The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1893-06-19
THE WORLD DOES MOVE.
Advances Made in Transportation
by Americans.
Our Forefathers' ways-From the
Turnpike and the Prairie Schooner
to the Raging Canal and the Rail-
road-At the Beginning of the
Century.
Century,.

No carping criticism can with wisdom
be bestowed upon our ancestors, say of
seventy-five or a hundred years since.
No doubt they lived up to the light they
had at least as we'll as we do, improved as
thoroughly the opportunities they pos
sessed, and fairly matched us in worthy
character, downright manhood and
womanhood. Nevertheless, living and
dying as they did before the wondrous
nineteenth century had wrought its revo-
lutions and brought in discoveries, in
ventions, improvements without number
to every realm of thought and action,
they altogether missed much with which
we are perfectly familiar. and by which
our lives are greatly enriched. At vari-
Gus points the wisest of them were but
babes by comparison with the average
Of this generation. And hence, with all
our profound respect ana reverence, we
can not but smile audibly as we recall
certain typical facts dating back to pc
rod within the memories of men still
living.
Take for example the case of anthra-
cite, now an everyday affair, one OF the
necesSarieS of our civilization. 1t was
discovered by accident as far back as
1871, but long remained a worthless sub
stance, mere curiosity. In 1872 one
Colonel George Shoemaker shipped sew
eral boat loads of the shining stuff to
Philadelphia, but only found sale for a
limited quantity, for nobody could make
IL burn, and he barely escaped prosecu-
uon as an arrant swindler. With the
bulk of the cargoes the ruts were filed in
the streets of the Quaker City. 1t was
not until in the thirties that CRATES were
SO constructed for locomotives and iron
furnaces that the latent forces resident in
hard coal were set to work for the price
less advantage of humankind. In 1920
the amount sold in the Philadelphia mar
ket was but 800 tons, though by 1915 the
demand had risen to 100000. But more
especially as to modes of land commune
cation the fathers were in an estate most
primitive and lamentable. In colonial
times almost the entire population was
settled near the SeacOaSt or in the vicinity
Of navigable streams, and hence travel
and traffic were by water, while of roads
there were next to none. After the Rev
Olution, however, when the Great West"
began to be opened up, and the hosts
started on their sublime march over the
Alleghenies into the Mississippi Valley
and the boundless regions beyond among
the burning questions that of highways
soon leaped to the front and long held its
place.
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE CENTURY
At the opening of this century four
routes were in use. Beginning at the
South, emigrants could ascend the Great
Valley of Virginia, and then easily cross
10 the Clinch and Holston, descending
those rivers for Tennessee, and turning
nurthward through Cumberland Gap for
kentucky. Next there was the old Brad
dock road across from Cumberland, Md,
to the Monongahela, and it was by this
hot \
Of promise. Still further north wagons
could make the passage of the mountains
from Harrisburg to Plttsburg.
And, finally, the am bilious and venture
some could start from Albany, follow the
Mohawk to Rome, then cross by port
age OF less than two miles to Wood Creek
descend by Oneida Lake and the Oswego
to Lake Ontario, pass Niagara by port
age, and so reach Lake Erie. 1t was
thus that the first settlers upon the West
ern Reserve made their entrance. Later
The fashion was to keep further south
after passing Rome, and through broad
wilderness of swamps touch Syracuse
Canandaigua, Batavia, etc. But by all
weeks and months were consumed, and
severe were the hardships of the long
journey. And worse, in Western New
ork and Ohio general poverty resulted,
and great suffering for want of the neces-
saries of life. For nothing would bring
money but pearlash, and hogs. and cat
tie, which latter could be driven over the
mountains to market, while such was the
enormous cost of carriage that mer-
chandise was practically excluded from
the interior.
And something must be done. Re-
course was first had to the turnpike
The original experiment of this nature in
the New World was made in 1892 and
1896, was sixty-six miles in length, and
stretched westward from Philadelphia to
Lancaster. To the amazement of the
honest Dutch farmers in those parts,
whereas it had taken three days hith-
erto to cover that distance, the achieve
ment was now possible between A. NJ,
and Z. NJ. of single day. The stage
fare was ST.
About ten years later the Federal Gov
eminent undertook to connect the ATTAIN
tic Coast with the Mississippi Valley by
the construction of national highway,
which, from Washington and Baltimore
via Cumberland, should strike the Ohio
ut Wheeling. and continue through Co
lumbus, indianapolis, Nandalia, st. Louis,
etc, toward the setting sun. The work
was splendldly done, was continued for
nearly twenty-five years, and until ST.
100000 had been expended, when il be-
came evident that turnpikes were alto
getner out Of date. But for almost a gem
Grafton this was the principal thorough
often so great was the throng OF trav-
elers that for miles the horses noses
would touch the tailboards of the wagons
preceding.
In the meantime the idea of water com
munication had taken possession of the
public mind. Washington had noticed
the remarkable break, or trough, through
the Appalachians by which the Mohawk
makes its way, and as early as that it was
deemed possible to reach Lake Ontario
by canal, utilizing that stream. Oneide
Lake aud the Oswego River. Mex, in
1907, certain genius, one lessee Hawley,
published a pamphlet advocating at
length the project of a canal which
should connect Lake Erie with the Hud-
son. But with this as the original feat
ure: An inclined plane with a uniform
descent of live and a half inches to the
mile was TO carry the water without a
break for some 800 miles! And what is,
If possible, more surprising, so many
adopted his plan that almost to the last
moment II TIN eatened ruin to De Witt
Clinton'S scheme, which proposed in
stead a series of locks. Where valleys
were to be crossed Hawley would build
huge embankments tor miles and lofty
aqueducts, some of them not less than $50
feet in the air!
When, finally, the Erie Canal was fin
ished in 1872 of course the people must
have a celebration, and so prepared a to-
tilla at Buffalo, loaded with dignities and
banners flying, to make the trial trip.
10 indicate the time of starting to the
jewellers on Manhattan Island, along the
whole distance between cannon, within
hearing distance of each other. had been
planted. AS the procession got under
way the first gun was fired, and then the
next. and so on, and in one hour and
twenty minutes after the event was re-
ported 10 the knick Consider
ably more than week elapsed before the
boats passed the battery and reached
Snndr Hnnl, where a kaO of water from