Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-09-15
THE MAILS OF THOSE DAYS.


This letter, mailed by General jackson on
August IA, 1903, didn't reach Mr.. Bowman
until September 8, and that was counted
extraordinary fast mails! This was in the
period of Jackson's life when he was striv-
ing, as the head of trading firm, to build
up his wrecked fortunes, which were his
relics of financial failure in 1898. History
says that at that time he raised corn, hogs,
cattle and boated lumber. This is the first
time distiiling has been disclosed as one OF
his ventures. He certainly came to good
place to choose distiller for the Mononga-
hela Valley was full of them, even at that
early date.
John Quincy Adams visited Brownsville
in 1922, or three years before he became
President. He made an address In the
Episcopal church to the citizens. He was
returning from Cincinnati at the time.
'Tippecanoe" Harrison was another fire.
quent visitor in the town on his road to and
from Washington.
A MARVELLOUS BRIDGE.
The first tubular iron bridge, a marvellous
structure even to-day, was built across
Dunlap's creek in the town in 1885 for the
National road. 1t is about $50 feet long.
There is but one arch, and the roadway OF
the bridge is covered with three or four feet
OF earth. The supports are like huge water
pipes, curved in nearly half circle. This
is the oldest iron bridge in the United
States, and is kept in repair by the Govern
ment.
Henry Clay came to Brownsville when
the iron bridge was completed. He was
deeply interested in this bridge, having
urged the passage of the bill in Congress for
an appropriation for its erection. The old
inhabitants Of the town have cause to re-
member the day that brought Clay there.
The body of the stage coach in which he
and other prominent men were seated was
upset from the running gears just at one
entrance of the bridge on account of the deep
mud, and the occupants were thrown out
against the abutment. That same evening
Clay dedicated the bridge.
Among other well-known men of that
time who either stopped at Brownsville or
passed through on their way to or from
Washington were Patrick Henry, John j.
Chittenden and President Polk.
NOT QUITE THE SAME.
But change has come over the scene. A
shining pathway of steel rails was worn
across the Allegheny Mountains by the
tread of progress, and this metal highway
diverged from the beaten footprints of those
pioneer statesmen, leaving Brownsville far
to the southwark of the big trail, and itself
widening into grand avenue in the Union
depot at Pittsburg. the stagecoach fell to
pieces, the canalboat has long since been
dismantled, and the steamboat has been
relegated to the wants of petty freight
trade. Presidents and national law makers
no longer put up at the quaint taverns of
Brownsville, but perchance breathe heavy
snore as sllver-mounted Pullman cars roll
them through the blazing furnaces of the
Iron City at midnight.
The old taverns OF the National road are
still to-day taverns for ''the travelling pub
lic," but the public seldom gets that far
above the modern head of navigation. ALI
that remains in Brownsville to recall its
intimacy with the ''men of the times" is a
modest marble mon ument in the village
cemetery marking the graves of both father
and mother of James G. Blaine who, when
boy on his native heath, made one of the
gaping crowd on Brownsville's river land
ing watching for some of the great faces of
the halls of COM gress. JACKsoNIAN.