The daily dispatch. [volume] (Richmond [Va.]) 1850-1884, 1879-01-27
: 49, 5.SEs'ys :
r,Iea Tim az Recalled.

lA<k4
Old Times Recalled. j
In the proceedings Of the House OF Rep
5resentatires on Friday the following occur
red 5. 81
The House to-day. CONQUERED IN the SEN
nte amendment to the bill giving the con-
sent OF the United States to an act OF tne
General Assembly Of Maryland, passed ~
the January session, 1873, entitled sA al aes
to transfer TO the counties OF Aiieshan auu
Garrett the control OF the National tuI lis
rannt,es and to provide for the malnte.
sannce shereosp' The Senate ahnendment
wos In the nature OF proviso that this co NJ
cent shouId have no effect in respect OF ere
ating or recognizing any duty or haDlilty
whatever on the part OF the United STATES.
The amendment having been conSurreo in'
the bill was passed. ee !a. 80 80 3't !
The road here spoken OF is the famous
National or .tCumberiand road" which
was such conspicuous subject in Congress
Tor many years, apd which General JACK
SON vetoed finally, and the rivalry OF tue
Baltimore and. Ohio road rendered unproht-
able. A large part OF the road had been
heretofore placed under the control OF other
counties, and now the counties OF Garrett
and Allegheny get possession Oh the re-
nainder. The bill Of the Maryland Legls-
Iature, confirmed by Congress-, is intended
to enabIe the counties to enforce the collec-
ton of tolls for keeping the road in repair:
This Cumberland road was once the topic
OF both political and geographical interest
It was the highway travelled by many con-
eressmen-among them CLAY and BENTON,
General or President HARRISON, RICHARD
If, JOHNSON, ALLEN Of Ohio, BEN. bar
DIN, Phil. DoDDRIDGE, and others. inc
finest stages and teams conveyed distin-
guished men and crowds OF passengers
along this national highway, of which every
body was proud. The number and elegance
OF the stages and their equipments kept the
road in continual gaiety and jubilance. UP
and down the green bills OF the fertile re-
zion through which it passed the process
sion moved, amidst the merry or grave con-
versation OF the travellers and the bright
signs OF general content and cheeriulness
Of the land. The "reminiscences Of the tray
ellcrs Of the day were always of the plea.
santest and most interesting character. The
last we beard connected with it was that the
rumbling noise of the moving coach being
heard along the road not far from Wheel
ing, an Ohio man some distance ahead Of it
declared that it was the voice Of WILLIAM
ALLEN l"Old War-Horse'') speaking in
Congress. He knew it well.
The Cumberland road was commenced in
1902, and was abandoned to the States in
1886, when it was brought to an end by
General JAcKs0N's veto. 1t had cost &c.
G7O,O0O in money. Finally it degenerated
into common highway, and was super
seeded by the railway that ran parallel
with it. .2
The same may be almost said Of the Ches-
apeake and Ohio canal-once national OBJ
iect OF Federal Observation-Disclosures, as its
name imported, to connect the tide-water
of the Atlantic with the great rivers OF the
West. The fate of this canal has been not
unlike that of the James River and Ka-
nawha canal. The Baltimore and Ohio rail-
road has greatly diminished its prosperity,
while railroad competition with our James
River canal has so hurt IFS usefulness that it
became too feeble to keep itself in repair.
In drawing this comparison we are re-
minded that the resemblance In the eases
offers suggestion which we venture to
make to our friend DICKINSON OF Russell.
The National road belonging TO the States,
Virginia had a claim upon it, and the people
of Russell have sort Of claim to share in the
benefits of the gift being made to citizens OF
the State OF Maryland. Would our friend
DICKINSON not find it wise to demand OF
the counties of Allegheny and Garrett that
they should help to make 6 mud-plke" in
Russell before they should be permitted to
use the Cumberland road? This claim
would be as good as that which has been set
up to o share Of the abandoned canal.
There is really no more money coming out
OF the sale Of the canal by Virginia than
there is out OF the old National road, which
cost so much; and as that belonged In part
to Virginia, the Virginia counties have q
sort Of claim upon 1t. ....,-....-...
| The history of the period about the time
OF the abandonment Of the Cumberland road
| Is not uninteresting. Mr. MONROE, who
had taken grounds against the constitution
atty OF internal improvements by the Gen
eral Government, and had vetoed one bill
for an appropriation to that road, had inge
niously pointed out away by which Con
gress proceeded to designate post-roads anC
make them the object Of Federal supervis
ion. Immediately there was an avalanche
Of post-routes poured in upon Congress.
" Colonel BENTON was remarkable for his
vanity about his geographical learning as
we'll as his great interest in all matters re-
dating to boundaries and local names. The
list of the places that appliedat the time fol
the benefits and consequence OF ttexaltatior
to the post-route platform struck his pecu
liar humor, and be gathered them together
in his book, t'Thirty Years IN the senate.'
This list is o curiosity Of those days, and W,
copy it for the amusement and instruction o
our young readers: ~
/" Sangatuck, Amounisuck, Pasumic, Win
nispiseogee, PiscataQua, Titonic Falls, LAX
| Memphramagog, Conneaut Greek, Holmes
Hole, Loveioy's Narrows, Steele's Ledge
tCowhegan, Androscoggin, Cobbiesconte
PonceaapecbauX atiaS !Soapy, Joe, fwer
among the objects which figured in the lis
for national Improvement" O.