The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1876-11-25
Our 0liu.
Our Turnpike Traders.

-
Veteran Truckmen of Maryland and Penn
sylyanig Competing Successfully with the
NJ Railways-The Trading System of Early
~ Days. .
Before the establishment of railroads
and steamboats, all sorts of produce was
brought to Baltimore from the far West
and South in wagons, and all travel by
land was done in stage coaches, private
coaches, or on horseback; by canoes or other
small boats by water. The heavy country
wagons were driven by their owners, as il
by common consent, TO certain localities
those from Western Maryland and Penn
sylvania seeking the hotels in the neigh
Il borhood Of franklin and Eutaw streets,
aud those from Hartford and Baltimore
counties the neighborhood of the Belair
market. When railroads became in use
they revolutionized the matter of travel
by stage coaches and horses, as steamers
did the travel upon the water, but, singu-
lar to say, the old wagons did not disap-
pear, but continued to arrive daily in
Baltimore up to this present day. When
the question in 1887 was before the City
Council of making an appropriation for
road delegate opposed the ordinance.
He stated that he was opposed to railroads
for the reason that man now brought
his produce to town and stayed several
days after selling it, paying his board and
for the feeding Of his horses, thus helping
the hotels. While here he would purchase
goods for home use and presents for his
family, besides his groceries, and there
fore the tailor, dry-goods man, grocer,
shoemaker and all other branches of trade
were assisted, whereas, if railroad was
built, people could come in in the morning
and return home on the next train, and
when the railroad was extended could pass
through to Philadelphia or elsewhere
without stopping, TO the great disadvan.
tagc of the trades named This same
venerable city father lived to see railroads
grow up around him, but never forgot his
prejudice, and would never ride on one
Having occasion to 90 to Washington
twenty years ago, he went there and back
in his carriage; and up to tho day of bis
death he retained the opinion that rail
roads had ruined Baltimore, and except
for them the wagon trade would have made
her the richest city in the country. This
old gentleman was not aware that the rail
roads did not interfere with this wagon
trade except to the most distant points,
and the fact remains to be stated to-day
that the number of these wagons, once the
only means Of conveyance from the inte
rior to Baltimore, has not diminished, but
has steadily increased with the growth and
enterprise Of Baltimore, competing with
all the superior facilities afforded by the
various lines of railway now running in
every direction through the State. The
wagons are also unchanged in style. They
are the old white, canvas covered farm
wagon of the olden time, and all along the
turnpikes leading from Baltimore are, at
convenient distances, houses of public en-
tertainment, liberally patronized by the
drivers, that have been doing the same
kind of business back beyond the memory
of man. a l.g.
At the corner of Franklin and Eutaw
streets stands one of those old-fashioned
hostelries patronized by wagoners. 1t is
called the Swan hotel, and until recently
1t was noted by an old swinging sign on
its Franklin-street front, containing a
white swan The sign has fallen, but the
house as yet gives no sign of decay. At
tached to the house is commodious stable
and wagon shed. Here fifty wagoners,
driving two and four-horse teams, find
shelter every week. About the same num-
Der find shelter at the Pennsylvania House,
on Franklin street, between Green and
Paca. The same number quarter weekly
at the Western Maryland House, on Penn
sylvania avenue, near franklin. A large
number resort to the Hand Tavern, on
Paca street; more than one hundred per
week are entertained at Streets Hotel, on
the corner Of Hillen and Forrest streets;
Linahs hotel, Front street, near Gay;
Franklin House, on Hillen; Browns hotel,
on High; the Star hotel, opposite Front
street Theatre, and the Rising Sun hotel,
on High street, are all literally patronized,
there being not less than Eve hundred
wagons distributed among all the hotels
above named each week. .,s
Those wagoners that patronize the no.
tells in the vicinity of Franklin street are
from Howard, Frederick and Carroll coun-
ties, and few from Hanover and York,
Pennsylvania. They bring eggs, butter,
milk, chickens aud garden truck, which
they dispose Of mostly upon routes which
they have in the city. A number sell to
hucksters and few wholesale to the COM
mission merchants. A number send their
products by cars and place it in wagon
when it arrives and serve their regular
weekly customers with garden and dairy
products. The wagoners have regular
routes also in the country where they pur-
chase their articles, and they are reserved
for them. These routes are valued at
from $500 to $4,000 The wagoners say
they can wagon produce cheaper than they
can ship It by rail Those from Taney-
town claim that they can bring their arti-
cles here ia wagons at one-half the cost Of
sending them by cars, and that their stuff
reaches here in better condition, as they
can ice their butter up and pack things in
better shape. They state that when the
roads are very bad in winter for q month
or two they use the rail. The wagoners
mako from S25 TO s75 per trip, though
their expenses each trip are from s25 to
$50 per week. More garden produce and
dairy articles Exclusive Of milk,) are
brought this way than by the cars.
The wagon hucksters from the neigh
borhood Of Taneytown start for Baltimore
on Wednesday morning. They stop most
lyat Reisterstown, though in summer many
Of them come as far as the eight mile
house, leaving there early III the morning,
reaching Baltimore for breakfast. They
start the next day for home. Stopping at
Westminster for the night. The market
men from the different localities in the