A. L. Bishop — The State Worls of Pennsylvania. 193 



the topography of the country between Philadelphia and the eastern 

 section of the Pennsylvania canal was better adapted to railroad 

 than to canal construction. In accordance with this suggestion, the 

 legislature now provided for the commencement of a railroad 

 between Philadelphia and Columbia. By the same act, many local 

 surveys omitted from the elaborate list of the previous year were 

 now required to be made. 



The report of the commissioners for 1828* furnished a good 

 illustration of the working out of the new policy. Contracts had 

 been let for 40yo miles of the roadbed of the Philadelphia and 

 Columbia raih'oad, and for 1951/4; miles of canal. The following is 

 a classified statementf of the latter : — • 



23 miles along the west branch of the Susquehanna. 



45 miles along the north branch of the Susquehanna. 



351/2 miles along the Delaware. 



101/2 miles of the French Creek feeder. 



26I/2 miles from Blairsville up the Conemaugh. 



45 miles along the Juniata. 



10 miles between Middleto^vn and Columbia. 



I95I/2 miles in all. 



By referring to the map (p. 196) it is seen that only the last three 

 items refer to contracts along the trunk line. They represent a 

 total of but 8II/2 miles, against 114 for purely lateral works. 



On the 22d of April, 1829, "An Act relative to the Pennsylvania 

 canal and railroad"^ was passed. It gave the canal board the power 

 to enter into contracts for those sections of the improvements along 

 the Delaware and the north branch division not yet commenced. 

 They were also directed to complete during the ensuing year, if 

 possible, all the works then in progress. The following December 

 they were able to report§ that 195 miles of canal were finished. 

 Only 151/2 miles of new work had been arranged for, but all of it 

 was for extending local lines. During this year, rates of tolls were 

 established and a code of rules to govern the operation of the public 

 works was drawn up and adopted. The first revenue was collected 

 in 1830 upon portions of the trunk line near Pittsburg and Middle- 

 town. 



* J. H. Eep., 182S-9, II, p. 07, and 1831-2, II, p. 133. 



t J. H. Rep., 1831-2, II, p. 133. 



J Laws of Pennsylvania, 1829, p. 251. 



§ J. H. Rep., 1829-30, II, p. 225. 



