large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_01_edwards_64kb_81
large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_01_edwards_64kb
English
4813
Thus, then, from a thin thread of a trail barely wide enough for one moccasined foot to step before the other, to a broad, leveled thoroughfare, so wide that three or even four automobiles may ride abreast, and so clean that at the end of an all day's journey one's face is hardly dusty, does the history of the Old Coast Road unroll itself. THUS THEN FROM A THIN THREAD OF A TRAIL BARELY WIDE ENOUGH FOR ONE MOCCASINED FOOT TO STEP BEFORE THE OTHER TO A BROAD LEVELED THOROUGHFARE SO WIDE THAT THREE OR EVEN FOUR AUTOMOBILES MAY RIDE ABREAST AND SO CLEAN THAT AT THE END OF AN ALL DAY'S JOURNEY ONE'S FACE IS HARDLY DUSTY DOES THE HISTORY OF THE OLD COAST ROAD UNROLL ITSELF
ystematic 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. 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. It is not until the coming of the railroad, in the middle of the nineteenth century, that the hills are overcome, and she ceases to be an exclusively coastwise community and becomes an integral factor in the economic development of the whole United States. EMATIC 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 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 IT IS NOT UNTIL THE COMING OF THE RAILROAD IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NINETEENTH CENTURY THAT THE HILLS ARE OVERCOME AND SHE CEASES TO BE AN EXCLUSIVELY COAST WIDE COMMUNITY AND BECOMES AN INTEGRAL FACTOR IN THE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT OF THE WHOLE UNITED STATES
large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_01_edwards_64kb
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download/librilight/large/4813/old_coast_road_1402_librivox_64kb_mp3/oldcoastroad_01_edwards_64kb.flac