Early Means of Communication 225 



to make the round trip within a month. This scheme of 

 Governor Lovelace did not succeed, and so the first mail route 

 was abandoned after a short trial. It was revived by Governor 

 Dongan in 1685, and a charge of three pence was fixed for 

 carrying a letter one hundred miles or less, and for a greater 

 distance proportionately. In 1698, there was a regular, 

 weekly post to and from Boston. In 1704, Mrs. Sarah Knight 

 made the journey, and she has left lively impressions of her 

 experiences and the difficulties and dangers that beset her. In 

 1708, Lord Cornbury states: "From Boston there is a Post 

 by which we can hear once a week in summer, and once a 

 fortnight in winter." In 1754, Benjamin Franklin was made 

 Postmaster-General of the Colonies, and the post was estab- 

 lished weekly, both winter and summer, and letters which 

 left Philadelphia on Monday morning reached Boston on 

 Saturday night. The post-riders were reliable men, as they 

 often carried large sums of money. 



In the early days, the mails were carried on horseback, and 

 travellers followed the same method of travel, or used a private 

 carriage; but in July, 1772, Jonathan and Nicholas Brown, 

 of New York, established a stage-coach between New York 

 and Boston. The trip at first was made every fortnight, but 

 the enterprise met with so much encouragement that before 

 long two and three trips were made a week. The fare was 

 4d New York, or 3d lawful, money per mile, and baggage was 

 carried at a reasonable rate. A stage was also established to 

 Rye in Westchester County and trips were made three times 

 a week. The stages were of that heavy, lumbering, canvas- 

 topped variety, known as the Conestoga wagon, which later 

 became so famous on the western plains with its motto of 

 "Pike's Peak, or Bust." The route from New York was by 

 way of the Bowery Lane, McGowan's Pass, the Kingsbridge 

 is 



