the　Tonawanda；　the　line　ran　to　Lockport；　where　a　series　of　locks　placed　the　canal　on　the　Lake　Erie　level；　365　miles　from　and　564　feet　above　Albany。　By　June；　1823；　the　canal　was　completed　from　Rochester　to　Schenectady；　in　October　boats　passed　into　the　tidewaters　of　the　Hudson　at　Albany；　and　in　the　autumn　of　1825　the　canal　was　formally　opened　by　the　passage　of　a　triumphant　fleet　from　Lake　Erie　to　New　York　Bay。　Here　two　kegs　of　lake　water　were　emptied　into　the　Atlantic；　while　the　Governor　of　the　State　of　New　York　spoke　these　words：
  〃This　solemnity；　at　this　place；　on　the　first　arrival　of　vessels　from　Lake　Erie；　is　intended　to　indicate　and　commemorate　the　navigable　communication；　which　has　been　accomplished　between　our　Mediterranean　Seas　and　the　Atlantic　Ocean；　in　about　eight　years；　to　the　extent　of　more　than　four　hundred　and　twenty…five　miles；　by　the　wisdom；　public　spirit；　and　energy　of　the　people　of　the　State　of　New　York；　and　may　the　God　of　the　Heavens　and　the　Earth　smile　most　propitiously　on　this　work；　and　render　it　subservient　to　the　best　interests　of　the　human　race。〃
  Throughout　these　last　seven　years；　the　West　was　subconsciously　getting　ready　to　meet　the　East　halfway　by　improving　and　extending　her　steamboat　operations。　Steamboats　were　first　run　on　the　Great　Lakes　by　enterprising　Buffalo　citizens　who；　in　1818；　secured　rights　from　the　Fulton…Livingston　monopoly　to　build　the　Walk…in…the…Water；　the　first　of　the　great　fleet　of　ships　that　now　whiten　the　inland　seas　of　the　United　States。　Regular　lines　of　steamboats　were　now　formed　on　the　Ohio　to　connect　with　the　Cumberland　Road　at　Wheeling；　although　the　steamboat　monopoly　threatened　to　stifle　the　natural　development　of　transportation　on　Western　rivers。
  The　completion　of　the　Erie　Canalcoupled　with　the　new　appropriation　by　Congress　for　extending　the　Cumberland　Road　from　the　Ohio　River　to　Missouri　and　the　beginning　of　the　Pennsylvania　and　the　Chesapeake　and　Ohio　canals；　reveal　the　importance　of　these　concluding　days　of　the　first　quarter　of　the　nineteenth　century　in　the　annals　of　American　transportation。　Never　since　that　time　have　men　doubted　the　ability　of　Americans　to　accomplish　the　physical　domination　of　their　continent。　With　the　conquest　of　the　Alleghanies　and　of　the　forests　and　swamps　of　the　〃Long　House〃　by　pick　and　plough　and　scraper；　and　the　mastery　of　the　currents　of　the　Mississippi　by　the　paddle　wheel；　the　vast　plains　beyond　seemed　smaller　and　the　Rockies　less　formidable。　Men　now　looked　forward　confidently；　with　an　optimist　of　these　days；　to　the　time　〃when　circulation　and　association　between　the　Atlantic　and　Pacific　and　the　Mexican　Gulf　shall　be　as　free　and　perfect　as　they　are　at　this　moment　in　England〃　between　the　extremities　of　that　country。　The　vision　of　a　nation　closely　linked　by　wellworn　paths　of　commerce　was　daily　becoming　clearer。　What　further　westward　progress　was　soon　to　be　made　remains　to　be　seen。
  CHAPTER　IX。　The　Dawn　Of　The　Iron　Age
  Despite　the　superiority　of　the　new　iron　age　that　quickly　followed　the　widespreading　canal　movement；　there　was　a　generous　spirit　and　a　chivalry　in　the　〃good　old　days〃　of　the　stagecoach；　the　Conestoga；　and　the　lazy　canal　boat；　which　did　not　to　an　equal　degree　pervade　the　iron　age　of　the　railroad。　When　machinery　takes　the　place　of　human　brawn　and　patience；　there　is　an　indefinable　eclipse　of　human　interest。　Somehow；　cogs　and　levers　and　differentials　do　not　have　the　same　appeal　as　fingers　and　eyes　and　muscles。　The　old　days　of　coach　and　canal　boat　had　a　picturesqueness　and　a　comradeship　of　their　own。　In　the　turmoil　and　confusion　and　odd　mixing　of　every　kind　of　humanity　along　the　lines　of　travel　in　the　days　of　the　hurtling　coach…and…six；　a　friendliness；　a　robust　sympathy；　a　ready　interest　in　the　successful　and　the　unfortunate；　a　knowledge　of　how　the　other　half　lives；　and　a　familiarity　with　men　as　well　as　with　mere　places；　was　common　to　all　who　took　the　road。　As　Thackeray　so　vividly　describes　it：
  〃The　land　rang　yet　with　the　tooting　horns　and　rattling　teams　of　mail…coaches；　a　gay　sight　was　the　road　in　those　days；　before　steam…engines　arose　and　flung　its　hostelry　and　chivalry　over。　To　travel　in　coaches；　to　know　coachmen　and　guards；　to　be　familiar　with　inns　along　the　road；　to　laugh　with　the　jolly　hostess　in　the　bar；　to　chuck　the　pretty　chamber…maid　under　the　chin；　were　the　delight　of　men　who　were　young　not　very　long　ago。　The　road　was　an　institution；　the　ring　was　an　institution。　Men　rallied　around　them；　and；　not　without　a　kind　of　conservatism　expatiated　on　the　benefits　with　which　they　endowed　the　country；　and　the　evils　which　would　occur　when　they　should　be　no　more　decay　of　British　spirit；　decay　of　manly　pluck；　ruin　of　the　breed　of　horses；　and　so　forth　and　so　forth。　To　give　and　take　a　black　eye　was　not　unusual　nor　derogatory　in　a　gentleman：　to　drive　a　stage…coach　the　enjoyment；　the　emulation；　of　generous　youth。　Is　there　any　young　fellow　of　the　present　time；　who　aspires　to　take　the　place　of　a　stoker？　One　sees　occasionally　in　the　country　a　dismal　old　drag　with　a　lonely　driver。　Where　are　you；　charioteers？　Where　are　you；　O　rattling　Quicksilver；　O　swift　Defiance？　You　are　passed　by　racers　stronger　and　swifter　than　you。　Your　lamps　are　out；　and　the　music　of　your　horns　has　died　away。
  Behind　this　change　from　the　older　and　more　picturesque　days　which　is　thus　lamented　there　lay　potent　economic　forces　and　a　strong　commercial　rivalry　between　different　parts　of　the　country。　The　Atlantic　States　were　all　rivals　of　each　other；　reaching　out　by　one　bold　stroke　after　another　across　forest；　mountain；　and　river　to　the　gigantic　and　fruitful　West。　Step　after　step　the　inevitable　conquest　went　on。　Foremost　in　time　marched　the　sturdy　pack…horsemen；　blazing　the　way　for　the　heavier　forces　quietly　biding　their　time　in　the　rearthe　Conestogas；　the　steamboat；　the　canal　boat；　and；　last　and　greatest　of　them　all；　the　locomotive。
  Through　a　long　preliminary　period　the　principal　center　of　interest　was　the　Potomac　Valley；　towards　whose　strategic　head　Virginia　and　Maryland；　by　river…improvement　and　road…building；　were　directing　their　commercial　routes　in　amiable　rivalry　for　the　conquest　of　the　Western　trade。　Suddenly　out　from　the　southern　region　of　the　Middle　Atlantic　States　went　the　Cumberland　National　Road　to　the　Ohio。　New　York　instantly；　in　her　zone；　took　up　the　challenge　and　thrust　her　great　Erie　Canal　across　to　the　Great　Lakes。　In　rapid　succession；　Pennsylvania　and　Maryland　and　Virginia；　eager　not　to　be　outdone　in　winning　the　struggle　for　Western　trade；　sent　their　canals　into　the　Alleghanies　toward　the　Ohio。
  It　soon　developed；　however；　that　Baltimore；　both　powerful　and　ambitious；　was　seriously　handicapped。　In　order　to　retain　her　commanding　position　as　the　metropolis　of　Western　trade　she　was　compelled　to　resort　to　a　new　and　untried　method　of　transportation　which　marks　an　era　in　American　history。
  It　seems　plain　that　the　Southern　rivals　of　New　York　City　Philadelphia；　Baltimore；　and　Alexandriahad　relied　for　a　while　on　the　deterring　effect　of　a　host　of　critics　who　warned　all　men　that　a　canal　of　such　proportions　as　the　Erie　was　not　practicable；　that　no　State　could　bear　the　financial　drain　which　its　construction　would　involve；　that　theories　which　had　proved　practical　on　a　small　scale　would　fail　in　so　large　an　undertaking；　that　the　canal　would　be　clogged　by　floods　or　frozen　up　for　half　of　each　year；　and　that　commerce　would　ignore　artificial　courses　and　cling　to　natural　channels。　But　the　answer　of　the　Empire　State　to　her　rivals　was　the　homely　but　triumphant　cry　〃Low　Bridge！〃　the　warning　to　passengers　on　the　decks　of　canal　boats　as　they　approached　the　numerous　bridges　which　spanned　the　route。　When　this　cry　passed　into　a　byword　it　afforded　positive　proof　that　the　Erie　Canal　traffic　was　firmly　established。　The　words　rang　in　the　counting…houses　of　Philadelphia　and　out　and　along　the　Lancaster　and　the　Philadelphia…Pittsburgh　turnpikes〃Low　Bridge！　Low　Bridge！〃　Pennsylvania　had　granted；　it　has　been　pointed　out；　that　her　Southern　neighbors　might　have　their　share　of　the　Ohio　Valley　trade　but　maintained　that　the　splendid　commerce　of　the　Great　Lakes　was　her　own　peculiar　heritage。　Men　of　Baltimore　who　had　dominated　the　energetic　policy　of　stone…road　building　in　their　State　heard　this　alarming　challenge　from　the　North。　The　echo　ran　〃Low　Bridge！〃　in　th