the paths of inland commerce-第3节

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amulet；　they　followed　in　the　main　the　highest　ways。

If　in　imagination　one　surveys　the　eastern　half　of　the　North　American　continent　from　one　of　the　strategic　passageways　of　the　Alleghanies；　say　from　Cumberland　Gap　or　from　above　Kittanning　Gorge；　the　outstanding　feature　in　the　picture　will　be　the　Appalachian　barrier　that　separates　the　interior　from　the　Atlantic　coast。　To　the　north　lie　the　Adirondacks　and　the　Berkshire　Hills；　hedging　New　England　in　close　to　the　ocean。　Two　glittering　waterways　lie　east　and　west　of　these　heightsthe　Connecticut　and　the　Hudson。　Upon　the　valleys　of　these　two　rivers　converged　the　two　deeply　worn　pathways　of　the　Puritan；　the　Old　Bay　Path　and　the　Connecticut　Path。　By　way　of　Westfield　River；　that　silver　tributary　which　joins　the　Connecticut　at　Springfield；　Massachusetts；　the　Bay　Path　surmounted　the　Berkshire　highlands　and　united　old　Massachusetts　to　the　upper　Hudson　Valley　near　Fort　Orange；　now　Albany。

Here；　north　of　the　Catskills；　the　Appalachian　barrier　subsides　and　gives　New　York　a　supreme　advantage　over　all　the　other　Atlantic　Statesa　level　route　to　the　Great　Lakes　and　the　West。　The　Mohawk　River　threads　the　smiling　landscape；　beyond　lies　the　〃Finger　Lake　country〃　and　the　valley　of　the　Genesee。　Through　this　romantic　region　ran　the　Mohawk　Trail；　sending　offshoots　to　Lake　Champlain　and　the　St。　Lawrence；　to　the　Susquehanna；　and　to　the　Allegheny。　A　few　names　have　been　altered　in　the　course　of　years　the　Bay　Path　is　now　the　Boston　and　Albany　Railroad；　the　Mohawk　Trail　is　the　New　York　Central；　and　Fort　Orange　is　Albanyand　thus　we　may　tell　in　a　dozen　words　the　story　of　three　centuries。

Upon　Fort　Orange　converged　the　score　of　land　and　water　pathways　of　the　fur　trade　of　our　North。　These　Indian　trade　routes　were　slowly　widened　into　colonial　roads；　notably　the　Mohawk　and　Catskill　turnpikes；　and　these　in　turn　were　transformed　into　the　Erie；　Lehigh；　Nickel　Plate；　and　New　York　Central　railways。　But　from　the　day　when　the　canoe　and　the　keel　boat　floated　their　bulky　cargoes　of　pelts　or　the　heavy　laden　Indian　pony　trudged　the　trail；　the　routes　of　trade　have　been　little　or　nothing　altered。

Traversing　the　line　of　the　Alleghanies　southward；　the　eye　notes　first　the　break　in　the　wall　at　the　Delaware　Water　Gap；　and　then　that　long　arm　of　the　Susquehanna；　the　Juniata；　reaching　out　through　dark　Kittanning　Gorge　to　its　silver　playmate；　the　dancing　Conemaugh。　Here　amid　its　leafy　aisles　ran　the　brown　and　red　Kittanning　Trail；　the　main　route　of　the　Pennsylvania　traders　from　the　rich　region　of　York；　Lancaster；　and　Chambersburg。　On　this　general　alignment　the　Broadway　Limited　flies　today　toward　Pittsburgh　and　Chicago。　A　little　to　the　south　another　important　pathway　from　the　same　region　led；　by　way　of　Carlisle；　Bedford；　and　Ligonier；　to　the　Ohio。　The　〃Highland　Trail〃　the　Indian　traders　called　it；　for　it　kept　well　on　the　watershed　dividing　the　Allegheny　tributaries　on　the　north　from　those　of　the　Monongahela　on　the　south。

Farther　to　the　south　the　scene　shows　a　change；　for　the　Atlantic　plain　widens　considerably。　The　Potomac　River；　the　James；　the　Pedee；　and　the　Savannah　flow　through　valleys　much　longer　than　those　of　the　northern　rivers。　Here　in　the　South　commerce　was　carried　on　mainly　by　shallop　and　pinnace。　The　trails　of　the　Indian　skirted　the　rivers　and　offered　for　trader　and　explorer　passageway　to　the　West；　especially　to　the　towns　of　the　Cherokees　in　the　southern　Alleghanies　or　Unakas；　but　the　waterways　and　the　roads　over　which　the　hogsheads　of　tobacco　were　rolled　（hence　called　〃rolling　roads〃）　sufficed　for　the　needs　of　the　thin　fringes　of　population　settled　along　the　rivers。　Trails　from　Winchester　in　Virginia　and　Frederick　in　Maryland　focused　on　Cumberland　at　the　head　of　the　Potomac。　Beyond；　to　the　west；　the　finger　tips　of　the　Potomac　interlocked　closely　with　the　Monongahela　and　Youghiogheny；　and　through　this　network　of　mountain　and　river　valley；　by　the　〃Shades　of　Death〃　and　Great　Meadows；　coiled　Nemacolin's　Path　to　the　Ohio。　Even　today　this　ancient　route　is　in　part　followed　by　the　Baltimore　and　Ohio　and　the　Western　Maryland　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　whic