the paths of inland commerce-第6部分

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nward　once　in　three　days　for　boats　loaded　with　one　hundred　barrels；　or　ten　tons。〃　The　State　kept　its　weather　eye　open　in　this　matter；　however；　for　a　small　minority　felt　that　these　men　would　not　ruin　themselves。　Accordingly；　the　act　of　grant　reserved　to　the　commonwealth　the　right　to　compel　the　adoption　of　a　complete　system　of　slack…water　navigation　from　Easton　to　Stoddartsville　if　the　service　given　by　the　company　did　not　meet　〃the　wants　of　the　country。〃

Capital　was　subscribed　by　a　patriotic　public　on　condition　that　a　committee　of　stockholders　should　go　over　the　ground　and　pass　judgment　on　the　probable　success　of　the　effort。　The　report　was　favorable；　so　far　as　the　improvement　of　the　river　was　concerned；　but　the　nine…mile　road　to　the　mines　was　unanimously　voted　impracticable。　〃To　give　you　an　idea　of　the　country　over　which　the　road　is　to　pass；〃　wrote　one　of　the　commissioners；　〃I　need　only　tell　you　that　I　considered　it　quite　an　easement　when　the　wheel　of　my　carriage　struck　a　stump　instead　of　a　stone。〃　The　public　mind　was　divided。　Some　held　that　the　attempt　to　operate　the　coal　mine　was　farcical；　but　that　the　improvement　of　the　Lehigh　River　was　an　undertaking　of　great　value　and　of　probable　profit　to　investors。　Others　were　just　as　positive　that　the　river　improvement　would　follow　the　fate　of　so　many　similar　enterprises　but　that　a　fortune　was　in　store　for　those　who　invested　in　the　Lehigh　mines。

The　direct　result　of　the　examiners'　report　and　of　the　public　debate　it　provoked　was　the　organization　of　the　first　interlocking　companies　in　the　commercial　history　of　America。　The　Lehigh　Navigation　Company　was　formed　with　a　capital　stock　of　150；000　and　the　Lehigh　Coal　Company　with　a　capital　stock　of　55；000。　This　incident　forms　one　of　the　most　striking　illustrations　in　American　history　of　the　dependence　of　a　commercial　venture　upon　methods　of　inland　transportation。　The　Lehigh　Navigation　Company　proceeded　to　build　its　dams　and　walls　while　the　Lehigh　Coal　Company　constructed　the　first　roadway　in　America　built　on　the　principle　later　adopted　by　the　railwayof　dividing　the　total　distance　by　the　total　descent　in　order　to　determine　the　grade。　Not　to　be　outdone　in　point　of　ingenuity；　the　Lehigh　Navigation　Company；　then　suffering　from　an　unprecedented　dearth　of　water；　adopted　White's　invention　of　sluice　gates　connecting　with　pools　which　could　be　filled　with　reserve　water　to　be　drawn　upon　as　navigation　required。　By　1819　the　necessary　depth　of　water　between　Mauch　Chunk　and　Easton　was　obtained。　The　two　companies　were　immediately　amalgamated　under　the　title　of　the　Lehigh　Coal　and　Navigation　Company　and　by　1823　had　sent　over　two　thousand　tons　of　coal　to　market。

As　most　of　the　efforts　to　improve　the　rivers；　however；　met　with　indifferent　success　and　many　failures　were　recorded；　the　pendulum　of　public　confidence　in　this　aid　to　inland　commerce　swung　away；　and　highway　improvement　by　means　of　stone　roads　and　toll　road　companies　came　into　favor　in　the　interval　between　the　nation's　two　eras　of　river　improvement　and　canal　building。



CHAPTER　IV。　A　Nation　On　Wheels

In　early　days　the　Indian　had　not　only　followed　the　watercourses　in　his　canoe　but　had　made　his　way　on　foot　over　trails　through　the　woods　and　over　the　mountains。　In　colonial　days；　Englishman　and　Frenchman　followed　the　footsteps　of　the　Indian；　and　as　settlement　increased　and　trade　developed；　the　forest　path　widened　into　the　highway　for　wheeled　vehicles。　Massachusetts　began　the　work　of　road　making　in　1639　by　passing　an　act　which　decreed　that　〃the　ways〃　should　be　six　to　ten　rods　wide　〃in　common　grounds；〃　thus　allowing　sufficient　room　for　more　than　one　track。　Similar　broad　　〃ways〃　were　authorized　in　New　York　and　Pennsylvania　　in　1664；　stumps　and　shrubs　were　to　be　cut　close　to　the　ground；　and　〃sufficient　bridges〃　were　to　be　built　over　streams　and　marshy　places。　Virginia　passed　legislation　for　highways　at　an　early　date；　but　it　was　not　until　1669　that　strict　laws　were　enacted　with　a　view　to　keeping　the　roads　in　a　permanently　good　condition。　Under　these　laws　surveyors　were　appointed　to　establish　in　each　county　roads　forty　feet　wide　to　the　church　and　to　the　courthouse。　In　1700；　Pennsylvania　turned　her　local　roads　over　to　the　county　justices；　put　the　King's　highway　and　the　main　public　roads　under　the　care　of　the　governor　and　his　council；　and　ordered　each　county　to　erect　bridges　over　its　streams。

The　word　〃roadmaking〃　was　capable　of　several　interpretations。　In　general；　it　meant　outlining　the　course　for　the　new　thoroughfare；　clearing　away　fallen　timber；　blazing　or　notching　the　trees　so　that　the　traveler　might　not　miss　the　track；　and　building　bridges　or　laying　logs　〃over　all　the　marshy；　swampy；　and　difficult　dirty　places。〃

The　streams　proved　serious　obstacles　to　early　traffic。　It　has　been　shown　already　that　the　earliest　routes　of　animal　or　man　sought　the　watersheds；　the　trails　therefore　usually　encountered　one　stream　near　its　junction　with　another。　At　first；　of　course；　fording　was　the　common　method　of　crossing　water；　and　the　most　advantageous　fording　places　were　generally　found　near　the　mouths　of　tributary　streams；　where　bars　and　islands　are　frequently　formed　and　where　the　water　is　consequently　shallow。　When　ferries　began　to　be　used；　they　were　usually　situated　just　above　or　below　the　fords；　but　when　the　bridge　succeeded　the　ferry；　the　primitive　bridge　builder　went　back　to　the　old　fording　place　in　order　to　take　advantage　of　the　shallower　water；　bars；　and　islands。　With　the　advent　of　improved　engineering；　the　character　of　river　banks　and　currents　was　more　frequently　taken　into　consideration　in　choosing　a　site　for　a　bridge　than　was　the　case　in　the　olden　times；　but　despite　this　fact　the　bridges　of　today；　generally　speaking；　span　the　rivers　where　the　deer　or　the　buffalo　splashed　his　way　across　centuries　ago。

On　the　broader　streams；　where　fording　was　impossible　and　traffic　was　perforce　carried　by　ferry；　the　canoe　and　the　keel　boat　of　the　earliest　days　gave　way　in　time　to　the　ordinary　〃flat〃　or　barge。　At　first　the　obligation　of　the　ferryman　to　the　public；　though　recognized　by　English　law；　was　ignored　in　America　by　legislators　and　monopolists　alike。　Men　obtained　the　land　on　both　sides　of　the　rivers　at　the　crossing　places　and　served　the　public　only　at　their　own　convenience　and　at　their　own　charges。　In　many　cases；　to　encourage　the　opening　of　roads　or　of　ferries；　national　and　state　authorities　made　grants　of　land　on　the　same　principle　followed　in　later　days　in　the　case　of　Western　railroads。　Such；　for　instance；　was　the　grant　to　Ebenezer　Zane；　at　Zanesville；　Lancaster；　and　Chillicothe　in　the　Northwest　Territory。　These　monopolies　sometimes　were　extremely　profitable：　a　descendant　of　the　owners　of　the　famous　Ingles　ferry　across　New　River；　on　the　Wilderness　Road　to　Kentucky；　is　responsible　for　the　statement　that　in　the　heyday　of　travel　to　the　Southwest　the　privilege　was　worth　from　10；000　to　15；000　annually　to　the　family。　But　as　local　governments　became　more　efficient；　monopolies　were　abolished　and　the　collection　of　tolls　was　taken　over　by　the　authorities。　The　awakening　of　inland　trade　is　most　clearly　indicated　everywhere　by　the　action　of　assemblies　regarding　the　operation　of　ferries；　and　in　general；　by　the　beginning　of　the　eighteenth　century；　tolls　and　ferries　were　being　regulated　by　law。

But　neither　roads　nor　ferries　were　of　themselves　sufficient　to　put　a　nation　on　wheels。　The　early　polite　society　of　the　settled　neighborhoods　traveled　in　horse　litters；　in　sedan　chairs；　or　on　horseback；　the　women　seated　on　pillions　or　cushions　behind　the　saddle　riders；　while　oxcarts　and　horse　barrows　brought　to　town　the　produce　of　the　outlying　farms。　Although　carts　and　rude　wagons　could　be　built　entirely　of　wood；　there　could　be　no　marked　advance　in　transportation　until　the　development　of　mining　in　certain　localities　reduced　the　price　of　iron。　With　the　increase　of　travel　and　trade；　the　old　world　coach　and　chaise　and　wain　came　into　use；　and　iron　for　tire　and　brace　became　an　imperative　necessity。　The　connection　between　the　production　of　iron　and　the　care　of　highways　was　recognized　by　legislation　as　early　as　1732；　when　Maryland　excused　men　and　slaves　in　the　ironworks　from　labor　on　the　public　roads；　though　by　the　middle　of　the　century　owners　of　ironworks　were　obliged　to　detail　one　man　out　of　every　ten　in　their　employ　for　such　work。

While　the　coastwise　trade　between　the　colonies　was　still　preeminently　important　as　a　means　of　transporting　commodities；　by　the　beginning　of　the　eighteenth　century　the　land　routes　from　New　York　to　New　England；　from　New　York　across　New　Jersey　to　Philadelphia；　and　those　radiating　from　Philadelphia　in　every　direction；　were　coming　into　general　use。　The　date　of　the　opening　of　regular　freight　traffic　between　New　York　and　Philadelphia　is　set　by　the　reply　of　the　Governor　of　New　Jersey　in　1707　to　a　protest　against　monopolies　granted　on　one　of　the　old　widened　Indian　trails　between　Burlington　and　Amboy。　〃At　present；〃　he　says；　〃everybody　is　sure；　ONCE　A　FORTNIGHT；　to　have　an　opportunity　of　sending　any　quantity　of　goods；　great　or　small；　at　reasonable　rates；　without　being　in　danger　of　imposition；　and　the　sending　of　this　wagon　is　so　far　from　being　a　grievance　or　monopoly；　THAT　BY　THIS　MEANS　AND　NO　OTHER；　a　trade　has　been　carried　on　between　Philadelphia；　Burlington；　Amboy；　and　New　York；　which　was　never　known　before。〃

The　long　Philadelphia　Road　from　the　Lancaster　region　into　the　Valley　of　Virginia；　by　way　of　Wadkins　on　the　Potomac；　was　used　by　German　and　Irish　traders　probably　as　early　as　1700。　In　1728　the　people　of　Maryland　were　petitioning　for　a　road　from　the　ford　of　the　Monocacy　to　the　home　of　Nathan　Wickham。　Four　years　later　Jost　Heydt；　leading　an　immigrant　party　southward；　broke　open　a　road　from　the　York　Barrens　toward　the　Potomac　two　miles　above　Harper's　Ferry。　This　avenue　by　way　of　the　Berkeley；　Staunton；　Watauga；　and　Greenbrier　regions　to　Tennessee　and　Kentuckywas　the　longest　and　most　important　in　America　during　the　Revolutionary　period。　The　Virginia　Assembly　in　1779　appointed　commissioners　to　view　this　route　and　to　report　on　the　advisability　of　making　it　a　wagon　road　all　the　way　to　Kentucky。　In　1795；　efforts　were　made　in　Kentucky　to　turn　the　Wilderness　Trail　into　a　wagon　road；　and　in　this　same　year　the　Kentucky　Legislature　p