The morning call., 1894-06-17
NATIONAL ROAD.
"reminiscences of a Once
Famous Highway.
JEHUS AND OLD TAVERNS.
In Its Day the Road Exercised Greater
Influence Than Do Trunk
Lines Now.

Every man. woman and child in Washing
ton County, Pa, knows Major John Ewing.
the uncle of James G. Blaine, and who to.
day, at IS, is as hale in body and active in
mind as most men Of 60. Major Ewing's
long life, contemporary with the growth OF
the ma ZION, has been most eYenttul one,
and he has been ever foremost in the en-
terprises that have raised his native
State TO deserved prominence in the
commonwealth. But TO the people OF TO-
day the most interesting event in the octo-
genarian's life as his connection with the
building of the National road, the artery
which connected the East with the West
ern wild erness, and forty years ago ex-
erted q greater influence on the commerce
of the nation than do any of tbs great trunk
lines OF to-day. No one is more familiar
with the building and history of the Ma
tional road than Major Ewing, and this
afternoon. seated by his coy fireside, the
old veteran chatted in a most entertaining
way of the men and events Of auld lang
Syne.
"Hhe building OF the National road,
said Major Ewing, "was first suggested as
long ago as the adoption of our c0Dstitu-
tion. In the convention which framed that
instrument the principal objection TO IT'S
ado ptinn, raised by the smaller States, was
that Virginia, whose territory was then
covered by the present States of Ohio, In
diana, Illinois and Michigan, if permitted
to come into the Union still holding such
immense possessions, would, in the natural
course of events, soon exercise dominat-
ing influence in national politics. To meet
this objection, the Virginians agreed TO
cede TO the General Government all their
territory north of the Ohio River, upon
he h.,xp hot fiora g,f
the money received from the sale Of the
lands should be used in the building of a
public road through the domain. From
the fund thus created the National road
was built.
COMPLETION OF THE ROAD.
1T was not. however" continued Major
Ewing, until 1906 that final measures for
the building of the road were adopted by
Congress- 1t was at first proposed that
the road should extend from Washington
City to ST. Louis, but after some millions
had been expended in its erection Con-
gresS grew economical, and the road was
completed only as far as Indianapolis. Ind.
For twelve years after It's completion the
road was maintained by the National Gov
eminent, and was free to all, no toll being
exacted. But when General Jackson be-
came President the road was turned over
to the several States through which 1t ran.
Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia all
passed enactments accepting the road, and
each State created a commission to take
charge of the portion given them, to fix
toll-gates and arrange the schedule of
tolls, and in TACT to have general control
of all matters connected with their charge.
At the outset in this State the toll-gates
were placed ar intervals of twenty miles
and vehicles of two horses were charged
1874 cents. and those with one horse 1871
cents. Vehicles whose tires were less
af~ .
free. People going to church or a funeral,
20 general muster or town meeting
were also given free way, but within the
last few years the free list has been greatly
restricted.
Few people of the present day." con-
tinued the major. "have any idea of the
proportions OF the freight and passenger
traffic which passed over this road in its
palmy days; hv the latter | mean the
period from 1885 to 1850. The passenger
traffic is what we hear the most of now
adays, but the freight traffic was also i'm
menSe. l can remember distinctly of one
day count ting sixty-three six-hOrse wagons
in sight on the road, aud the loads which
these wagons carried would tax the capa-
city of three of the ordinary wagons of the
present day. Some Of them had hind
wheels 10 feet high, and carried loads of
i've and six tons; nearly ali of them were
covered with canvas. Eighteen DAYS was
the time allowed for the transportation of
freight from Cum berIand to Wheeling. and
the teamsters generally got through ahead
OF time. 1t was over tbs National road
that the tide of Western immigration
flowed in those days, and the immigrant
ships, as they were called, sometimes
stretching out into caravans half a mile
long, were familiar sights.
OLD-TIME STAGING.
THE passenger traffic, of course, was
what made the road famous. There were
four companies engaged in staging at diff
feTent times in the history of the road. the
National and the Pioneer being the best
known lines. The four often carried as
high as 5000 passengers a month. Travel
by stage in the old days was neither as
slow nor uevoid of comfort as the man who
eats his meals in Pullman bowling along
at the rate of sixty miles an hour would
imagine. The macadamiZed surface of the
road was broad and smooth, and the tray-
eler could journey along IN chartered or
public coach, as be saw fit, although the
former was luxury INDUCED in only by
the wealthy Few. There were relay sta
tlonS every ten miles and changes of teams
were made by the Jehus Of the road In the
time that Ii takes to tell it. The regular
coaches carried nine passengers inside and
two out and the baggage of each was limited
to fifty pounds. To lower the record, if pos
sible. and never be passed on the road was
the drivers unwrltten law, and its rigid
observance carried the passenger along at
a ten-mile gait. At one time there was a
through line of coaches which left Wheeling
at 6 in the morning and reached Cumber-
land less than twenty-four hours later. /
remember that on one occasion an Ohio
River boat arrived at Wheeling a 10 in the
morning with lot of passengers booked
for the train leaving Cum berland at the
next morning. One hundred and thirty-two
miles of hill and valley lay between them,
but Dave Gordon. noted driver, took
them through in twenty hours, an unheard-
Of feat. Desperate feuds often spraug I'D
between the rival lines, and the drivers
were always ready 10 champion the cause
OF their employers with tongue and muscle,
Scythes fastened to hubs to cut the Spokes
OF the wheels OF an opposition coach were
no uncommon occurrence.
The passenger coaches carried the mails
for several years. but regular mail coaches
were finally substituted. and to these the
stage lines devoted their best drivers and
fastest horses. The drivers orders were
to make the time or kill the horses, aud
teams were often driven miles at a full
run. Ii horse gave out the delay was
only Tor moment. He was embarrassed
and left by the roadside and the Journey
resumed. But il was the delivery of the
Presidents message that put the drivers
meitle TO the full test as on it depended
the letting of the contracts by the Post
office Department, and the driver knew
that If he failed to come in ahead the con-
tract with his company would be Cancelled
and given TO the opposition. Bill Noble
once carried the Presidents message from
IN i'm, IT,