large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_01_edwards_64kb_24
large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_01_edwards_64kb
English
4813
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. 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
we see no wheeled vehicles. In 1672 there were only six stage-coaches in the whole of Great Britain, and they were the occasion of a pamphlet protesting that they encouraged too much travel! At this time Boston had one private coach. Although one swallow may not make a summer, one stage-coach marks the beginning of a new era. The age of walking and horseback riding approaches its end; gates and bars disappear, the crooked farm lanes are gradually 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 WHEELED VEHICLES IN SIXTEEN SEVENTY TWO THERE WERE ONLY SIX STAGE COACHES IN THE WHOLE OF GREAT BRITAIN AND THEY WERE THE OCCASION OF A PAMPHLET PROTESTING THAT THEY ENCOURAGED TOO MUCH TRAVEL AT THIS TIME BOSTON HAD BUT ONE PRIVATE COACH ALTHOUGH ONE SWALLOW MAY NOT MAKE A SUMMER ONE STAGE COACH MARKS THE BEGINNING OF A NEW ERA THE AGE OF WALKING AND HORSEBACK RIDING APPROACHES ITS END GATES AND BARS DISAPPEAR THE CROOKED FARM LANES ARE GRADUALLY STRAIGHTENED 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
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