the paths of inland commerce-第3章

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aryland　Railway。

A　bird's…eye　view　of　the　southern　Alleghanies　shows　that；　while　the　Atlantic　plain　of　Virginia　and　the　Carolinas　widens　out；　the　mountain　chains　increase　in　number；　fold　on　fold；　from　the　Blue　Ridge　to　the　ragged　ranges　of　the　Cumberlands。　Few　trails　led　across　this　manifold　barrier。　There　was　a　connection　at　Balcony　Falls　between　the　James　River　and　the　Great　Kanawha；　but　as　a　trade　route　it　was　of　no　such　value　to　the　men　of　its　day　as　the　Chesapeake　and　Ohio　system　over　the　same　course　is　to　us。　As　in　the　North；　so　in　the　South；　trade　avoided　obstacles　by　taking　a　roundabout；　and　often　the　longest　route。　In　order　to　double　the　extremity　of　the　Unakas；　for　instance；　the　trails　reached　down　by　the　Valley　of　Virginia　and　New　River　to　the　uplands　of　the　Tennessee；　and　here；　near　Elizabethton；　they　met　the　trails　leading　up　the　Broad　and　the　Yadkin　rivers　from　Charleston；　South　Carolina。

To　the　west　rise　the　somber　heights　of　Cumberland　Gap。　Through　this　portal　ran　the　famous　〃Warrior's　Path；〃　known　to　wandering　hunters；　the　〃trail　of　iron〃　from　Fort　Watauga　and　Fort　Chiswell；　which　Daniel　Boone　widened　for　the　settlers　of　Kentucky。　To　the　southwest　lay　the　Blue　Grass　region　of　Tennessee　with　its　various　trails　converging　on　Nashville　from　almost　every　direction。　Today　the　Southern　Railway　enters　the　〃Sapphire　Country；〃　in　which　Asheville　lies；　by　practically　the　same　route　as　the　old　Rutherfordton　Trail　which　was　used　for　generations　by　red　man　and　pioneer　from　the　Carolina　coast。　In　our　entire　region　of　the　Appalachians；　from　the　Berkshire　Hills　southward；　practically　every　old…time　pathway　from　the　seaboard　to　the　trans…Alleghany　country　is　now　occupied　by　an　important　railway　system；　with　the　exception　of　the　Warrior's　Trail　through　Cumberland　Gap　to　central　Ohio　and　the　Highland　Trail　across　southern　Pennsylvania。　And　even　Cumberland　Gap　is　accessible　by　rail　today；　and　a　line　across　southern　Pennsylvania　was　once　planned　and　partially　constructed　only　to　be　killed　by　jealous　rivals。

These　numerous　keys　to　the　Alleghanies　were　a　challenge　to　the　men　of　the　seaboard　to　seize　upon　the　rich　trade　of　the　West　which　had　been　early　monopolized　by　the　French　in　Canada。　But　the　challenge　brought　its　difficult　problems。　What　land　canoes　could　compete　with　the　flotillas　that　brought　their　priceless　cargoes　of　furs　each　year　to　Montreal　and　Quebec？　What　race　of　landlubbers　could　vie　with　the　picturesque　bands　of　fearless　voyageurs　who　sang　their　songs　on　the　Great　Lakes；　the　Ohio；　the　Illinois；　and　the　Mississippi？

In　the　solution　of　this　problem　of　diverting　trade　probably　the　factor　of　greatest　importance；　next　to　open　pathways　through　the　mountain　barriers；　was　the　rich　stock…breeding　ground　lying　between　the　Delaware　and　the　Susquehanna　rivers；　a　region　occupied　by　the　settlers　familiarly　known　as　the　Pennsylvania　Dutch。　In　this　famous　belt；　running　from　Pennsylvania　into　Virginia；　originated　the　historic　pack…horse　trade　with　the　〃far　Indians〃　of　the　Ohio　Valley。　Here；　in　the　first　granary　of　America；　Germans；　Scotch…Irish；　and　English　bred　horses　worthy　of　the　name。　〃Brave　fat　Horses〃　an　amazed　officer　under　Braddock　called　the　mounts　of　five　Quakers　who　unexpectedly　rode　into　camp　as　though　straight　〃from　the　land　of　Goshen。〃　These　animals；　crossed　with　the　Indian　〃pony〃　from　New　Spain；　produced　the　wise；　wiry；　and　sturdy　pack…horse；　fit　to　transport　nearly　two　hundred　pounds　of　merchandise　across　the　rough　and　narrow　Alleghany　trails。　This　animal　and　the　heavy　Conestoga　horse　from　the　same　breeding　ground　revolutionized　inland　commerce。

The　first　American　cow　pony　was　not　without　his　cowboy。　Though　the　drivers　were　not　all　of　the　same　type　and　though　the　proprietors；　so　to　speak；　of　the　trans…Alleghany　pack…horse　trade　came　generally　from　the　older　settlements；　the　bulk　of　the　hard　work　was　done　by　a　lusty　army　of　men　not　reproduced　again　in　America　until　the　picturesque　figure　of　the　cow…puncher　appeared　above　the　western　horizon。　This　breed　of　men　was　nurtured　on　the　outer　confines　of　civilization；　along　the　headwaters　of　the　Susquehanna；　the　Potomac；　the　James；　and　the　Broadthe　country　of　the　〃Cowpens。〃　Rough　as　the　wilderness　they　occupied；　made　strong　by　their　diet　of　meat　and　curds；　these　Tatars　of　the　highlands　played　a　part　in　the　commercial　history　of　America　that　has　never　had　its　historian。　In　their　knowledge　of　Indian　character；　of　horse　and　packsaddle　lore；　of　the　forest　and　its　trails　in　every　season；　these　men　of　the　Cowpens　were　the　kings　of　the　old　frontier。

An　officer　under　Braddock　has　left　us　one　of　the　few　pictures　of　these　people*：

*　〃Extracts　of　Letters　from　an　Officer〃　（London；　1755）。


〃From　the　Heart　of　the　Settlements　we　are　now　got　into　the　Cow…pens；　the　Keepers　of　these　are　very　extraordinary　Kind　of　Fellows；　they　drive　up　their　Herds　on　Horseback；　and　they　had　need　do　so；　for　their　Cattle　are　near　as　wild　as　Deer；　a　Cow…pen　generally　consists　of　a　very　large　Cottage　or　House　in　the　Woods；　with　about　four…score　or　one　hundred　Acres；　inclosed　with　high　Rails　and　divided；　a　small　Inclosure　they　keep　for　Corn；　for　the　family；　the　rest　is　the　Pasture　in　which　they　keep　their　calves；　but　the　Manner　is　far　different　from　any　Thing　you　ever　saw；　they　may　perhaps　have　a　Stock　of　four　or　five　hundred　to　a　thousand　Head　of　Cattle　belonging　to　a　Cow…pen；　these　run　as　they　please　in　the　Great　Woods；　where　there　are　no　Inclosures　to　stop　them。　In　the　Month　of　March　the　Cows　begin　to　drop　their　Calves；　then　the　Cow…pen　Master；　with　all　his　Men；　rides　out　to　see　and　drive　up　the　Cows　with　all　their　new　fallen　Calves；　they　being　weak　cannot　run　away　so　as　to　escape；　therefore　are　easily　drove　up；　and　the　Bulls　and　other　Cattle　follow　them；　and　they　put　these　Calves　into　the　Pasture；　and　every　Morning　and　Evening　suffer　the　Cows　to　come　and　suckle　them；　which　done　they　let　the　Cows　out　into　the　great　Woods　to　shift　for　their　Food　as　well　as　they　can；　whilst　the　Calf　is　sucking　one　Tit　of　the　Cow；　the　Woman　of　the　Cow…Pen　is　milking　one　of　the　other　Tits；　so　that　she　steals　some　Milk　from　the　Cow；　who　thinks　she　is　giving　it　to　the　Calf；　soon　as　the　Cow　begins　to　go　dry；　and　the　Calf　grows　Strong；　they　mark　them；　if　they　are　Males　they　cut　them；　and　let　them　go　into　the　Wood。　Every　Year　in　September　and　October　they　drive　up　the　Market　Steers；　that　are　fat　and　of　a　proper　Age；　and　kill　them；　they　say　they　are　fat　in　October；　but　I　am　sure　they　are　not　so　in　May；　June　and　July；　they　reckon　that　out　of　100　Head　of　Cattle　they　can　kill　about　10　or　12　steers；　and　four　or　five　Cows　a　Year；　so　they　reckon　that　a　Cow…Pen　for　every　100　Head　of　Cattle　brings　about　40　pounds　Sterling　per　Year。　The　Keepers　live　chiefly　upon　Milk；　for　out　of　their　Vast　Herds；　they　do　condescend　to　tame　Cows　enough　to　keep　their　Family　in　Milk；　Whey；　Curds；　Cheese　and　Butter；　they　also　have　Flesh　in　Abundance　such　as　it　is；　for　they　eat　the　old　Cows　and　lean　Calves　that　are　like　to　die。　The　Cow…Pen　Men　are　hardy　People；　are　almost　continually　on　Horseback；　being　obliged　to　know　the　Haunts　of　their　Cattle〃。　〃You　see；　Sir；　what　a　wild　set　of　Creatures　Our　English　Men　grow　into；　when　they　lose　Society；　and　it　is　surprising　to　think　how　many　Advantages　they　throw　away；　which　our　industrious　Country…Men　would　be　glad　of：　Out　of　many　hundred　Cows　they　will　not　give　themselves　the　trouble　of　milking　more　than　will　maintain　their　Family。〃

With　such　a　race　of　born　horsemen；　every　whit　as　bold　and　resourceful　as　the　voyageurs；　to　bear　the　brunt　of　a　new　era　of　transportation；　all　that　was　needed　to　challenge　French　trade　beyond　the　Alleghanies　was　competent　and　aggressive　leadership。　The　situation　called　for　men　of　means；　men　of　daring；　men　closely　in　touch　with　governors　and　assemblies　and　acquainted　with　the　web　of　politics　that　was　being　spun　at　Philadelphia；　Williamsburg；　New　York；　London；　and　Paris。　Generations　of　tenacious　struggle　along　the　American　frontier　had　developed　such　men。　The　Weisers；　Croghans；　Gists；　Washingtons；　Franklins；　Walkers；　and　Cresaps　were　men　of　varied　descent　and　nationality。　They　had　the　cunning；　the　boldness；　and　the　resources　to　undertake　successfully　the　task　of　conquering　commercially　the　Great　West。　They　were　the　first　men　of　the　colonies　to　be　unafraid　of　that　bugbear　of　the　trader；　Distance。　We　may　aptly　call　them　the　first　Americans　because；　though　not　a　few　were　actually　born　abroad；　they　were　the　first　whose　plans；　spirit；　and　very　life　were　dominated　by　the　vision　of　an　America　of　continental　dimensions。

The　long　story　of　French　and　English　rivalry　and　of　the　war　which　ended　it　concerns　us　here　chiefly　as　a　commercial　struggle。　The　French　at　Niagara　（1749）　had　access　to　the　Ohio　by　way　of　Lake　Erie　and　any　one　of　several　riversthe　Allegheny；　the　Muskingum；　the　Scioto；　or　the　Miami。　The　main　routes　of　the　English　were　the　Nemacolin　and　Kittanning　paths。　The　French；　laboring　under　the　disadvantages　of　the　longer　distance　over　which　their　goods　had　to　be　transported　to　the　Indians　and　of　the　higher　price　necessarily　demanded　for　them；　had　to　meet　the　competition　of　the　traders　from　the　rival　colonies　of　Pennsylvania　and　Virginia；　each　of　them　jealous　of　and　underbidding　the　other。

When　Celoron　de　Blainville　was　sent　to　the　Allegheny　in　1749；　by　the　Governor　of　New　France；　his　message　was　that　〃the　Governor　of　Canada　desired　his　children　on　Ohio　to　turn　away　the　English　Traders　from　amongst　them　and　discharge　them　from　ever　coming　to　trade　there　again；　or　on　any　of　the　Branches。〃　He　sent　away　all　the　traders　whom　he　found；　giving　them　letters　addressed　to　their　respective　governors　denying　England's　right　to　trade　in　the　West。　To　offset　this　move；　within　two　years　Pennsylvania　sent　goods　to　the　value　of　nine　hundred　pounds　in　order　to　hold　the　Indians　constant。　The　Governor　had　already　ordered　the　traders　to　sell　whiskey　to　the　Indians　at　〃5　Bucks〃　per　cask　and　had　told　the　Indians；　through　his　agent　Conrad　Weiser；　that　if　any　trader　refused　to　sell　the　liquor　at　that　price　they　might　〃take　it　from　him　and　drink　it　for　nothing。〃　There　was　but　one　way　for　the　French　to　meet　such　competition。　Without　delay　they　fortified　the　Allegheny　and　began　to　coerce　the　natives。　Driving　away　the　carpenters　of　the　Ohio　Company　from　the　present　site　of　Pittsburgh；　they　built　Fort　Duquesne。　The　beginning　of　the　Old　French　War　ended　what　we　may　call　the　first　era　of　the　pack…horse　trade。

The　capture　of　Fort　Duquesne　by　the　English　army　under　General　Forbes　in　1758　and　the　final　conquest　of　New　France　two　years　later　removed　the　French　barrier　and　opened　the　way　to　expansion　beyond　the　Alleghanies。　Thereafter　settlements　in　the　Monongahela　country　grew　apace。　Pittsburgh；　Uniontown；　Morgantown；　Brownsville；　Ligonier；　Greensburg；　Connellsvillewe　give　the　modern　namesbecame　centers　of　a　great　migration　which　was　halted　only　for　a　season　by　Pontiac's　Rebellion；　the　aftermath　of　the　French　War；　and　was　resumed　immediately　on　the　suppression　of　that　Indian　rising。　The　pack…horse　trade　now　entered　its　final　and　most　important　era。　The　earlier　period　was　one　in　which　the　trade　was　confined　chiefly　to　the　Indians；　the　later　phase　was　concerned　with　supplying　the　needs　of　the　white　man　in　his　rapidly　developing　fr