MILESTONES. 69 



is of different appearance, however, from the stones above 

 named, in size and style of letters and in other ways, though 

 why it should be different I have no reason to offer. It 

 scarcely seems to be one of the regular pike series, neither is 

 it one of the Contributionship or "Penn arm" stones, referred 

 to later. On account of grading and sidewalk construction 

 and its present position, it has manifestly been moved a little 

 from its original position and reset in its present one. 



This old Chester road was the original through road to 

 Xew Castle, Wilmington, Baltimore and Washington, and it, 

 too, has witnessed the stirring episodes of early days, notably 

 the retreat of Washington's troops, after the battle of Bran- 

 dywine, as well as numerous trips over it of Washington pro- 

 ceeding from his Virginia home at Mount Vernon to his 

 inauguration and to the early Congresses, etc. His coach 

 and four and postillions and outriders, as well as those of 

 John Ouincy Adams and other notables, more than once 

 pulled through the holes and mud or dust of this old line of 

 travel from the north to the south. And milestones marked 

 their progress, though not the turnpike company stones, but 

 e\'en earlier ones that I am about to tell of. 



All of the stones on the three, pikes, Lancaster, West 

 Chester and Chester, appear on Dr. Joshua Ash's map of Del- 

 aware County of 1848, the map made by the Doctor himself 

 b\' personal survey, as he trudged with chain and instruments 

 and wheelbarrow and notebook throughout the County, a map 

 that is wonderfully accurate, the base of practically all suc- 

 ceeding maps and an enduring monument to its maker. And 

 the fact that no stones are shown on it on Baltimore pike, con- 

 firms the belief that there never have been any set up there. 



INSURANCE COMPANY STONES. 



The Philadelphia Contributionship, the oldest fire insur- 

 ance company in the United States and with which Benjamin 

 Franklin had something to do in its inception, was incorpo- 



