The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1904-07-07

farmers without any other charge |
than "a bit to eat" and nights |
lodging. Those seed were the foun-
dation of the hundreds of apple or
chards upon which the travellers gazes
while coming to st. Louis.
1t yet remains for a romance writer
to travel along that old National road,
to tell of its wayside inns, with TRACE
dies and comedies, and words of wis |
dom uttered by statesmen of early
days-ClaY, Jackson, Webster and
others-who made these inns their
abiding places for the night.
The time came when the old Nat
ional road had to give way to the
locomotive, and its former glory de-
parted. 1t played an important part
in the early development of Baltimore,
AS that city by connection by the old
Frederick pike, to a great extent, was
its eastern terminus. The old road
was one of the most important steps
in the evolution of modern trade and |
travel. At at time when the great |
tide of emigration was pouring into
the Mississippi Valley it was, more
than any otherinstitution, the means
of Fastening the development of the |
great West. This grand old highway
was instrumental in turning the
course of emigration from the South
to the West. Over it were carried an
almost endless population and millions
of actual wealth, and the Middle
West was by its clasp linked to the
new and boundless acres of the
North.
Itwas the first and only highway
that was built by funds from the
national Treasury. The question of
internal land and water communica-
ion was in the minds of our fathers
even before the Revolution. George
Washington vas one of those most
interested in the matter and as early
as ITO he visited the West, examining
the lay of the land and the ire nd of
streams. There was then an Indian
trail leading through the Southern
Ohio section over which he was guild
ed by noted Indian, Nemacolin; and
still later he cut road through the
same forest. This awas called the
"Braddock road and was displaced
at length by the National highway,
which, threaded its path over the
same route.
The question of the construction of
I the highway came up at the first ses-
sion of the Continental Congress. 1t
was then decided upon, and opera
tons at once planned. When Ohio
was admitted as state, in 1902, Com.
gress set aside 5 per cent of all
moneys received from the sale of pub
lie lands within the state to be used
in the construction of road from
the navigable waters of the Atlantic
to the Ohio River, and this was a
nucleus of the great highway. Early
in 1906 Congress passed bill autho-
rizing the appointment of commits
sioners to lay out road over the
mountains, and President Jefferson
appointed Thomas Moore and Eli
Williams, of Maryland, and Joseph
Kerr, of Ohio. These men did noble
work, and by the close of the year
had laid out definite plans. The
road was located on exactly the route
they first selected. 1t ran from Cum
berland to Wheeling, a distance of
$50 miles, and thence extended
through Ohio and Indiana, and final
ly was lost amid the prairies of prim-
tive Illinois. 1t was constructed
under direction of the War Depart
ment, the work was let in sections
to contractors with Brigadier Gener-
al Gratiot in charge of it. The road
was cut through the forest four rods
wide, graded and piked with stones,
which covered the road bed from 70
to Is inches. 1t original cost was
more than one million dollars, which
was then Thoughts a vast sum to be
spent on public improvements.
AS soon as it was opened it became
the great link between East and West,
and conquered the mountain barrier
between the states. 1t continued
under the care of the national gov.
eminent for many wears, but finally
it was put into good repair and turn
ed over to he-several states through
which it passed Then they built
tollhouses and tollgates along the
route, and many anecdotes are told
about these oldtime conveniences.
Every kind of cattle or beast was
taxed, all sorts oHehicles and freight.
Persons going to church, or to the
mill, or to election were exempt from
toll, as well as those going to school,
to funerals, for from one part of the
farm to another ........
! What the overland mail route be-