the paths of inland commerce-第7部分

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cky　to　turn　the　Wilderness　Trail　into　a　wagon　road；　and　in　this　same　year　the　Kentucky　Legislature　passed　an　act　making　the　route　from　Crab　Orchard　to　Cumberland　Gap　a　wagon　road　thirty　feet　in　width。

》From　Pennsylvania　and　from　Virginia　commerce　westward　bound　followed　in　the　main　the　army　roads　hewn　out　by　Braddock　and　Forbes　in　their　campaigns　against　Fort　Duquesne。　In　1755；　Braddock；　marching　from　Alexandria　by　way　of　Fort　Cumberland；　had　opened　a　passage　for　his　artillery　and　wagons　to　Laurel　Hill；　near　Uniontown；　Pennsylvania。　His　force　included　a　corps　of　seamen　equipped　with　block　and　tackle　to　raise　and　lower　his　wagons　in　the　steep　inclines　of　the　Alleghanies。　Three　years　later；　Forbes；　in　his　careful；　dogged　campaign；　followed　a　more　northerly　route。　Advancing　from　Philadelphia　and　Carlisle；　he　established　Fort　Bedford　and　Fort　Ligonier　as　bases　of　supply　and　broke　a　new　road　through　the　interminable　forest　which　clothed　the　rugged　mountain　ranges。　From　the　first　there　was　bitter　rivalry　between　these　two　routes；　and　the　young　Colonel　Washington　was　roundly　criticized　by　both　Forbes　and　Bouquet；　his　second　in　command；　for　his　partisan　effort　to　〃drive　me　down；〃　as　Forbes　phrased　it；　into　the　Virginia　or　Braddock's　Road。　This　rivalry　between　the　two　routes　continued　when　the　destruction　of　the　French　power　over　the　roads　in　the　interior　threw　open　to　　Pennsylvania　and　her　southern　neighbors　alike　the　lucrative　　trade　of　the　Ohio　country。

》From　the　journals　of　the　time　may　be　caught　faint　glimpses　of　the　toils　and　dangers　of　travel　through　these　wild　hill　regions。　Let　the　traveler　of　today；　as　he　follows　the　track　that　once　was　Braddock's　Road；　picture　the　scene　of　that　earlier　time　when；　in　the　face　of　every　natural　obstacle；　the　army　toiled　across　the　mountain　chains。　Where　the　earth　in　yonder　ravine　is　whipped　to　a　black　froth；　the　engineers　have　thrown　down　the　timber　cut　in　widening　the　trail　and　have　constructed　a　corduroy　bridge；　or　rather　a　loose　raft　on　a　sea　of　muck。　The　wreck　of　the　last　wagon　which　tried　to　pass　gives　some　additional　safety　to　the　next。　Already　the　stench　from　the　horse　killed　in　the　accident　deadens　the　heavy；　heated　air　of　the　forest。　The　sailors；　stripped　to　the　waist；　are　ready　with　ropes　and　tackle　to　let　the　next　wagon　down　the　incline；　the　pulleys　creak；　the　ropes　groan。　The　horses；　weak　and　terror…stricken；　plunge　and　rear；　in　the　final　crash　to　the　level　the　leg　of　the　wheel　horse　is　caught　and　broken；　one　of　the　soldiers　shoots　the　animal；　the　traces　are　unbuckled；　another　beast　is　substituted。　Beyond；　the　seamen　are　waiting　with　tackle　attached　to　trees　on　the　ridge　above　to　assist　the　horses　on　the　cruel　upgradeand　Braddock；　the　deceived；　maligned；　misrepresented；　and　misjudged；　creeps　onward　in　his　brave　conquest　of　the　Alleghanies　in　a　campaign　that；　in　spite　of　its　military　failure；　deserves　honorable　mention　among　the　achievements　of　British　arms。

Everywhere；　north　and　south；　the　early　American　road　was　a　veritable　Slough　of　Despond。　Watery　pits　were　to　be　encountered　wherein　horses　were　drowned　and　loads　sank　from　sight。　Frequently　traffic　was　stopped　for　hours　by　wagons　which　had　broken　down　and　blocked　the　way。　Thirteen　wagons　at　one　time　were　stalled　on　Logan's　Hill　on　the　York　Road。　Frightful　accidents　occurred　in　attempting　to　draw　out　loads。　Jonathan　Tyson；　for　instance；　in　1792；　near　Philadelphia　saw　a　horse's　lower　jaw　torn　off　by　the　slipping　of　a　chain。

Save　in　the　winter；　when　in　the　northern　colonies　snow　filled　the　ruts　and　frost　built　solid　bridges　over　the　streams；　travel　on　these　early　roads　was　never　safe；　rapid；　nor　comfortable。　The　comparative　ease　of　winter　travel　for　the　carriage　of　heavy　freight　and　for　purposes　of　trade　and　social　intercourse　gave　the　colder　regions　an　advantage　over　the　southern　that　was　an　　important　factor　in　the　development　of　the　country。

No　genuine　improvement　of　roads　and　highways　seems　to　have　been　attempted　until　the　era　heralded　by　Washington's　letter　to　Harrison　in　1784。　But　the　problem　slowly　forced　itself　upon　all　sections　of　the　country；　and　especially　upon　Pennsylvania　and　Maryland；　whose　inhabitants　began　to　fear　lest　New　York；　Alexandria；　or　Richmond　should　snatch　the　Western　trade　from　Philadelphia　or　Baltimore。　The　truth　that　underlies　the　proverb　that　〃history　repeats　itself〃　is　well　illustrated　by　the　fact　that　the　first　macadamized　road　in　America　was　built　in　Pennsylvania；　for　here　also　originated　the　pack…horse　trade　and　the　Conestoga　horse　and　wagon；　here　the　first　inland　American　canal　was　built；　the　first　roadbed　was　graded　on　the　principle　of　dividing　the　whole　distance　by　the　whole　descent；　and　the　first　railway　was　operated。　Macadam　and　Telford　had　only　begun　to　show　the　people　of　England　how　to　build　roads　of　crushed　stonean　art　first　developed　by　the　French　engineer　Tresaguetwhen　Pennsylvanians　built　the　Lancaster　Turnpike。　The　Philadelphia　and　Lancaster　Turnpike　Road　Company　was　chartered　April　9；　1792；　as　a　part　of　the　general　plan　of　the　Society　for　the　Improvement　of　Roads　and　Inland　Navigation　already　described。　This　road；　sixty…two　miles　in　length；　was　built　of　stone　at　a　cost　of　465；000　and　was　completed　in　two　years。　Never　before　had　such　a　sum　been　invested　in　internal　improvement　in　the　United　States。　The　rapidity　with　which　the　undertaking　was　carried　through　and　the　profits　which　accrued　from　the　investment　were　alike　astonishing。　The　subscription　books　were　opened　at　eleven　o'clock　one　morning　and　by　midnight　2226　shares　had　been　subscribed；　each　purchaser　paying　down　thirty　dollars。　At　the　same　time　Elkanah　Watson　was　despondently　scanning　the　subscription　books　of　his　Mohawk　River　enterprise　at　Albany　where　〃no　mortal〃　had　risked　more　than　two　shares。

The　success　of　the　Lancaster　Turnpike　was　not　achieved　without　a　protest　against　the　monopoly　which　the　new　venture　created。　It　is　true　that　in　all　the　colonies　the　exercise　of　the　right　of　eminent　domain　had　been　conceded　in　a　veiled　way　to　officials　to　whose　care　the　laying　out　of　roads　had　been　delegated。　As　early　as　1639　the　General　Court　of　Massachusetts　had　ordered　each　town　to　choose　men　who；　cooperating　with　men　from　the　adjoining　town；　should　〃lay　out　highways　where　they　may　be　most　convenient；　notwithstanding　any　man's　property；　or　any　corne　ground；　so　as　it　occasion　not　the　pulling　down　of　any　man's　house；　or　laying　open　any　garden　or　orchard。〃　But　the　open　and　extended　exercise　of　these　rights　led　to　vigorous　opposition　in　the　case　of　this　Pennsylvania　road。　A　public　meeting　was　held　at　the　Prince　of　Wales　Tavern　in　Philadelphia　in　1793　to　protest　in　round　terms　against　the　monopolistic　character　of　the　Lancaster　Turnpike。　Blackstone　and　Edward　III　were　hurled　at　the　heads　of　the　〃venal〃　legislators　who　had　made　this　〃monstrosity〃　possible。　The　opposition　died　down；　however；　in　the　face　of　the　success　which　the　new　road　instantly　achieved。　The　Turnpike　was；　indeed；　admirably　situated。　Converging　at　the　quaint　old　〃borough　of　Lancaster；〃　the　various　routesnortheast　from　Virginia；　east　from　the　Carlisle　and　Chambersburg　region　and　the　Alleghanies；　and　southeast　from　the　upper　Susquehanna　countrypoured　upon　the　Quaker　City　a　trade　that　profited　every　merchant；　landholder；　and　laborer。　The　nine　tollgates；　on　the　average　a　little　less　than　seven　miles　apart；　turned　in　a　revenue　that　allowed　the　〃President　and　Managers〃　to　declare　dividends　to　stockholders　running；　it　is　said；　as　high　as　fifteen　per　cent。

The　Lancaster　Turnpike　is　interesting　from　three　points　of　view：　it　began　a　new　period　of　American　transportation；　it　ushered　in　an　era　of　speculation　unheard　of　in　the　previous　history　of　the　country；　and　it　introduced　American　lawmakers　to　the　great　problem　of　controlling　public　corporations。

Along　this　thirty…seven…foot　road；　of　which　twenty…four　feet　were　laid　with　stone；　the　new　era　of　American　inland　travel　progressed。　The　array　of　two…wheeled　private　equipages　and　other　family　carriages；　the　stagecoaches　of　bright　color；　and　the　carts；　Dutch　wagons；　and　Conestogas；　gave　token　of　what　was　soon　to　be　witnessed　on　the　great　roads　of　a　dozen　States　in　the　next　generation。　Here；　probably；　the　first　distinction　began　to　be　drawn　between　the　taverns　for　passengers　and　those　patronized　by　the　drivers　of　freight。　The　colonial　taverns；　comparatively　few　and　far　between；　had　up　to　this　time　served　the　traveling　public；　high　and　low；　rich　and　poor；　alike。　But　in　this　new　era　members　of　Congress　and　the　elite　of　Philadelphia　and　neighboring　towns　were　not　to　be　jostled　at　the　table　by　burly　hostlers；　drivers；　wagoners；　and　hucksters。　Two　types　of　inns　thus　came　quickly　into　existence：　the　tavern　entertained　the　stagecoach　traffic；　while　the　democratic　roadhouse　served　the　established　lines　of　Conestogas；　freighters；　and　all　other　vehicles　which　poured　from　every　town；　village；　and　hamlet　upon　the　great　thoroughfare　leading　to　the　metropolis　on　the　Delaware。

Among　American　inventions　the　Conestoga　wagon　must　forever　be　remembered　with　respect。　Originating　in　the　Lancaster　region　of　Pennsylvania　and　taking　its　name　either　from　the　horses　of　the　Conestoga　Valley　or　from　the　valley　itself；　this　vehicle　was　unlike　the　old　English　wain　or　the　Dutch　wagon　because　of　the　curve　of　its　bed。　This　peculiarly　shaped　bottom；　higher　by　twelve　inches　or　more　at　each　end　than　in　the　middle；　made　the　vehicle　a　safer　conveyance　across　the　mountains　and　over　all　rough　country　than　the　old　straight…bed　wagon。　The　Conestoga　was　covered　with　canvas；　as　were　other　freight　vehicles；　but　the　lines　of　the　bed　were　also　carried　out　in　the　framework　above　and　gave　the　whole　the　effect　of　a　great　ship　swaying　up　and　down　the　billowy　hills。　The　wheels　of　the　Conestoga　were　heavily　built　and　wore　tires　four　and　six　inches　in　width。　The　harness　of　the　six　horses　attached　to　the　wagon　was　proportionately　heavy；　the　back　bands　being　fifteen　inches　wide；　the　hip　straps　ten；　and　the　traces　consisting　of　ponderous　iron　chains。　The　color　of　the　original　Conestoga　wagons　never　varied：　the　underbody　was　always　blue　and　the　upper　parts　were　red。　The　wagoners　and　drivers　who　manned　this　fleet　on　wheels　were　men　of　a　type　that　finds　no　parallel　except　in　the　boatmen　on　t