The record-union., 1894-01-24
BRIGHTON'S FAMOUS PLANK ROAD.
How the Teamsters Worried the
Pioneer ToIl-Gatherers.
Charles Petit Relates Some Interest
ing Anecdotes of His Experience
In the Early Fifties.

ing "reminiscences of early days, anc
finally the subject Of good roads was
taken up. OF course it was not long be-
fore one Of the gray-haired youths was
reminded" of the famous plank road be-
tween this city and Brighton during the
early years of freighting to the mines.
Charles Petit said he remembered the
road very well. 1t was built about 1853
and was some nine or ten miles in length
reaching from the end of j street out tC
and through Brighton and over the heavy
sand along the American River.
81 was one of the toll-gate keepers or
that road" said Petit. SAT that time il
had, through constant and heavy travel
become considerably worn, in conse-
quence of which the teamsters paid
their toll with reluctance, and we
had no little difficulty and sometimes
some excitement in its collection.
There were two toll-gates on the road
or rather toil-houses, as there were nc
real gates. The one which l kept was
located short distance outside the city
limits, near the Jewish cemetery. The
other, or upper gate, was near the east
ern terminus of the road, and was KEPT
by Jerry Beam, who owned ranch there
and was stockholder in the road. Mr.
Beam was a good neighbor and good
citizen, but he was qulck-tempered and
would fly into rage on the slightest pro-
vocation, and was altogether UNITED tor
q toll-gate keeper.
1.-The teamsters took delight in annoy
ing him. The rule in travelling the road
was TO pay at the first gate and receive a
ticket to pass you through the next. The
teamsters, in coming to the city, would
mostly run the upper gate and pay at the
lower one, and on their return would pay
ct the lower gate and refuse a ticket TO
pass the upper one, saying significantly,
NO, we don't need a ticket to pass that
gate, as we can get along quite as well
without
Matters grew worse and worse, until
finally Beam had teamester arrested for
passing the gate without paying. A num-
ber of the teamster's friends joined in his
behalf and retained on part OF The defense
the late William |. Ferguson. who was
an able lawyer and an effective and ready
speaker. The prisoners examination
took place in the evening before Justice
of the Peace, whose name l Idisremember,
but his office and courtroom were on h
street, above Sixth, near the hOrse-mar-
ket.
ION the evening of the examination
the courtroom and sidewalk in front
were crowded with interested teamsters
and curious spectators, who were expect
ing TO see some fun, and they were not
disappointed. Ferguson, in his closing
argument to the court, drew vivid and
humorous picture OF Beam-as shown by
the evidence-assisted by his two negroes.
Bob and Jerry (whom he had brought
with him as slaves across the plains in
'49) taking toll, at the muzzle OF a double
barreled shotgun, from the honest. in
offensive and working freight
haulers, for travelling over dllapldated
and worn-out road.
80 laughable was the attorneys de-
scription OF Beam and his method of toll
taking. that the Bailiff had great diff
Guilty in keeping order in court. Even
his Honor could scarcely preserve his
composure. Beam the while was going
around among his friends in the crowd,
and in an excited manner declaring that
he would shoot Ferguson on sight. But
we knew Jerry Beam too well to have
any fears for the attorneys safety. AS it
afterward turned out, Beam-instead OF
killing Eerguson-retained him to attend
to his law business in the future. The
court discharged the prisoner, which
made matters worse. instead of better.
''Soon after this l, too, began to have
trouble in collecting toll at my end OF the
road. One day long string of big teams,
loaded for the mines, drove up with the
avowed intention OF running my gate. l
had heard of them the day before, and
was on the lookout. l stepped out in
front of the foremost team, just as If it
was nothing unusual, and demanded OF
the driver his toll. He refused to pay,
but declared he could whip me. This
fact | admitted, and explained to him that
/ was not responsible for the condition OF
the road. nor was l there tor the purpose
of fighting, but to take toll, and that we
required everybody who travelled the
road to pay his toll.
II finally succeeded in getting him
cooled down, when he paid. The others
then paid without further protest. They
then drove on for about a quarter of a
mile, where they stopped and had a gen.
eral fight among themselves, each de-
claring that he wouldn't have paid if the
other hadn't.
a. continued to have more or less diff
Guilty, and was sometimes abused, but
generally managed to collect the tolls. l
at length became tired OF it, and COM
planned to Mr.. Rhodes, the President oi
the road, that L disliked to collect toll OF
those who were willing to pay, and let
those who were unwilling pass free, and
that unless the company would compel
all to pay l would be obliged to quit.
Rhodes thought if | would stretch a
chain across the road there would be no
further trouble. This | declined to do,
contendlng that if toll could not be col
lected by law it surely could not by a
chain stretched across the road. But
Rhodes insisted OH having the chain put
up. So 1 rendered MIN my resignation.
One morning soon after a man was sent
out to relieve me, and l turned over
everything to him and left for home.
1.-THE next day a heavy ships anchor
chain was put up, one end of which was
securely fastened to a very large post set
firmly in the ground, just across the road
in front of the little dollhouse. The other
end was passed through hole cut in the
side of the building, and there fastened to
a heavy windlass, so the gate-keeper
might operate it without being exposed
TO any danger from the teamsters.
The chain had been up only short
time when big eight-muie team, on its
way to the city, drove up. The driver
took in the situation at a glance, and
stopped his team. Without saying a
word to any one he proceeded to unhook
from the wagon six of his best animals,
turned them around, and hooked into the
chain stretched across the road, and gave
the word Get up, Lizel 10 his leader.
when the team started, and likewise the
dollhouse.
1.-The keeper cried out: Hold on! Stop!
For Gods sake stop, and L viii take
down the chain and lei you pass!'
THE driver stopped the team, the chain
was taken down, the ton-gates were
abandoned, and no more toll w9s ever at
tempted TO be collected on the road"
Pioneer John Boles Wanted.
Il