590 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



in condition and character, and will share with us the various products of 

 co-operative labor ; while our own city will be the chief place for the inter- 

 change of these products. A little of our ingenuity and a little of our 

 ice applied to cheaply built steamers, will make tropical fruits as regular 

 and as cheap in our market, at all seasons as potatoes ; and the same 

 ingenuity and ice applied to cars will give us game from Iowa in August, 

 in exchange for our tropical and ocean products. 



The future of our children is a glorious vision. Time will remove us 

 from their notice, but from the conscious enjoyment of this vision, and 

 from the recollection of our own part in its production, never. Therefore 

 we can labor cheerfully to fill the earth with knowledge. Such labor hath 

 a peaceful solution. It clears the air of demons, and the earth of demigods 

 and demagogues ; and allies us to the Great Father who worketh all the 

 while. 



Mr. Howe. — There have been some improvements made in propellers 

 which tend to revolutionize the whole traffic by introducing steam on 

 canals. Two screws have been used, one on each side of the rudder, and 

 with manifest advantage. The wagon-shaft screw has also been employed. 

 It turns with the helm and renders steering easy and quick. There can be 

 little doubt that the screw will supercede the paddle-wheel. 



Dr. Vanderwcyde. — Propellers do better at sea than paddle-wheels, 

 because the vessels carrying them can take advantage of the wind. They 

 have therefore superceded paddle-wheel boats for freight and have mono- 

 polized the immigrant trade. 



Mr. Haskell noted the fact that two small steamers have been plying 

 on the canals, with passengers from Buffalo to some point 30 miles west- 

 ward. 



Mr. Dibbin. — There is a line of steamers from here to Philadelphia, via. 

 canal, from pier No. 10, N. R. The boats carry 300 tons, travel at the 

 rate of 6 or 8 miles an hour, and burn 6 to 7 tons of coal in the trip. 

 These canals do not suffer restrictions on propellers. The pitch is light 

 and the boats are shallow. The propeller mentioned by Mr. Garvey (Mont- 

 gomery's), is an excellent one, the sheath effectually protecting the banks 

 from injury. The railroad charges once and a half as much for freight to 

 Philadelphia as the canals. The Erie, the Central, and the Harlem 

 roads carry freight for far less than what would pay, in order to break 

 down the canals. The carrying of 300 tons to Philadelphia would cost, 

 with wood, from $80 to $90 ; with coal, about one third on canals, or one 

 half on railroad. 



The Chairman. — We should be cautious about making statements con- 

 cerning railroad managers. They are generally men of character, who 

 have all their fortunes and characters at stake. When Mr. Sloan became 

 President of the Hudson River road, he took the cattle carrying from the 

 boats, and found it a good business. Every car added to a train gives profit. 

 Of the $14,000,000, which the road cost, $10,000,000 are not worn by 

 increased movement. Therefore every increase becomes a source of profit. 



