Western Div. 



Canal 



Alle- 

 gheny 



Portage 



Eastern Division 



Cana I 



Phila. & Columbia 



Railroad 



Figure 58. — Map of State of Pennsylvania showing system of canals and 

 railroads from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh, 1834. 



open, it was greatly eased by the steamboat from New 

 York to New Brunswick, and from Trenton to 

 Philadelphia on the Delaware. This was called the 

 Union, or Stevens and Stockton Line. At the time 

 of strong competition between it and the Citizens', 

 or Gibbons', Line — that ran steamboats from New 

 York to South Amboy, stages to Bordentown, and 

 boats from there to Philadelphia — the furious driving 

 on the coaching part of the line in clouds of dust was 

 fearful; but the distance from city to city was made 

 by daylight. Now it is made by rail in two hours. 



From Philadelphia to Baltimore, by steamboat on 

 Delaware to New Castle, from which place stage 

 coaches had given place to four-wheel cars drawn by 

 horses on a light strap rail on wooden stringers to 

 Frenchtown, from there by steamboat to Baltimore, 

 the time being about two hours longer than from New 

 York to Philadelphia; the time from Baltimore to 

 Washington by stage was about 3% hours. This was 



summer travel; but in the winter, when the rivers 

 were frozen, the entire distance had to be traveled in 

 stage coaches. 



On one occasion, when this state of affairs existed, 

 I was obliged to go from Philadelphia to Washington, 

 and thought myself very fortunate to be of a party 

 with Mr. Reeside, the proprietor of the line, and at 

 that time one of the largest mail contractors and 

 stage line owners in the United States. 175 He promised 

 us a quick trip, with relays of his best teams, the 

 hardest stage to be with six instead of four horses. 



We left Philadelphia an hour before daylight, in an 

 open front coach on sleigh runners. The day was 

 very cold, and before we reached Elkton, Md., a 

 driving, blinding snowstorm set in, steadily increasing 

 in violence. It was long after dark when we got to 



175 "James Reeside, U.S. Mail Contractor, 28 S. 3d St." 

 {Philadelphia Directory, 1830). 



145 



