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304:(1985), Viking Penguin, New York quotation page 87: "There was little experience moving bulk loads by carts, while a packhorse would carry only an eighth of a ton . On a soft road, a horse might be able to draw 5/8ths of a ton . But if the load were carried by a barge on a waterway, then up to 30 tons could be drawn by the same horse."
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figures, a mule can draw 60,000 lbs but carry only 250 lbs, which need men to load and unload daily, have a need to carry grain as well (parasitic weight), and for same tonnages, required far more men as a labor force, drastically increasing running costs. A 95% reduction is probably conservative,
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The Canal Ring made money by charging low prices for major works, but extremely high ones for minor things, in what was termed an "unbalanced bid". Under the system, contractors could also not complete all of the work they agreed to in a contract without punishment. In 1862, the enlargement of the
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began targeting the ring in 1874. In March 1875, he released a report detailing frauds carried out. This served as a direct appeal to the people, and so aroused public opinion that the legislature was forced to authorize the governor to appoint a canal commission. The reports of this commission
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The Erie Canal was first proposed in the 1780s, then re-proposed in 1807. A survey was authorized, funded, and executed in 1808. Proponents of the project gradually wore down opponents; its construction began in 1817, and opened on
October 26, 1825. In a time when bulk goods were limited to
131:(a 250-pound (113 kg) maximum), and there were no railways, water was the most cost-effective way to ship bulk goods. It was the first transportation system between the Eastern Seaboard and the western interior of the United States that did not require
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resulted in a marked diminution in the appropriation for canals and the indictment of several officials for defrauding the State. His handling of the Ring is credited with helping Tilden secure the
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was completed in 1866, however, the canal began to lose tonnage again. By 1869, railroads finally surpassed the canals in terms of tonnage, and the routes financial troubles were compounded by the
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and opened regions farther west to settlement. Though the Erie Canal and associated feeders were highly successful for several years after opening, overbuilding and the
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canal was deemed finished in an effort to curb corruption, but new improvements were soon necessitated by the increased traffic due to the Civil War.
205:, William Bristol, William S. Clark, George W. Millspaugh, and counsel Henry Smith. It concluded there were "gross and monstrous frauds", and the
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More competition forced the canal to lower rates, resulting in a decline in revenue. The canal saw a boom in prosperity with the outbreak of the
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Journal of the Court for the Trial of
Impeachments: In the Case of Hon. Robert C. Dorn, a Canal Commissioner of the State of New York
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contractors. In 1854, a board of three commissioners was established to award contracts for the maintenance and repair of the canal.
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Many New
Yorkers felt corruption was a major cause of the canal system's troubles. In 1867 at the state Constitutional Convention,
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and other canals further contributed to decline in profits. In 1851, contracts under the $ 9 Million Act were divided among
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in the Senate. The firm Belden & Denison made the most money from the scam, though numerous contractors were involved.
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was a group of corrupt contractors and their political supporters in the 1860s and 1870s who defrauded the State of
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1853 Map of New York canals emboldened, center: the Erie Canal; other lines: railroads, rivers and county borders
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250 lb/30 t is 0.4% the expenses, so reduction to 5% costs still indicates someone is taking a lot of profits.
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alleged canal contracts of being awarded to the highest bidder. A commission was established, consisting of
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It was faster than carts pulled by draft animals and cut transport costs by about 95%. The canal gave
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93:. Frauds peaked in 1872, with "Appropriations for Extraordinary Repairs" rising to $ 4.1 million.
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Archdeacon, Thomas J. (1978). "The Erie Canal Ring, Samuel J. Tilden, and the
Democratic Party".
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in 1861, which continued throughout the war and for a brief time after. After the
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beginning in 1873. It registered a net loss of $ 265,610.70 in 1875.
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marked the end of highly profitable years. Increased competition from
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This article incorporates text from a publication now in the
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system. It consisted largely of a group of loosely organized
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This article is about a historical event. For waterways, see
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330:"200 Years Ago, Erie Canal Got Its Start as Just a 'Ditch'"
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by overcharging for repairs and improvement of the state's
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266:"The Story of the New York State Canals"
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106:Democratic nomination for president
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441:Rines, George Edwin, ed. (1920).
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328:Roberts, Sam (June 26, 2017).
240:Encyclopedia of New York State
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502:Politics of New York (state)
444:"Tilden, Samuel Jones"
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497:Crimes in New York (state)
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420:Dorn, Robert C. (1868).
450:Encyclopedia Americana
264:Finch, Roy G. (1925).
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359:New York State Canals
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98:Governor of New York
62:in the Assembly and
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217:References
181:Canal Ring
156:Democratic
122:Erie Canal
120:See also:
116:Background
71:Erie Canal
49:Republican
45:Democratic
33:Canal Ring
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152:railroads
79:Rochester
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Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
