按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
s 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 frontier settlements。 Formerly the principal articles of merchandise for the western trade were guns； ammunition； knives； kettles； and tools for their repair； blankets； tobacco； hatchets； and liquor。 In the new era every known product of the East found a market in the thriving communities of the upper Ohio。 As time went on the West began to send to the East； in addition to skins and pelts； whiskey that brought a dollar a gallon。 Each pony could carry sixteen gallons and every drop could be sold for real money。 On the return trip the pack…horses carried back chiefly salt and iron。
Doddridge's 〃Notes〃； one of the chief sources of our information； gives this lively picture：
〃In the fall of the year； after seeding time； every family formed an association with some of their neighbors； for starting the little caravan。 A master driver was to be selected from among them； who was to be assisted by one or more young men and sometimes a boy or two。 The horses were fitted out with packsaddles； to the latter part of which was fastened a pair of hobbles made of hickory withes；a bell and collar ornamented their necks。 The bags provided for the conveyance of the salt were filled with bread； jerk； boiled ham； and cheese furnished a provision for the drivers。 At night； after feeding； the horses； whether put in pasture or turned out into the woods； were hobbled and the bells were opened。 The barter for salt and iron was made first at Baltimore； Frederick； Hagerstown； Oldtown； and Fort Cumberland； in succession； became the places of exchange。 Each horse carried two bushels of alum salt； weighing eighty…four pounds to the bushel。 This； to be sure； was not a heavy load for the horses； but it was enough； considering the scanty subsistence allowed them on the journey。 The common price of a bushel of alum salt； at an early period； was a good cow and a calf。
Thus； with the English flag afloat at Fort Pitt； as Duquesne was renamed after its capture； a new day dawned for the great region to the West。 Beyond the Alleghanies and as far as the Rockies； a new science of transportation was now to be learnedthe art of finding the dividing ridge。 Here the first routes； like the 〃Great Trail〃 from Pittsburgh to Detroit； struck out with an assurance that is in marvelous agreement with the findings of the surveyors of a later day。 The railways； when they came； found the valleys and penetrated with their tunnels the watersheds from the heads of the streams of one drainage area to the streams of another。 Thus on the Pennsylvania； the Baltimore and Ohio； the Southern； the Chesapeake and Ohio； and other railroads； important tunnels are to be found lying immediately under the Red Man's trail which clung to the long ascending slope and held persistently to the dividing ridges。
Even this necessarily brief survey shows plainly how that preeminently American institution； the ridge road； came about。 East and west； it was the legitimate and natural successor to the ancient trail。 With the coming of the wagon； whose rattle was heard among the hills as earl