Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1890-05-03

frauded toll-collector rapidly in the rear, to
sneeze away the smoky salute of frontier
pistol.
The Toll Gate Nuisance.
In our own fair Commonwealth of Penn
sylvania, where every man is not taken for
knave, the toil-gate pole has been practi-
cally discarded for half a century. Its
disuse has become symbolical. There it
hangs in the air, the loaded box at one end
lying on the ground ell grown over with
weeds, the other end pointing skywards far
above the road, the whole simply serving to
notify the public that here is a toll-gate.
But it is toll-gate without a gate-a COM
pllment to your honesty-and where is the
American citizen who would whip up his
horses and dash past the toll-taker merely
to escape paying 'ew cents. At least these
are the kind of toll-gates 1 have been ia
miliar with in the past 10 years in the
neighoorbood of Pittsburg.
Imagine, if you can, the iron gates of the
Sixth street suspension bridge really closed
against each wagon, carriage or horse car,
and not opened for them until the necessary
10 or 10 cent? toll is paid. What a spec
taelel
The Roadway Barred Up.
Yet that is exactly like what you may see
on the public turnpike between Clarion and
Brookville. The bridge that crosses the
Clarion river just below the town is closed
by a pole chained to its post, and not re-
moved until you pay. Continue your jour
ney eastward toward Jefferson county, and
mile beyond Clarion, your horses bring
their noses plump against the heavy pole of
toll-gate, pole actually strapped down to
its posts, and not allowed to be removed bv
any hands except those of the keeper unIil
he has your Is cents safe in his palm.
Just as your wagon passes beyond the
dead line down comes the pole behind you,
no matter ii a rig stands waiting for you to
go ahead. That rig must take its turn.
No Pay. No Thoroughfare.
Now you are in the trap. Six miles
beyond Is another toll-gate with another pole
stretched across the road, and tied so well
that paddock might as we'll clink there.
That six miles Of turnpike is completely
closed in-Hcut off from the outside world"
as they write when we have Charleston
earthquakes, Johnstown floods or Mississippi
disasters.
Ii you happen to get in you must sink or
swim, survive or perish, lick or get licked.
Money will get you out, but ii your purse
is empty, GOD help you. You NAV coutinue
east but if YOU can't produce II cents there
the pole will not be swung Tree. Youmav
turn back ii you want, but again YOU are
caught The gate back of you will not
open without the magic sesame Of an addi-
tional 10 cents. You can't get out at either
end. You are hemmed in. You are help
less-you are lost
Like Rat in n Trap.
Yesterday we met one poor fellow in this
abject condition. He would drive first six
miles one way, then six miles the other way,
then reverse the order of his going and try
it again. He was desperate. So was the |
horse. II reminded me the phrase dram |
atists use when they get their hero in |
prison cell or an underground dungeon
''he beat his head against the two stone
walls and walled" 1t was just the same
yesterday, only this fellow on the Clarion
pike swOre.
This sort OF thing was all so new to us,
ana we took it as such reflection on our
honesty, that three sets feelings in The
DISPATCH wagon ielt keenly hurt. and
hree hearts beat with Indignation. Being
lutlfed beforehand o what awaited US, one
IF our party was appointed as a committee
y act as spokesu al, and "get even" For
Zach toll-gate separate speech was pre-
oratiol SO ull OF iorcible inYec-
i've and logical reasoning that it was diff