and retired from the position, having administered the affairs of the company with marked ability and success for a period of eleven years. The regret occasioned by his retirement was in some degree compensated by his consenting to remain in the management, as chairman of the executive committee, thus securing to the company the advantages accruing from his large experience in matters affecting the success of its operations. Mining was wholly suspended, by a strike of the miners and laborers, from the middle of May to the middle of September-four monthsbeing the best part of the season for the transportation and production of coal of that year, 1869. About the first of December of the year following, in concert with the other companies in the coal region region, a reduction in the wages of miners was made; this action produced a total suspension of mining operations until the 20th day of May, 1871, when the men accepted the terms offered them, and work was resumed. The causes which led to this prolonged strike, were briefly these. During the war the rapid increase in the demand for coal stimulated production beyond precedent, forced higher rates for mining than was paid by any other branch of industry, and attracted to the mines a larger number of men than could be profitably employed when business returned to its natural channel. To maintain the then current high wages, the miners formed an association, which in a short time embraced the entire anthracite region, and in the year 1869, resolved that they would not only determine the rates to be paid for labor, but that they would also control and determine the production of the mines and the value of coal to the consumer. This new and extraordinary claim was conceded by a majority of the producers, but was successfully resisted by the three northern companies. The system of suspension inaugurated by the men, for the avowed purpose of curtailing the production, was alike disastrous to the company, to the miner, and to the consumer, as no temporary advance in the price of the product will compensate either the operator or the miner for the great losses entailed during periods of suspension, while the consumer bears the burden of enforced high prices, and the risk of having the supply cut off at any moment. "The only safe remedy," said President Dickson, "for our production is the natural law of trade, and it is the belief of the management, that if the suspensions of the last two years had not taken place, and a uniform and steady movement had been maintained, the consumption of 1871 would have been equal to the productive capacity, at prices fairly compensating operator and miner, and furnishing the consumer with coal at moderate and uniform rates;" and he added, further, "the only question involved in the issue is whether the property shall be controlled and the policy of the company determined by the owners, or whether it shall be committed to the care and direction of an irresponsible organization, and in determining this question the managers are strong in the belief that the stockholders can have but one opinion." Before the end of 1871, it became apparent that the productive ability of the various coal companies was greater than the current demand. The market price had consequently begun to show symptoms of weakness, when the occurrence of the great fire in Chicago, causing a general depression in trade, precipitated the decline, and the season closed with light stocks, a light demand, and a very gloomy outlook for the business of 1872. Coal was relatively lower than any other important article of general consump tion; and in view of the large and increasing capacity for production and transportation, there was no reason to expect any advance during that year. The low prices which then ruled, however, extended and stimulated consumption, and promised to gradually bring about a more satisfactory state of things in that branch of trade. Meanwhile the company aimed, by an increased volume of business, to make up for the loss occasioned by the fall in price, and thus keep themselves in a position to reap the sure and not distant harvest when consumption should again overtake the ability to produce. On the first of May, 1871, an arrangement was completed for the perpetual lease of the A property of the Rensselaer & Saratoga Railroad Company. The branch road from Nineveh to Susquehanna, known as the Lackawanna & Susquehanna Railroad, had been completed. third rail had also been laid on the Albany and Susquehanna road for the use of the narrow guage cars, and with a view to the ultimate abandonment of the wider and more expensive guage. A greatly increased traffic immediately resulted from these improvements, exceeding the best hopes of the company, and it became more than ever evident that the acquisition of the Albany & Susquehanna road would prove of the highest permanent value in its bearing on the success of the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company. The President, Mr. Thomas Dickson, who had been for some months absent from the country during that year, returned the following summer. In his next report, for the year ending December 31st, 1872, he says: "The low prices of 1872 stimulated the consumption of coal, and it is now confidently believed that the demand will be equal to the supply, and that remunerative prices will be maintained. If the trade is now placed upon a permanent and profitable basis, the sacrifices of 1872 will not have been in vain. The railroad interests of the company are in a prosperous condition. Permanent improvements are being made to the equipment, the receipts are correspondingly increased. The New York & Canada Railroad is now under construction, and it is hoped that within two years the company will possess a through line from the mines to Montreal." The financial panic of September and October, 1873, materially contracted the volume of business and reduced to some extent the profits of the year; nevertheless the prices of coal were fairly maintained. The construction of the New York & Canada Railroad, after being completed, will open a line to Port Henry, and the rich iron ore deposits that border the shores of Lake Champlain, of which a more extended survey is given in a succeeding chapter, containing the biographical sketch of Mr. Dickson, the president. Under the corner-stone of the immense structure erected by this company on Cortland-street, New York city, in 1874, was deposited a sheet containing the following list of officers and statistics: DELAWARE & HUDSON CANAL CO. This Building was erected by the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company, and this record deposited UNDER THE CORNER STONE, MANAGERS AND OFFICERS OF THE DELAWARE & HUDSON CANAL Co. Board of Managers. Charles N. Talbot. President, Thomas Dickson, Scranton, Pa. Assistant-President, Harwood V. Olyphant ; Treasurer, James C. Hartt, New York city; Secretary, George L. Haight, New York city; Sales-Agent, Rodman G. Moulton, New York city; General Manager, Coe F. Young, Honesdale, Pa.; General Agent of Real Estate Department, E. W. Weston, Providence, Pa.; Superintendent of Coal Department, A. H. Vandling, Providence, Pa.; Superintendent of Railroad Department, R. Manville, Carbondale, Pa.; Superintendent of Canal Department, Asher M. Atkinson, Honesdale, Pa.; Superintendent of Roundout Department, A. Osterhout, Roundout, N. Y.; Sales Agent Southern and Western Department, Joseph J. Albright. Albany & Susquehanna and Rensselaer & Saratoga Railroad Department.-General Superintendent, H. A. Fonda, Albany, N. Y.; Chief Engineer, C. W. Wentz, Albany, N. Y. New York and Canada Railroad Department.-President and Superintendent, Isaac V. Baker, Comstock's Landing, N. Y. Building Committee.-Robert L. Kennedy, Chairman; John Jacob Astor, James R. Taylor; Rodman G. Moulton, Secretary; Richard M. Hunt, Architect; E. E. Raht, Superintendent of Architecture. The company was originally organized March 8th, 1825, and the following comprises the list of officers and managers holding offices at different periods from that time to the present. Presidents-1825, Philip Hone; 1826, John Bolton; 1832, John Wurts; 1858, George T. Olyphant; 1869, Thomas Dickson. Assistant Presidents-1874, Harwood V. Olyphant. Vice-Presidents-1845, Isaac L. Platt; 1849, John Ewen; 1851, Wm. Musgrave; 1857, Robert Soutter; 1866, Thomas Dickson. Treasurers-1825, John Bolton; 1826, Samuel Flewelling; 1832, John H. Williams; 1845, Isaac N. Seymour; 1869, Charles P. Hartt; 1873, James C. Hartt. Secretaries-1842, Isaac N. Seymour; 1848, Gilead A. Smith; 1855, James C. Hartt; 1866, Richard H Nodyne; 1871, Daniel Wilson; 1873, George L. Haight. Sales Agents-1866, James C. Hartt; 1873, Rodman G. Moulton. Sales Agent, Western Department-1869, Joseph J. Albright. General Manager-1869, Coe F. Young. Mining Superintendents-1866, E. W. Weston; 1874, A. H. Vandling. Railroad Department Superintendent-1866, R. Manville. Canal Superintendents-1866, Coe F. Young; 1869, A. M. Atkinson. Rondout Department Superintendents-1873, A. H. Vandling; 1874, A. Osterhoudt. Real Estate Department--1874, E. W. Weston. Superintendent Albany & Susquehanna and Rensselaer & Saratoga R.R. Department-1873, H. A. Fonda. General Superintendent-1873, C. W. Wentz. Chief Engineer New York & Canada R. R. Department-1873, Isaac V. Baker, President and Superintendent. Managers-1825, Garret B. Abeel; 1862, John J. Astor; 1867, John J. Aspinwall; 1825, John Bolton; 1831, James Bryar; 1832, Wm. Bradford; 1834. Joseph Bayley; 1841, Henry Brevoort, Jr.; 1825, Lynde Catlin; 1826, Wm. Calder; 1833, Edward Coleman; 1837, Don Alonzo Cushman; 1860, Le Grand B. Cannon; 1862, John J. Crane; 1868, Thomas Cornell ; 1835, Robert Dyson; 1866, Thomas Dickson; 1834, John Ferguson; 1852, Daniel B. Fearing; 1866, O. De F. Grant; 1825, Philip Hone; 1825, John Hunter; 1825, Abraham Hasbrouck; 1831, John Hitchcock; 1831, William M. Halstead; 1838, William C. Hickok; 1841, Silas Holmes; 1842, Irad Hawley; 1844, William S. Herriman; 1845, Cyrus Hitchcock; 1859, James M. Halstead; 1868, W. J. Hoppin; 1826, Wm. H. Ireland; 1858, Robert L. Kennedy; 1825, Rufus L Lord; 1833, William E. Lee; 1841, Daniel Lord, Jr.; 1842, Jacob R. Leroy; 1857, Abiel A. Low; 1873, J. Pierpont Morgan; 1846, Howard Mott; 1848, Lara Nash; 1837, Joseph M. Olyphant; 1825, Hezekiah Pierpont; 1832, Otis; 1852, George T. Olyphant; 1873, Robert Allison Post; 1834, Isaac L Platt; 1855, Daniel Parish; 1825, William W. Russell; 1826, Benjamin W. Rogers; 1832, Samuel Reynolds; 1832, James Ruthven; 1840, John Rankin; 1853, Robert Ray; 1833, Phileman R. Starr; 1834, Joseph Sands; 1841, Aquilla G. Stout; 1857, Samuel B. Schieffelin; 1859, John Schenck; 1870, Isaac N. Seymour; 1825, Jonathan Thompson; 1826, Thomas Tileston; 1826, Henry Thomas; 1833, Knowles Taylor; 1845, Charles N. Talbot; 1864, James R. Taylor; 1830, W. Van Schaick; 1825, Geo. D. Wick ham; 1825, Maurice Wurts; 1826, Samuel Whittemore; 1831, John Wurts; 1831, William Worrell; 1831, William Wheelright; 1852, Edward J. Woolsey; 1858, John David Wolfe; 1873, George C. Ward; 1842, Henry Young. The Canal from Honesdale to Roundout was commenced July 13th, 1825, and was completed in October, 1828. The first enlargement was completed in 1844, the second was completed in The tonnage of the first boats on the Canal was 25 tons, of the second 40 tons. Present tonnage 125 to 148. The first coal shipped from the mines in Pennsylvania in 1829. 1852. Table of Annual Quantity shipped from the Mines: 1829. 7,000; 1830, 43,000; 1831, 54,000 ; 1832, 84.600; 1833, 111,777; 1834, 43.700; 1835, 90,000; 1836, 103,861; 1837, 115.387; 1838, 78.207; 1839, 122,300; 1840, 148,470; 1841, 192,279; 1842, 205,253; 1843, 227,605; 1844, 251,005; 1845, 273,435; 1846, 320,000; 1847, 386,203; 1848, 437,500; 1849, 454,240; 1850, 432,339; 1851, 472,478; 1852, 497,839; 1853, 494,327; 1854, 438,406; 1855, 565,460; 1856, 499,650; 1857, 480,677; 1858, 348,789; 1859, 591,000; 1860, 499,508; 1861, 726,644; 1862, 644,100; 1863, 828,150; 1864, 852,130; 1865, 759.699; 1866, 1,391,674; 1867, 1,507,487; 1868, 1,991,870; 1869, 1,626,391; 1870, 2,318,073; 1871, 2,011,333; 1872, 2,930,767; 1873, 2,752,596 The railroad from Honesdale, Pa, to the mines was commenced in 1827, and completed in 1829. The First Locomotive that ran upon a railroad on this continent was imported from England by this company; was ordered in England by Horatio Allen, Assistant Engineer; was shipped from Liverpool, April 8th, 1829, on board Packet Ship John Jay ;" arrived in New York, 17th May, 1829; was sent up the river to Rondout, and arrived there 4th July, 1829, from thence was transported by canal, and arrived at Honesdale, July 23d, 1829, and on the 8th of August, 1829, made the trial trip. This locomotive was built at Stourbridge, England; was named the Stourbridge Lion," and the boiler is now in use at Carbondale, Penna. On the 24th February, 1870, this company leased in perpetuity the Albany & Susquehanna Railroad, and on the 1st May, 1871, leased the Rensselaer & Saratoga Railroad, with its branches. Is now engaged in constructing a line from Whitehall in this state on the West side of Lake Champlain, which, when completed, will give this company between 600 and 700 miles of railway. In addition to this they have 186 miles of iron railway in their mines. Contracting Parties for this building as fol lows Masons, A. J. Felter & Son; Carpenter, G. Van Nostrand; Iron, Iron Architectural Iron Works, N. Y.; Iron Floor Beams, W. H. Wallace & Co., agents for Union Iron Co., Buffalo, N. Y.; Granite, J. G. Batterson; Stone Trimmings, Daniel McMaster." when he went into the store of Gardner & St. John in his native town, remaining there five years, after which he went with his father to New York city, where he entered a dry goods. store on Division street. The war breaking out he accompanied his father on his return to Walton, where young Raymond set at the trade of carpenter and joiner, working at it until he was twenty-three years old. Ohio was then the Far West and thither he sought his fortune. In the meantime drafting for the war was in operation at his home, wherein his father was liable for duty. Young John went to the Captain of the company and asked to go in his father's place which was granted. He served three months in the service, and is at present the only pensioner in the city of Scranton, on the rolls of that war. The contract for the building of the road as previously announced, having been let, the first mile from Honesdale out, was taken by Hiram Plumb and himself and built by them, Mr. superintend the work. He was there when the strange looking monster arrived to be placed on the track, and recalls with vividness each particular circumstance connected with the trial trip. In the Lackawanna Valley the Delaware & Raymond being on the ground personally to Hudson Canal Company own seventeen coal breakers, distributed as follows: In Carbondale, four; Jermyn, two; Archbald, two; Olyphant, four; Providence, four; Scranton, one. In the Wyoming Valley they have nine, five at Wilkes-Barre and four at Plymouth. They have extensive works at Carbondale, at Oneonta, a flourishing town midway between Binghamton and Albany, on the Albany & Susquehanna Railroad; at Salem, N. Y., and at Green Island, Albany. At the latter place they have a foundry where they rebuild their engines. It is fitting, in concluding the chapter on the Delaware & Hudson Canal Company, to mention one more item of history. As already stated, this company placed the first locomotive engine upon the track on the American Continent. The man who built the first mile of that track is still living and a resident of Scranton, familiarly and favorably known by nearly every citizen of the Lackawanna Valley, as Uncle John Raymond, the veteran of the war of 1812. John Raymond was born June 13th, 1795, in the town of Walton, Delaware County, N. Y. He attended school until he was eleven years old, Another important event in his life in connection with this company is the fact that he rode with Mr. Maurice Wurts for two weeks consecutively, besides making extra trips, endeavoring to procure signers to the petition, asking legislation aid. He moved to Salem Corners next, where he carried on a mercantile business for ten years, residing there nineteen years, after which he took up his residence in Archbald in 1854, re maining there three years, then he moved to Scranton and purchased his presert residence, 204 Franklin avenue, just above Spruce street. Mr. Raymond is a favorite with Scranton people, and considering his years, is a remarkable His memory is excellent; his preceptions keen, and his judgment still unabated. the soldiers of the late war he is held in high esteem, and his presence at their gatherings is always accompanied with a cordial and enthusiastic greeting. man. With CHAPTER XXIX. THOMAS DICKSON, PRESIDENT OF THE DELAWARE & HUDSON CANAL COMPANY. "The rank is but the guinea stamp, The subject of this sketch is a Scotchman by birth, being born in the year 1824, at Berwick shire. He emigrated with his father's family to Canada in the summer of 1832, where they remained two years, and in 1834 came to Carbondale, settling on a farm two miles west of Dundaff, Susquehanna County. Two years later the family located in Carbondale, where the father, James Dickson, entered the service of the Canal Company as a machinist. He was subsequently made master-mechanic, a position which he has occupied continually to the present time. Thomas learned to read and write in Scotland; attended school in Canada, and in Carbondale, until the winter of 1837, when he had a quarrel with his school-master-the only one in the place -which resulted in a determination to leave, and being unwilling to remain a burden on his parents, offered his services to George A. Whiting, who was then in charge of the horses and mules of the Canal Company. His services were accepted, and he was engaged in driving in and about the mines of the company during the summer of 1837. In the winter of 1837-8 he again resumed his studies at school, and in the spring entered the store of Charles T. Pierson, of Carbondale, as a clerk. The following year, Pierson sold out his interest to Joseph Benjamin, Dickson being transferred with the stock. He remained with Benjamin as a clerk, until 1843, when he was again BURNS. transferred to F. P. Grow & Brothers, who purchased the goods. Hon. Galusha A. Grow, who afterward became a national historical character, was one of the brothers. In 1845, he entered into co-partnership with his former master, Joseph Benjamin, where he remained until 1852, when he purchased an interest in the foundry and machine shops, then known as J. Benjamin & Co., now as Van Bergen & Company. In 1856, Mr. Dickson came to Scranton, and established the Dickson Manufacturing Company, with a capital of $30,000, which was increased to $75,000 before they started the workings of the enterprise. The capital and surplus now employed is about one-and-a-half millions, and the institution itself ranks among the best of the kind in the country. A more full description in detail may be found in the chapter under that head. The original design was merely that of manufacturing mining machinery, but the magnificent locomotives which leave their hands attest remarkably the prosperous growth of the company. Mr. Dickson remained in the concern as manager, until January 1st, 1860, then retired, his brother George L. Dickson, taking his place. At this time he went into the Canal Company as Superintendent of the Coal Department, and in 1864 was made General Superintendent of the Delaware & Hudson, in all of its extensive ramifications. In 1867 he was elected Vice-Presi |