Evening star., 1894-04-11
Primitive Methods of Travel.


After Braddock's defeat these roads were
used by the settlers of the counties bor-
dering on the Potomac for travel and
transportation of supplies For twenty
years after these roads were made scarce
ly a vehicle Travelled over them. Foot
men and hOrsemen used them in reaching
the frontier to trade with the inland set
tiers. The hardy pioneers made their
journeys on foot. Acquainted with the use
of the rifle, plow and sickle TRAVELLING on
foot no labor. Pack horses carried
their freight. When the wives or daugh-
ters took the trip they rode on pillows be-
hind their fathers husbands and brothers.
The trade consisted in leather, saddles.
harness, boots. shoes, linen. wooden and
taken threads, honey. dried apples and
butter in hrkins. Salt and iron implements
were carried on pack horses. and a 5ushel
of alum salt was fair equivalent in trade
for a fresh COW and calf. The trade went
to Alexandria and even to Baltimore and
Annapolis. AS early as 1T60 there was a
public road from Frederick to Annapolis.
The trade inland consisted of cotton goods,
indigo, salt, lead and gun powder. The
transportation of tobacco was done in a
manner peculiar to itself. The hogshead
was rigged out with shafts and seats and
with mule and driver was wheeled to
the market.
Tobacco was made a legal tender in 1872
at one penny per pound, so that when the
Mon tgOmery or Fairfax planter rolled into
Alexandria on his queer vehicle he found
himself literally astride of a ''barl of
money" In 1889 travel from the east to
the west had assumed such proportions
that the general government, which was
then organized, gave some attention to
the matter. and in 1S1s the National road
was organized. and Henry Clay who was
always its ardent friend and patron, piloted
through Congress its first appropriation of
10000. On the Virginia side of the river
one of the first main thoroughfares from
south to north was the Carolina road
A- Of a
were brought TO tide water by this road
and when Lsesburg was reached the freight
could go east by the Alexandria and
Winchester road or pass on directly north
county to Baltimore. The Winchester and
Alexandria pike drained much from the
Piedmont county and was used by wagons
from Augusta and Rockingham.
There Was Heavy Traffic.
Fifty wagons. with miscellaneous freight,
but particularly -four. with from four to
six horses in one continuous line, have been
seen to pass through Leesburg on the way
to Alexandria. The pike passing through
Fairfax Court House to Alexandria was a
crowded thoroughfare. and men now living
have counted $50 wagons in one day en-
route to Alexandria, loaded principally
with -four The most important road, easi-
ly accessible to the counties of western
Maryland and used to a good extent by
the counties of LoudOun and Fairfax in
Virginia, was the National pike. What a
vision of oId-time travel is called up by
that name. 1t was commenced in 1878,
and was a trunk line for thirty years. an
immense artery throbbing with the hustle
and trade and traffic of those times. 1t
was completed in 1871, was 121 miles long
and was intended TO extend westward from
Baltimore to st. Louis. \ few miles inland
on either side showed the forests and
streams in all their primeval wildness.
Most things were still in desert bush
and brier" To have stepped forth upon
the magnificently kept thoroughfare must
have been like a translation to Old Eng
land Sixteen coaches going either way
would pass in the course of a day, gaily
bedizened with. paint and bright colors.
holding from eight to fifteen passengers,
drawn by four and six we'll l-grOomed horses,
making ten and twelve miles an hour.
They We're the Royal Blues the "F. f.
vs. of that time. The miles were marked
by iron posts. The bridges were built in
the most substantial manner. The toll
gates We're made of iron and the taverns
and hOStle.'ies scattered along the route.
furnished man and beast with the best to
eat and drink. Herds of cattle, sheep and
hogs constantly passed. Freight wagons,
drawn by ten horses carrying ten tons Of
freight, with hind wheels eight feet high,
wee called fast freight" and did make re-
markably fast time. Many distinguished
men Travelled over this road in its day
Jackson. Clay. Taylor, Harrison. Houston.
Polk, Crockett and many others from the
south and west. In fS2S work on the Ches-
apeake and Ohio canal began. The states
OF virginia and Maryland both contributed
TO its excavation and completion.
The Canal Opened.
In 1870 the canal was opened for naviga-
ton through its entire extent from Al
exandria to Cumberland. This thorough
fare OF traffic. never used much for travel.
has been of great service to every county
through which it passes. Its main freight
is coal, but it has shown itself a great help
and convenience in carrying all that the
farmer has to sell. 1t has been much
abused. but when the great f-eshet of
several years 90 washed it out, apparently
forever, the farmers missed it 50 greatly and
made SO much complaint that the bali was
set in motion. and capitalists and cor
po-atioDs joined forces. and the raging
canaWl' is again one Of our great freight
CO rriers. Several wears before the civil war