the quaker colonies-第16章

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ast　two　or　three　generations；　were　always　there　and　that　the　primeval　forest　of　colonial　times　was　no　better。　But　that　is　a　mistake。　The　stunted　growth　now　seen　is　not　even　second　growth　but　in　many　cases　fourth　or　fifth　or　more。　The　whole　region　was　cut　over　long　ago。　The　original　growth；　pine　in　many　places；　consisted　also　of　lofty　timber　of　oak；　hickory；　gum；　ash；　chestnut；　and　numerous　other　trees；　interspersed　with　dogwood；　sassafras；　and　holly；　and　in　the　swamps　the　beautiful　magnolia；　along　with　the　valuable　white　cedar。　DeVries；　who　visited　the　Jersey　coast　about　1632；　at　what　is　supposed　to　have　been　Beesley's　or　Somer's　Point；　describes　high　woods　coming　down　to　the　shore。　Even　today；　immediately　back　of　Somer's　Point；　there　is　a　magnificent　lofty　oak　forest　accidentally　preserved　by　surrounding　marsh　from　the　destructive　forest　fires；　and　there　are　similar　groves　along　the　road　towards　Pleasantville。　In　fact；　the　finest　forest　trees　flourish　in　that　region　wherever　given　a　good　chance。　Even　some　of　the　beaches　of　Cape　May　had　valuable　oak　and　luxuriant　growths　of　red　cedar；　and　until　a　few　years　ago　there　were　fine　trees；　especially　hollies；　surviving　on　Wildwood　Beach。

The　Jersey　white　cedar　swamps　were；　and　still　are；　places　of　fascinating　interest　to　the　naturalist　and　the　botanist。　The　hunter　or　explorer　found　them　scattered　almost　everywhere　in　the　old　forest　and　near　its　edges；　varying　in　size　from　a　few　square　yards　up　to　hundreds　of　acres。　They　were　formed　by　little　streams　easily　checked　in　their　flow　through　the　level　land　by　decaying　vegetation　or　dammed　by　beavers。　They　kept　the　water　within　the　country；　preventing　all　effects　of　droughts；　stimulating　the　growth　of　vegetation　which　by　its　decay；　throughout　the　centuries；　was　steadily　adding　vegetable　mold　or　humus　to　the　sandy　soil。　This　process　of　building　up　a　richer　soil　has　now　been　largely　stopped　by　lumbering；　drainage；　and　fires。

While　there　are　many　of　these　swamps　left；　the　appearance　of　numbers　of　them　has　largely　changed。　When　the　white　men　first　came；　the　great　cedars　three　or　four　feet　in　diameter　which　had　fallen　centuries　before　often　lay　among　the　living　trees；　some　of　them　buried　deep　in　the　mud　and　preserved　from　decay。　They　were　invaluable　timber；　and　digging　them　out　and　cutting　them　up　became　an　important　industry　for　over　a　hundred　years。　In　addition　to　being　used　for　boat　building；　they　made　excellent　shingles　which　would　last　a　lifetime。　The　swamps；　indeed；　became　known　as　shingle　mines；　and　it　was　a　good　description　of　them。　An　important　trade　was　developed　in　hogshead　staves；　hoops；　shingles；　boards；　and　planks；　much　of　which　went　into　the　West　Indian　trade　to　be　exchanged　for　rum；　sugar；　molasses；　and　negroes。*　

*　Between　the　years　1740　and　'50；　the　Cedar　Swamps　of　the　county　＇Cape　May＇　were　mostly　located；　and　the　amount　of　lumber　since　taken　from　them　is　incalculable；　not　only　as　an　article　of　trade；　but　to　supply　the　home　demand　for　fencing　and　building　material　in　the　county。　Large　portions　of　these　swamps　have　been　worked　a　second　and　some　a　third　time；　since　located。　At　the　present　time　＇1857＇　there　is　not　an　acre　of　original　growth　of　swamp　standing；　having　all　passed　away　before　the　resistless　sway　of　the　speculator　or　the　consumer。〃　Beesley's　〃Sketch　of　Cape　May〃　p。　197。


The　great　forest　has　long　since　been　lumbered　to　death。　The　pines　were　worked　for　tar；　pitch；　resin；　and　turpentine　until　for　lack　of　material　the　industry　passed　southward　through　the　Carolinas　to　Florida；　exhausting　the　trees　as　it　went。　The　Christmas　demand　for　holly　has　almost　stripped　the　Jersey　woods　of　these　trees　once　so　numerous。　Destructive　fires　and　frequent　cutting　keep　the　pine　and　oak　lands　stunted。　Thousands　of　dollars'　worth　of　cedar　springing　up　in　the　swamps　are　sometimes　destroyed　in　a　day。　But　efforts　to　control　the　fires　so　destructive　not　only　to　this　standing　timber　but　to　the　fertility　of　the　soil；　and　attempts　to　reforest　this　country　not　only　for　the　sake　of　timber　but　as　an　attraction　to　those　who　resort　there　in　search　of　health　or　natural　beauty；　have　not　been　vigorously　pushed。　The　great　forest　has　now；　to　be　sure；　been　partially　cultivated　in　spots；　and　the　sand　used　for　large　glass…making　industries。　Small　fruits　and　grapes　flourish　in　some　places。　At　the　northern　end　of　this　forest　tract　the　health　resort　known　as　Lakewood　was　established　to　take　advantage　of　the　pine　air。　A　little　to　the　southward　is　the　secluded　Brown's　Mills；　once　so　appealing　to　lovers　of　the　simple　life。　Checked　on　the　east　by　the　great　forest；　the　West　Jersey　Quakers　spread　southward　from　Salem　until　they　came　to　the　Cohansey；　a　large　and　beautiful　stream　flowing　out　of　the　forest　and　wandering　through　green　meadows　and　marshes　to　the　bay。　So　numerous　were　the　wild　geese　along　its　shores　and　along　the　Maurice　River　farther　south　that　the　first　settlers　are　said　to　have　killed　them　for　their　feathers　alone　and　to　have　thrown　the　carcasses　away。　At　the　head　of　navigation　of　the　Cohansey　was　a　village　called　Cohansey　Bridge；　and　after　1765　Bridgeton；　a　name　still　borne　by　a　flourishing　modern　town。　Lower　down　near　the　marsh　was　the　village　of　Greenwich；　the　principal　place　of　business　up　to　the　year　1800；　with　a　foreign　trade。　Some　of　the　tea　the　East　India　Company　tried　to　force　on　the　colonists　during　the　Revolution　was　sent　there　and　was　duly　rejected。　It　is　still　an　extremely　pretty　village；　with　its　broad　shaded　streets　like　a　New　England　town　and　its　old　Quaker　meeting　house。　In　fact；　not　a　few　New　Englanders　from　Connecticut；　still　infatuated　with　southern　Jersey　in　spite　of　the　rebuffs　received　in　ancient　times　from　Dutch　and　Swedes；　finally　settled　near　the　Cohansey　after　it　came　under　control　of　the　more　amiable　Quakers。　There　was　also　one　place　called　after　Fairfield　in　Connecticut　and　another　called　New　England　Town。

The　first　churches　of　this　region　were　usually　built　near　running　streams　so　that　the　congregation　could　procure　water　for　themselves　and　their　horses。　Of　one　old　Presbyterian　Church　it　used　to　be　said　that　no　one　had　ever　ridden　to　it　in　a　wheeled　vehicle。　Wagons　and　carriages　were　very　scarce　until　after　the　Revolution。　Carts　for　occasions　of　ceremony　as　well　as　utility　were　used　before　wagons　and　carriages。　For　a　hundred　and　fifty　years　the　horse's　back　was　the　best　form　of　conveyance　in　the　deep　sand　of　the　trails　and　roads。　This　was　true　of　all　southern　Jersey。　Pack　horses　and　the　backs　of　Indian　and　negro　slaves　were　the　principal　means　of　transportation　on　land。　The　roads　and　trails；　in　fact；　were　so　few　and　so　heavy　with　sand　that　water　travel　was　very　much　developed。　The　Indian　dugout　canoe　was　adopted　and　found　faster　and　better　than　heavy　English　rowboats。　As　the　province　was　almost　surrounded　by　water　and　was　covered　with　a　network　of　creeks　and　channels；　nearly　all　the　villages　and　towns　were　situated　on　tidewater　streams；　and　the　dugout　canoe；　modified　and　improved；　was　for　several　generations　the　principal　means　of　communication。　Most　of　the　old　roads　in　New　Jersey　followed　Indian　trails。　There　was　a　trail；　for　example；　from　the　modern　Camden　opposite　Philadelphia；　following　up　Cooper's　Creek　past　Berlin；　then　called　Long…a…coming；　crossing　the　watershed；　and　then　following　Great　Egg　Harbor　River　to　the　seashore。　Another　trail；　long　used　by　the　settlers；　led　from　Salem　up　to　Camden；　Burlington；　and　Trenton；　going　round　the　heads　of　streams。　It　was　afterwards　abandoned　for　the　shorter　route　obtained　by　bridging　the　streams　nearer　their　mouths。　This　old　trail　also　extended　from　the　neighborhood　of　Trenton　to　Perth　Amboy　near　the　mouth　of　the　Hudson；　and　thus；　by　supplementing　the　lower　routes；　made　a　trail　nearly　the　whole　length　of　the　province。

As　a　Quaker　refuge；　West　Jersey　never　attained　the　success　of　Pennsylvania。　The　political　disturbances　and　the　continually　threatened　loss　of　self…government　in　both　the　Jerseys　were　a　serious　deterrent　to　Quakers　who；　above　all　else；　prized　rights　which　they　found　far　better　secured　in　Pennsylvania。　In　1702；　when　the　two　Jerseys　were　united　into　one　colony　under　a　government　appointed　by　the　Crown；　those　rights　were　more　restricted　than　ever　and　all　hopes　of　West　Jersey　becoming　a　colony　under　complete　Quaker　control　were　shattered。　Under　Governor　Cornbury；　the　English　law　was　adopted　and　enforced；　and　the　Quakers　were　disqualified　from　testifying　in　court　unless　they　took　an　oath　and　were　prohibited　from　serving　on　juries　or　holding　any　office　of　trust。　Cornbury's　judges　wore　scarlet　robes；　powdered　wigs；　cocked　hats；　gold　lace；　and　side　arms；　they　were　conducted　to　the　courthouse　by　the　sheriff's　cavalcade　and　opened　court　with　great　parade　and　ceremony。　Such　a　spectacle　of　pomp　was　sufficient　to　divert　the　flow　of　Quaker　immigrants　to　Pennsylvania；　where　the　government　was　entirely　in　Quaker　hands　and　where　plain　and　serious　ways　gave　promise　of　enduring　and　unmolested　prosperity。

The　Quakers　had　altogether　thirty　meeting　houses　in　West　Jersey　and　eleven　in　East　Jersey；　which　probably　shows　about　the　proportion　of　Quaker　influence　in　the　two　Jerseys。　Many　of　them　have　since　disappeared；　some　of　the　early　buildings；　to　judge　from　the　pictures；　were　of　wood　and　not　particularly　pleasing　in　appearance。　They　were　makeshifts；　usually　intended　to　be　replaced　by　better　buildings。　Some　substantial　brick　buildings　of　excellent　architecture　have　survived；　and　their　plainness　and　simplicity；　combined　with　excellent　proportions　and　thorough　construction；　are　clearly　indicative　of　Quaker　character。　There　is　a　particularly　interesting　one　in　Salem　with　a　magnificent　old　oak　beside　it；　another　in　the　village　of　Greenwich　on　the　Cohansey　farther　south；　and　another　at　Crosswicks　near　Trenton。

In　West　Jersey　near　Mount　Holly　was　born　and　lived　John　Woolman；　a　Quaker　who　became　eminent　throughout　the　English　speaking　world　for　the　simplicity　and　loftiness　of　his　religious　thought　as　well　as　for　his　admirable　style　of　expression。　His　〃Journal；〃　once　greatly　and　even　extravagantly　admired；　still　finds　readers。　〃Get　the　writings　of　John　Woolman　by　heart；〃　said　Charles　Lamb；　〃and　love　the　early　Quakers。〃　He　was　among　the　Quakers　one　of　the　first　and　perhaps　the　first　really　earnest　advocate　of　the　abolition　of　slavery。　The　scenes　of　West　Jersey　and　the　writings　of　Woolman　seem　to　belong　together。　Possibly　a　feeling　for　the　simplicity　of　those　scenes　and　their　life　led　Walt　Whitman；　who　grew　up　on　Long　Island　under　Quaker　influence；　to　spend　his　last　years　at　Camden；　in　West　Jersey。　His　profound　democracy；　which　was　very　Quaker…like；　was　more　at　home　there　perhaps　than　anywhere　else。



Chapter　IX。　Planters　And　Traders　Of　Southern　Jersey

Most　of　the　colonies　in　America；　especially　the　stronger　ones；　had　an　aristocratic　class；　which　was　often　large　and　powerful；　as　in　the　case　of　Virginia；　and　which　usually　centered　around　the　governor；　especially　if　he　were　appointed　from　England　by　the　Crown　or　by　a　proprietor。　But　there　was　very　little　of　this　social　distinction　in　New　Jersey。　Her　political　life　had　been　too　much　broken　up；　and　she　had　been　too　long　dependent　on　the　governors　of　New　York　to　have　any　of　those　pretty　little　aristocracies　with　bright　colored　clothes；　and　coaches