A. L. Bishop — The State Worl-s of Pennsylvania. 157 



a series of locks. The amount expended for this purpose and in 

 improvements of every description, including opening the Mauch 

 Chunk coal fields, dwellings, mills, railroads and turnpikes, up to 

 January 1st, 1828, was $875,718.79.* The act of incorporation of 

 1822 contained a proviso that the total sum at any one time invested 

 in land should not exceed $60,000. The maximum capitalization 

 was also fixed at $1,000,000. In later years, when increasing busi- 

 ness came to require it, these restrictions were removed. The com- 

 pany is still in existence with a capitalization of $15,801,300. It 

 owns various properties, including coal fields and a main line of 

 canal 48 miles in length extending from Coal Port to Easton.f 



A successful enterprise looking towards the improvement of 

 navigation on the western waters of the state was incorporated by 

 the legislature on the 24th of March, 1817, under the name of "The 

 President, Managers, and Company of the Monongahela Navigation 

 Company." This act appointed commissioners to receive subscrip- 

 tions to 1,600 shares of stock at $30 each, as a capital for improve- 

 ments in navigation on the Monongahela river. It was proposed 

 and authorized in the act of incorporation to construct sixteen 

 dams across the river from the state line to its mouth, a distance of 

 ninety miles. This would form a slack water navigation, and locks 

 connected the pools. The sum of $30,000 was subscribed by the 

 state and $18,360 by individuals. The work was commenced in 

 1821, but little progress was made before operations were, for the 

 time being, suspended. Several years later, however, work was 

 resumed, and in 1890 the official report showed that the capital 

 had reached the sum of $1,630,000, upon which a handsome divi- 

 dend of 9 per cent, was paid. The work, however, is maintained 

 now free of expense to the shippers of the various products of the 

 Monongahela valley, for in 1897 the government of the United 

 States, by proceedings in condemnation, acquired possession and 

 control of the company. 



During the few years immediately preceding, and closely fol- 

 lowing the American Revolution, many plans were brought forward 

 in Pennsylvania for improvements in transportation. These were 

 not only of a local character but provided also for the development 



* Haz. Reg., I, p. 414. This figvire does not include the money expended 

 in buying real estate. 



tHeport Pennsylvania Department Internal Affairs, 1903-04, iv, p. 712. 



