Transcribed by Kelly Krause, from files of the Allegany County Historian.
Allegany County Democrat, January 19, 1877.
Genesee Valley Canal.
The people of Olean and neighboring towns do not believe that their canal horse is stolen yet, even though some people talk about its being turned out to grass in the spring and a likelihood of falling into the pitfalls of some defunct railroad. It is a pretty good horse yet, and like the veteran Goldsmith Maid, they propose to keep it on the track one more season. To this end a number of influential citizens are about to go to Albany and make a plain and pertinent statement of facts regarding the canal and its operation last season.
They are now busily engaged in collecting an array of facts which cannot fail to convince the Legislature at least of the perfect justice of giving this canal a fairer trial than it had last year. They expect to show that the exceedingly high tolls on lumber - $1.14 per thousand feet – virtually puts an estoppal to the shipment of hemlock lumber. They will further show that the Genesee Valley paid better than the Champlain canal, and will call attention to the injustice of the latter being maintained for the benefit of foreign lumber dealers, and closing the Valley Canal to lumbermen resident in the state – Olean Record