Later Means of Communication 233 



Tenth Avenue, Manhattan, to the towns of Greenbush and 

 East Albany, opposite the capital city. By November, 

 1847, the contractors had begun work on the various sections 

 of the road-bed; but the difficulties of waves and tides from 

 the river and the hard cutting through the rocky promon- 

 tories on the line of the road caused numerous delays. The 

 work was pushed with energy, but the contractors could not 

 get their men to work at night; and the enjoyment of the 

 laborers themselves was frequently enhanced by the scrim- 

 mages which occurred between the "Corkonians and the 

 Far-Downs," the Irishmen who constituted the gangs of 

 workmen having transplanted sectional animosities from the 

 "Old Sod," as well as themselves and their material belong- 

 ings. These kept the surgeons busy, but did not increase the 

 joy of the contractors. The directors were, however, generous 

 with the contractors on account of unforeseen delays. As 

 planned and built, the road was double-tracked as far as 

 Poughkeepsie. Travel began to Peekskill September 29, 

 1849, and to East Albany, October 13, 1851. 



The New York Central Railroad was authorized April 2, 

 1 85 1, and its organization perfected August 1, 1853. Its 

 charter was issued for the purpose of consolidating all the 

 roads between Albany and Buffalo and Suspension Bridge. 

 Among these minor roads was the Mohawk and Hudson, the 

 oldest railroad in the State, chartered in 1826 and opened on 

 September 12, 183 1. On November 1, 1869, the Hudson River 

 and the New York Central railroads were consolidated under 

 the name and title of the New York Central and Hudson 

 River Railroad Company. 



April 24, 1867, the Spuyten Duyvil and Port Morris Rail- 

 road was chartered. Its length is 6.04 miles, and it connects 

 the Harlem Railroad at the Melrose yards with the Hudson 



