large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_01_edwards_64kb_59
large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_01_edwards_64kb
English
4813
Genial inns, with swinging pictorial signboards (for many a traveler cannot read), spring up along the way, and the post is installed. But even with fair roads and regular coaching service, New England, separated by her fixed topographical outlines, remains provincial. GENIAL INNS WITH SWINGING PICTORIAL SIGN BOARDS FOR MANY A TRAVELLER CANNOT READ SPRING UP ALONG THE WAY AND THE POST IS INSTALLED BUT EVEN WITH FAIR ROADS AND REGULAR COACHING SERVICE NEW ENGLAND SEPARATED BY HER FIXED TOPOGRAPHICAL OUTLINES REMAINS PROVINCIAL
straightened; and in come a motley procession of chaises, sulkies, and two-wheeled carts--two-wheeled carts, not four. There are sleds and sleighs for winter, but the four-wheeled wagon was little used in New England until the turn of the century. And then they were emphatically objected to because of the wear and tear on the roads! In 1669 Boston enacted that all carts "within y^e necke of Boston shall be and goe without shod wheels." This provision is entirely comprehensible, when we remember that there was no idea of systematic road repair. No tax was imposed for keeping the roads in order, and at certain seasons of the year every able-bodied man labored on the highways, bringing his own oxen, cart, and tools. But as the Old Coast Road, which was made a public highway in 1639, becomes a genuine turnpike--so chartered in 1803--the good old coaching days are ushered in with the sound of a horn, and handsome equipages with well-groomed, well-harnessed horses ply swiftly back and forth. ED AND IN COME A MOTLEY PROCESSION OF CHANGES SULKIES AND TWO WHEELED CARTS TWO WHEEL CARTS NOT FOUR THERE ARE SLEDS AND SLEIGHS FOR WINTER BUT THE FORE WHEELED WAGON WAS LITTLE USED IN NEW ENGLAND UNTIL THE TURN OF THE CENTURY AND THEN THEY WERE EMPHATICALLY OBJECTED TO BECAUSE OF THE WEAR AND TEAR ON THE ROADS IN SIXTEEN SIXTY NINE BOSTON ENACTED THAT ALL CARTS WITHIN YE NECK OF BOSTON SHALL BE AND GO WITHOUT SHOD WHEELS THIS PROVISION IS ENTIRELY COMPREHENSIBLE WHEN WE REMEMBER THAT THERE WAS NO IDEA OF SYSTEMATIC ROAD REPAIR NO TAX WAS IMPOSED FOR KEEPING THE ROADS IN ORDER AND AT CERTAIN SEASONS OF THE YEAR EVERY ABLE BODIED MAN LABORED ON THE HIGHWAYS BRINGING HIS OWN OXEN CART AND TOOLS BUT AS THE OLD COAST ROAD WHICH MADE A PUBLIC HIGHWAY IN SIXTEEN THIRTY NINE BECOMES A GENUINE TURNPIKE SO CHARTERED IN EIGHTEEN O THREE THE GOOD OLD COACHING DAYS ARE USHERED IN WITH THE SOUND OF A HORN AND THE HANDSOME EQUIPAGES WITH WELL GROOMED WELL HARNESSED HORSES PLY SWIFTLY BACK AND FORTH
large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_01_edwards_64kb
file
download/librilight/large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_01_edwards_64kb.flac