Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1886-10-28
A GREAT HIGHWAY.
The National Road Laid Out Nearly SeVeh-
ty Years Ago.

|
How few know anything of The Ma.
tional Road?" II has been SO eclipsed
by railways that many well-informed
people don't know that such structure
was ever built.
Away back in 1878 there arose serious
apprehension that the growth of the
wess would cause disaffected politicians
to want different capital-''a western
union, ,"-and during Monroe's admin
istration congress, under the advocacy
of Henry Clay, Tom" Benton, Gen.
Lewis Cass, Thomas Ewing, and An
drew Stewart, made appropriations
from the national treasury, and the
work was vigorously executed. Begin
ming at Cumberland mountain, it ex-
tended across Pennsylvania, Virginia,
Ohio, and Indiana westward. The de-
sign was to connect the national capital
with St Louis. "The Democracy op-
posed such appropriation of the nation s
treasury, but in vain. State rights
were Ignored" The road-bed was re-
duced to grade of five degrees, was
made thirty-tiFc feet wide, and macad-
amized. The under part was chiefly of
stone, placed on edge, rs is now the
case in cities, and covered with pieces
that would go through an inch and q
half ring. The national road was free
to all 1t was maintained by the gen.
eral government for dozen years, but
in 1880, Through Difference to Gen.
JackSon's idea of state sovereignty" it
was turned over to the states through
which it was built
Much interesting reminiscence might
be given of this great thoroughfare and
its wars. In 1887, when war was
threatened between this country and
France, there was such suspicion of
sympathy between the French in Louisi-
ana and the enemy that II quick mail
route was established via this road, and
the Mississippi river contracts were let
| with the requirement of speed to aver
age ten miles per hour. The entire
highway was laid off into sections. three
boys and nine horses being required for
sixty-three miles, and the time given
for the trip was six hours eighteen
minutes.
Whether legal or not, the national
road was apopular thoroughfare. There
were soon as high as $50 great Cones
toga six-horse teams'' per day. That
is the same number as the railroad
trains that pass over the Pennsylvania
railroad now daily to and from Jersey
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 distances 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 interest.
OF noted passengers over this road
there are recorded the names of James
Monroe, Andrew Jackson, William
Henry Harrison. John Tyler, Dick
johnson (vice-president under Tyler),
James K. Polk, Santa Anna, and the
Marquis de Lafayette
James K. Polk! How the name
stands out in the list! To be assured
about the stories told on the subject l
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 ele-
CANT
"Ah, yes; l have often been over the
great national road, as it was called
and it reviNes many pleasant remiais-
cenees- Friends used to ask me if |
were not fatgued 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 travel in public carriages,
but gentlemen could make arrange.
ments to travel exclusively, and would
stop over at night Mr.. Polk was four
teen years successfully in congress, and
we often journeyed that way; not al
ways. We went to Washington twice
in our private carriage. Our route
would be down the Cumberland to the
Ohio, and up that to Wheeling, and
thence across by the national road
to Cumberland, Nd. The cars ran from
thence to Baltimore. When Mr.. Polk
was elected president we went that way
and changed cars at the Relay house,
the junction of that road and the one
leading from Baltimore to Washington.
There was a great crowd there and he
made speech. What magnificent
scenery on that thoroughfare across the
Allegheny mountainsi l had an ex-
perience on our journey that often gave
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 carriage was upset.
DIR. Linn, a senator from Missouri, was |
attentive to me. Mr.. Polk |
and others had emerged from the car
riage, and Dr. Lynn proposed to help
me, and he asked me to put my foot in
MS hand. l did so, and he helped me
gracefully in that way. He was a
,ourtly gentleman. Nashville Anaer.