FUXrUE WATER SUI'PLV OF THE ADIRONDACK MOUNTAIN REGION. ^■]'] 



Engineer, estimates a total cost for this canal of $80,000,000 as against $20o,ooo,C03, 

 the cost of the canal through New York State. Even were such a canal constructed 

 the Adirondack region may still realize by water navigation through the St. Law- 

 rence River and Lake Cliamplain the principal benefits which will accrue to it from 

 eitlier Deep Waterways or Barge Canal. 



In order to show the relative advantages of these two canals the followincr 

 statements of distances are given : From Sault Ste. Marie to Montreal, the 

 distance, by way of the Montreal, Ottawa and Georgian Bay Canal, is 605 miles, 

 and from Sault Ste. Marie to Liverpool, 3,398 miles. The distance from Sault St. 

 ALirie to New York, by way of Lakes Huron, Erie and Ontario and the Oswego- 

 Mohawk-Hudson route, is 1,081 miles; or, by way of the St. Lawrence-Cham- 

 plain-Hudson route, 1,289 niiles. The distance to Liverpool from Sault .Ste. 

 ^laric by the shorter of these two routes is 4,186 miles, and by the longer route, 

 4,394 miles. These figures show a balance of 788 miles from Sault Ste. Marie 

 to Liverpool in favor of the Montreal, Ottawa and Georgian Bay Canal, as against 

 the shortest distance via Ottawa-Mohawk-Hudson route to New York. 



It is no part of the present paper to point out the significance of these figures 

 any further than thej- apply to the Adirondack region especially under consider- 

 ation. As regards the whole State their significance is equally clear. 



As stated in the beginning of this paper the area of the Adirondack region 

 may be taken as substantially equal to that of the State of Massachusetts, or to 

 a little more than 8,000 square miles. According to Census Bulletin No. 125, 

 issued January 14, 1902, tiie total value of farm property in Massachusetts was 

 $182,646,704, and the total number of acres in farms was 3,147,064, of wb.ich 

 1,292,132 acres were improved and 1,854,932 unimproved. The total land area of 

 Massachusetts is 8,040 square miles, of which 4,917 square miles, or 61.2^ are 

 included in farms. 



Census Bulletin No. 179, issued June 3, 1902, gives similar statistics for the State 

 of New York in igoo. The total value of farm property was $1,069,723,895. The 

 total nundjcr of acres in farms was 22,648,109, of which 15,599,986 acres were 

 improved and 7,048,123 were unimproved. The total land area of New York is 

 47.620 square miles, or 30,476,800 acres, of which 22,648,109 acres, or 74.3;'^ are 

 included in farms. 



We mav also consider the relative manufacturin"' of the two States as sriven 

 in Census Bulletin No. 158, issuec. April 7, 1902. The total capital employed in 

 manufacturing in Massachusetts in 1900 was $823,264,287. The assessed ."'alu- 

 ation (jf the real estate was $2,247,094,547. The value of the annual product Aas 

 $1,035,198,989. 



