in these days there being no railroads, most of the traffic and travel
were done by water. This canal had been long talked of, but no step had
been taken toward building it.

Now you will remember that De Witt Clinton, while he was Mayor, took a
great deal of interest in everything that was for the good of the city.
Well, after he had been Mayor for some years, he became Governor of the
State, and it was he who came to think that although the building of the
canal would be a great undertaking, for it would have to be more than
300 miles long, it might after all be accomplished. For years he worked,
with some others, while many said that it was a foolish idea, and too
much of a task even to think of. But still Clinton worked at his plans,
and finally, the money having been given by the State, the digging of
the canal was begun. The work went on for eight years, and in the month
of October, 1825, was finished.

The canal was a water-way that stretched across the State of New York
from Buffalo to Albany and there joined the Hudson River, which leads
straight to the city of New York, and so on to the ocean.

The people in the city and in the State were delighted at the
completion of the work, and on the day of the opening of the canal they
expressed their joy as loudly as they could. Governor De Witt Clinton
was at the Buffalo end, and he, with the State officers, started in a
boat decorated with flags and bunting and was towed through the canal.
As the boat set out from Buffalo, a cannon was fired, and many more
cannon having been placed each within hearing distance of the other by
the side of the canal, in turn took up the sound and carried it along,
mile after mile, until the last one, stationed in the city of New York,
was fired, one hour and twenty-five minutes after the first had been