. History of the counties of Dauphin and Lebanon : in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania ; biographical and genealogical . o-ope. There are many facts connected with the history ofinternal improvements in this locality which it willbe impossible within our prescribed limits to do littlemore than briefly refer to, and we shall present themas they occur to us in this connection. Very few per-sons have any idea of the difficulties of transporta-tion prior to the era of canals and railroads. Eighty-five or ninety years ago it was not an uncommonsight to see as many as five hundred pack-horses pass-i
. History of the counties of Dauphin and Lebanon : in the commonwealth of Pennsylvania ; biographical and genealogical . o-ope. There are many facts connected with the history ofinternal improvements in this locality which it willbe impossible within our prescribed limits to do littlemore than briefly refer to, and we shall present themas they occur to us in this connection. Very few per-sons have any idea of the difficulties of transporta-tion prior to the era of canals and railroads. Eighty-five or ninety years ago it was not an uncommonsight to see as many as five hundred pack-horses pass-ing the ferry here westward, loaded with merchan-dise, salt, iron, etc. The iron was carried on horse-back, being crooked over and around their bodies;barrels or kegs were hung on each side of these. Thepack-horses were generally led in divisions of twelveor fifteen horses, carrying about two hundred weighteach, going single file, and managed by two men, onegoing before as the leader, and the other in the rear,to see after the safety of the packs. Where the bridleroad passed along declivities or over hills, the path. CITY OF HARRISBURG. 321 was in some places washed out so deep that the packsor burdens came in contact with the ground or otherimpeding obstacles, and were frequently , as the carriers usually traveled in com-panies, the packs were soon adjusted, and no greatdelay occasioned. The pack-horses were generallyfurnished with bells, which were kept from ringingduring the day drive, but were loose at night, whenthe horses were set free, and permitted to feed andbrowse. The bells were intended as guides to directto their whereabouts in the morning. When thewagons were first introduced, the carriers consideredthat mode of transportation an invasion of theirrights. Their indignation was more excited, andthey manifested greater rancor than did the regularteamsters when the line of packets or railroad carscame into use about forty years afterwards. Fifty years
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