a 
142 Hudson and Mohawk Rail Road. 
and most of the business, of the northern and western parts of the 
state. ‘The immense amount of transportation and commercial bus- 
ness, and the great number of passengers with which it unavoidably 
has to do, seem still to entitle it to its ancient name. 
The Mohawk Rail Road is of course crowded with passengers, 
and it is thought will shortly be covered with cars bearing produce 
and merchandize. When it was first opened to the public, the cars 
traversed it six times a day; now they traverse it eight times a day. 
Some account, therefore, of this interesting work, may not be et- 
tirely unacceptable. . 
The Company was chartered by the Legislature of New York, in 
1826, with a capital of $300,000, with liberty to increase it lo 
$500,000. This increase has recently taken place. Commission- 
ers were appointed by the Governor under the act, to appraise the 
damages done by taking the land along the route of the road, aud 
the amount of the appraisement was to be lodged in the bank to the 
credit of the owner. 
Not till 1830 was any thing like a fair beginning made. By the 
spirited exertions of some few capitalists in New York, the stock w’ 
taken up and an impetus given to the project. The surveys we 
first made by Mr. Fleming, who left the employ of the Company 
1829. Mr. Jervis, the present intelligent engineer, succeeded him 
in 1830. He had previously acquired reputation in the service of 
the Hudson and Delaware Company. Lines were run at different 
periods north and south of the old Schenectady turnpike road, but 
all the surveys seemed to eventuate in favor of the southern route: 
There the approach to the river was easiest, the ground requisite fot 
the termination of so important a work was to be had at a moderalé 
price, and but one principal street of the city was crossed by the 
track. ‘The route adopted by the Company upon the recommend 
tion of Mr. Jervis, was generally three fourths of a mile north ° 
Mr. Fleming’s line, except at the two terminations. It is believed 
that no part of Mr. F.’s plan has been adopted. 
In the month of June, 1830, an advertisement for contracts was 
published, and proposals were accordingly received on the 5th of 
July following. On the 17th of the same month, contracts were 
made for the grading, for the stone blocks, broken stone and part d 
the timber, &c. On the 12th of August, same year, the ground ia 
broken at Schenectady, in the presence of a large concourse of per 
ple, and an address was delivered by C. C. Cambreleng; Esq: who 
