628 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



clever poetical satirist Fessenden one, who beguiled the weather 

 by his wit. We arrived after sundown within two miles of Bruns- 

 wick, where we were stuck fast in mud, heavy rain, gale. We 

 had to dt up to windward to prevent the coach from being blown 

 over ! After a while the driver left to search for a house to get a 

 lanthorn to enable him to fix his harness. We got out and had 

 a dreary walk to the house. On ^the morning of the third day 

 we reached Philadelphia. 



In 1813, when our roads were cut up by the numerous wagons 

 transporting goods, on account of the trade by sea being cut off 

 by our enemy, England, I traveled to Baltimore in a mail coach, 

 and all the passengers had to walk a third of the way, even down 

 hill in places the coach was axle deep in mud and the roadsides 

 strewed with the ruins of wheels and the dead horses. On my 

 return a middle aged French gentleman with us was terribly 

 annoyed by this sort of experience, he became enraged, he 

 appealed to us all on the execrable roads of America. In a fury 

 of oaths he swore that if we would go with him to France he 

 would show us that we could travel all over France with a full 

 plate of soup in our hands and not spill one drop ! 



Mr. Tillman described the miseries of road travel of a more 

 recent period, distinguished for overset coaches and carriages, and 

 tortoise velocity. He said that we must have two more Broad- 

 ways at leas't, 



Mr. Meigs repeated his former remark that Broadway and the 

 Bowery had been justly likened to the Mississippi and the Ohio. 

 Their confluence was at the lower end of the Park. The island 

 being long and narrow, these were its natural arteries. That if 

 the breadth of both was doubled, and their pavements perfect, 

 they would be impassable; because nearly all travel would then 

 flow into it from the side streams to see the fine sights, to travel 

 easier, etc., would draw every cart and even wheell:>arrow and 

 every person into them, and there is no help for it. It is 

 extremely doubtful whether two more Broadways would relieve 

 the main artery of its tide of life and labor. 



Mr. Tillman and Mr. Fisher, of the committee on questions, 

 gave for next meeting the subject of " Steamships." 



At half-past 10 o'clock P. M., the Club adjourned. 



H. MEIGS, Secretary. 



