Part III.] Journal. 293 



power lo have foreseen and prevented ; it surprises' 

 me that the people will stick up their houses so near 

 the water's edge. Cross Wheelin<; Creek several times 

 to-day ; it is a rapid stream, and I hope it will not be 

 long before it turns man}- water-wheels. See much 

 good land, and some pretty good farming. 



555. July 'liith. — Went with a Mr. Graham., a 

 Quaker of t!u"s place, who treated us in tlie most friendly 

 and hospitable manner, to see the new national road 

 from Washington city to this town. It is covered with 

 a very thick layer of nicely broken stones, or stone, 

 rather, laid on with great exactness both as to depth 

 and width, and tlien rolled down Avith an iron roller, 

 which reduces all to one solid mass. This is a road 

 made for ever ; not like the flint roads in England, 

 rough, nor soft or dirty, like the gravel roads; but, 

 smooth and hard. When a road is made in ximerica 

 it is tccll made. An American always ])lots against 

 labour, and, in this instance, he takes the most ef- 

 fectual course to circumvent it. Mr. Graham took us 

 like'\\ise to see the fine coal mines near this place and 



tlio botla uC linicotunc nnd iVccatonp, Hone of which I 



had time to examine as we passed Wheeling in our 

 ark. All these treasures lie very convenient to the 

 river. The coals are principally in one long ridge, 

 about ten feet wide ; much the same as they are at 

 Pittsburgh, in point of quality and situation. They 

 cost 3 cents per bushel to be got out from the mine. 

 This price, as nearly as 1 can calculate, enables the 

 American collier to earn, upon an average, double the 

 number of cents for the same labour that the collier in 

 England can earn ; so that, as the American collier 

 can, upon an average, buy his (lour for one third of 

 the price that the English collier pays for his flour, he 

 receives six times the quantity of pour for the same 

 labour. Here is a country for the ingenious pau])ers 

 of England to come to ! They find food and materials, 

 and nothing wanting but their mouths and hands to 

 consume and work them. I should like to see the old 

 toast of tlie Boroughmongers brought out again ; when 

 they were in the height of their impudence their myr- 

 midons used to din in our ears, " Old England for 



