The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-10-14
A GREAT HIGHWAY.
THE NATIONAL ROAD LAID OUT
NEARLY SEVENTY YEARS AGO.


Interesting "Reminiscences in Connection
with the Once Popular Thoroughfare.
Historic cAssociations-Noted Passengers
Over the Road.
How few know anything of the national
roadf 1t has been so eclipsed by railways
that many well-informed people don't know
that such a structure was ever built.
Away back in 1918 there arose serious appre-
hension that the growth of the west would
cause disaffected politicians to want a differ
ent capital-"a western union"-and during
Monroes administration congress, under tho
advocacy of Henry Clay, Tom" Benton,
Gen Lewis Cass, Thomas Ewing and Andrew
Stewart, made appropriations from the
national treasury and the work was vigor-
ously executed. Beginning at Cumberland
mountain, it extended across Pennsylvania,
Virginia, Ohio and Indiana westward. The
design was to connect the national capital
with St Louis.
The road bed was reduced to grade of
five degrees, was made thirty-five feet wide,
and macadamized. The under part was
chiefly of stone, placed on edge, as is now
the case in cities, and covered with pieces
that would go through ara inch and half
ring. The national road was free to all. 1t
was maintained by the general government
for a dozen years, but in 1880, through defer
ence to Gen. Iackson's idea of state sover-
eighty" it was turned over to the states
through which it was built
POPULAR TIoRoUGIEARE
Much interesting reminiscence might be
given of this great thorouGhfarc and its wars.
In 1857, when war was threatened between
this country and France, there was such
suspicion of symp thy between the French in
Louisiana and the enemy that quick mail
route was established via this road and tho
Mississippi river contracts were let with the
requirement of speed to average ten miles per
hour. The entire highway was laid off into
sections, three boys and nine horses being re-
quired for siXty-three miles, and the timo
given for the trip was six hours and eighteen
minutes.
Whether legal not, the national road
was Il popular thoroughfare. There was soon
as high as 80 "great Concstoga six-horse
teams" per day. That is the same number as
the railroad trains that pass over the Penn
sylvania railroad now daily to and from Jer-
sey City. There We're four or five four-horse
mail and passenger coaches each way daily.
Presidents frequented this highway, and
on such occasions men were posted at hilltops
by the roadway to wave their red bandanas
as signal of approach for the distinguished
travellers. The people would assemble and
render both vocal and instrumental music
Much of the national road is still in good
condition, and its many historic associations
are enhanced by modern progress. While the
old cast iron posts yet remain to tell of dis
tances to places, etc, telegraph wires are
abundant, and there is a combination of
things ancient and modern which give to
travellers by the old road much of rare in
terest
OF noted passengers over this road there are
recorded the names of James Monroe, An
drew jackson, William Henry Harrison,
John Tyler, Dick johnson (vice-president
under Tylerl, James n. Polk, Santa Anna
and the Marquis de Lafayette.
CHAT WITH FOLKS WIDOW.
James X. Polk, How the name stands out
i'm the list, To be assured about the stories
told on the subject called on the venerable
Mrs Polk. At my greeting she said she was
feeble, but had never in the several years it
had been my fortune to know her appeared
quite so bright, so graceful and so elegant
''Ah. yes; have often been over the great
national road as it was called, and it rcvives
many pleasant "reminiscences. Friends used
to ask me if l We're not fatigued in making
those trips, but / would tell them that in
those days knew not the sensation of being
tired Why, we didn't travel in the ordinary
stage coaches of that day. True, we did
could make arrangements to travel cxclu-
sively, and would stop over at night Mr.
Polk was fourteen years successively in con-
gress, and we often journeyed that way; not
always. We went to Washington twice I'm
in our private carriage. Our route would be
down the Cumberland to the Ohio, and up
that to Wheeling, and thence across by tho
national road to Cumberland. Md. The cars
ran from thence to Baltimore. When Mr..
Polk was elected president went that way
and changed cars ut the Relay house. tho
junction of that road and the one leading
from Baltimore to Washington. There was
a great crowd there and he made a speech
What magnificent scenery on that thorough
fare across the Allegheny mountainsi had
an experience on our journey that often gave
amusement to our friends. Our team ran
away, and we might have been much more
unfortunate, but one of our horses fell and
the driver checked the others. But the car
riage was upset DIR. Linn, a senator from
Missouri, was especially attentive to me- Mr.
Polk and others had emerged from the car
riage, and DIR. Linn proposed to help me, and
he asked me TO put my foot ON his hand. |
did so, and he helped me gracefully in that
way. He was courtly gentleman Mash
VILE American.
TRANSMISSION of Blood.
a lawyer, it seems, has come to the aid of