3,800 M. shingles,.... 70 02 532 00 375 tons hoop-poles, laths, staves, heading, &c. 60 0 2 180 00 13207 00 15,000 tons wheat, (500,000 bushels,) 35 0 41 4725 00 8,800 tons ashes, beef, pork, glass, beer, domestic spirits, wool, flour, butter, cheese and other agricultural productions, 60 0 41 4752 00 6,000 tons merchandize, 50 0 9 5400 00 4,600 tons salt,... 60 0 2 1269 60 ... 4,120 tons gypsum, 50 0 21 1030 00 900 tons brick, clay, lime, sand, iron ore, &c. 50 0 21 225 00 On boats, passengers, coal and miscellaneous articles, 2,000 tons additional salt, in consequence of the facilities afforded by the canal and 1,500 tons additional gypsum, as above,... 12,000,000 feet sawed lumber, (on Erie canal,). 150,000 feet square timber, masts, &c. " 175 0 2, 1610 00 90 0 21 675 00 hoop-poles, lath, staves, heading, &c., as above, 333 0 2 1584 00 330 0 9 4752 00 (Of this amount would be collected on the Rochester and Olean canal, 839,125.60.) Total,. $78304 60 The Cayuga and Seneca canal is 22 miles long, and for the past 6 years, the tolls averaged $13,791.64 per annum, equal to $626.89 per mile. The Chemung canal is 40 miles long, and produced last year, (1834,) $3,378.05, equal to $84.45 per mile. The Seneca lake is 40 miles in length, separates these two canals, and taking them and the lake in connexion, and supposing them to form one continuous line of canal, (102 miles,) upon which toll is charged, it would bear some comparison to the contemplated Rochester and Olean canal, and by averaging the above amounts, we have $355. 67 toll per mile, for the whole distance, including the lake, equal for 102 miles to $36,278.34. Allowing the same rate of toll permile to the Rochester and Olean canal, the amount would be $43,391.74. For the fall of 1883 and the year 1834, the tolls of the Crooked lake canal amount to $1,674.24. Some of the property on which this toll was collected would not have found its way to the Seneca lake, had not this canal been constructed. Hence, the amount thus added, should be deducted from the tolls allowed to the Cayuga and Seneca canal, which would approximate more nearly to the estimated revenue for the Rochester and Olean canal. From a statement furnished by the collector at Geneva, it appears that in 1834, 7,573,566 feet of sawed lumber cleared from his office, and from a statement furnished by Mr. Newell, that 9,374,564 feet cleared from the Chemung canal, during the same season; the collector at Geneva states that about of this latter was included in his account; consequently, by deducting that amount and supposing that the remainder passed through the Cayuga and Seneca, and Erie canals, we should have a total amount of 13,823,275 feet. The number of cubic feet of timber passing the same office, upon the same supposition, would be 427,492 feet. From the above statement it may be seen that the cubic feet of timber obtained from this district, bears a much greater proportion to the sawed lumber than that estimated for the Rochester and Olean canal; which difference was made under the belief that their superior hydraulic privileges and their distance from market, will induce them to send a greater proportion of sawed stuff. Supposing that the canal could be constructed for $1,890,614.12, the interest at 41 per cent per annum, would be... $85,077 53 Ordinary expenses for repairs of the whole distance, 122 miles, estimated at $220 per mile, including lock tenders,..... Renewal in the course of 10 years. Wood-work, &c. of 42 r'd brid's at $229, "L of 211 r'd and farm "at 139, $9,618 00 29,329 00 26,895 00 Equal per annum,... Brought forward,... Superintendents and collectors of tolls, and 5 tenders of reservoirs,.... Exceeding the estimated amount of tolls, exclusive of the products from, and the merchandize to the Ohio valley, by ... 85,173 41 6,800 00 $135,305 77 $57,001 17 Statement of the cost of repairs on the following State canals, together with superintendence and lock tending: Erie and Champlain canals, from January 1st, 1826, to Cayuga and Seneca canal, from 1829 to 1834, 6 years, 297 51 301 08 If we take the Cayuga and Seneca canal for the purpose of comparison, it will be necessary to add thereto the extra number of lock-tenders, consequent on the greater amount of lockage on the Rochester and Olean canal in proportion to the distance, equal to $35.41, per annum per mile, which added to the above annual cost of the Cayuga and Seneca canal, is equal to $336.49. $85,077 63 Supposing that the canal could be constructed for $1,890,614.12, the interest at 41 per cent, would be....... Ordinary expenses for the repair of the work, including extra lock tenders, at $336.49,.... Collectors, including office expenses, salaries, clerk hire, &c. and 5 reservoir tenders at $160 each,... 41,135 90 4,800 00 $131,013 53 The average cost of repairs on the canals above mentioned, is $402.29, and adopting this as the cost upon the Rochester and Olean canal+the extra lock tenders, as before stated, equal in all to $437.70, per annum per mile, we have: Interest on cost as above,.... Ordinary expenses, at $437.70 per mile,... Estimating the repairs on the Rochester and Olean canal to be the same as the average upon the Erie and Champlain canal, (equal per annum per mile to $608.28,) in proportion to the cost, they would amount to $395, including lock tenders and superin tendents, which for 1221 miles, Would amount to.... $48,288 75 Brought forward, Add to this collectors' fees, including office expen ses, clerk hire, &c...... Interest on cost, Total cost per annum, $48,288 75 4,000 00 85,077 63 $137,366 38 Should the merchandize from the city of New-York to the valley of the Ohio river take this route, we may estimate the amount at not less than 25 millions of pounds, the toll on which would amount to $24,400, making the annual revenue of the canal for the first six years after its construction, amount to $102,704.60. On account of the imperfect nature of the data from which this conclusion is drawn, this can only be said to be an approximate estimate, though I am inclined to the opinion that it would not be found to exceed the true amount which the canal would yield. The receipts upon the Erie canal during the last year amounted to $1,179,745, and 94 lockages per day were made during the season of navigation. Assuming the number of boats which may pass upon the Rochester and Olean canal to be one-eighth of the number upon the Erie canal, that is, about six boats daily each way, at the same ratio, the amount of tolls will be $42,250, which approximates very nearly to the first estimate of the amount that would be collected on said canal. A comparison may be drawn between the section of country which would probably be affected by the Rochester and Olean canal, and other sections where the amount actually furnished by and supplied to a certain number of inhabitants, may be ascertained with some degree of accuracy. This is the case with the district of country within the State of New-York bordering upon Lake Champlain; it is also well timbered, and, though the soil is inferior, in some respects resembles the southern part of the country through which the Rochester and Olean canal passes, which circumstances have led to its selection for the purpose of comparison. From the statement marked G, appended to the report of the Commissioners, dated January 23, 1832, it appears that the following amount of property passed Whitehall to and from the portion of New-York alluded to, during the year 1831. |