Free trader-journal and Ottawa fair dealer. (Ottawa, Ill.) 1920-1927, 1922-09-05

Swift cars speeding over the smooth,
new highways of Illinois follow IN
many places the old stage coach lines
that fiourished before the railroad and
the steamboat. Automobile inns and
refreshment PAGES along the way sus-
gest the taverns and the romantic HE
along the lines of the old stage ana
tour.
~ Illinois was cris.crossed in every di-
rection with these stage lines before
the railroad brought in a new era.
Greatest of them all and most repre-.
septatives OF the stage coach days was
the Cumberland road, the rst national
highway OF America,
The building Of this highway
brought forth new race OF men, and
its height there flowed along its spa
cious way a remarkable tide of COM
merce.
The Cumberland road started at
Cumberland Md, and ran northwest
ward thru Pennsylvania crossed the
Uhio river at Wheeling, w. Va, then
ran thru Ohio and southern Indiana
to Terre Haute. The advent of the
railroad prevented its westward
march. The highway was marked OFF,
however thru Greeup, Eftingham, Van
dalia, Grsenville, Highland, Troy and
TO ST. Louis,
The road was 700 miles long and
gpst the federal government s7o00000
The rst contracts for its construction
were let in April, 1911, and as late as
4 1853 congress was still appropriatins
money 10 continue the road TO St
Louis. June II, 1884, small sum
was appropriated for surveying the
road as far as Jeerson, Missouri.
"A Flood OF Traffic.
A food Of traffic swept over the
fDad as soon as it was completed.
Some sections of 1t were macadamized
while others were merely graded.
Early in its history dispute arose as
TO how it should be kept in repair
& Congress passed an act in 1922 appro-
priating money for repair of the road
and established a system of tolls to
raise revenue for the same purpose.
This measure was vetoed by Presi-
dent Monroe. The road therefore was
subsequently turned over for repair to
abe states thru which 1t passed.
In its day the stage coach business,
especially on the Cumberland road
brought forth daring class of men
who drove the stages and the great
sreighters, and it developed the usual
AMERICAN initiative in devising coach
iss and erecting taverns that would ex-
cell those of competition.
The best coaches were lined with
kifk plush, and contained seats for
mine passengers They were hung on
heavy leather straps as this was the
day before springs. There was one
Seat for passenger beside the driver
THE coaches cost from $500 to 5000.
The stage drivers were the speed
Heroes OF the day and the drivers of
The freight wagons were the most skill
drivers of their time.
ii Mountain Ships.
The freight wagons were huge vehi-
hses sometimes called mountain
ships" The bed was long and deep,
bending up at the ends. The top was
of canvass stretched over wooden
bows. The wheels were broad, meas.
nring four to six inches, and the har-
mess OF the great horses was equally
strong. Teams OF seven and nine
horses hauled these freighters.
The loads pulled over the old roads, |
up and down hills, exceeded those car
tied today by the many of the large
auto trucks. 1t was not unusual to
carry 10000 pounds and loads Of H.
900 and $4,000 were frequent. The
Coach drivers receive wages averaging
VIZ month with board and lodging