American inventions and inventors . lding of better roads and streets. Compara-tively few persons could afford to own private carriages,and their use was therefore not general for many the middle of the eighteenth century, however, car-riages became more common. Broader and better roadshad been built, and longer journeys could be made. Asearly as 1725, carriages had been driven from the Connec-ticut River to Boston, and overland travel began to be morecustomary. The first roads that could be called suitable for carriagetravel were for the most part toll roads. Instead of beingmade
American inventions and inventors . lding of better roads and streets. Compara-tively few persons could afford to own private carriages,and their use was therefore not general for many the middle of the eighteenth century, however, car-riages became more common. Broader and better roadshad been built, and longer journeys could be made. Asearly as 1725, carriages had been driven from the Connec-ticut River to Boston, and overland travel began to be morecustomary. The first roads that could be called suitable for carriagetravel were for the most part toll roads. Instead of beingmade by the towns or counties, or by the colonies, they were 202 AMERICAN INVENTIONS AND INVENTORS. built by corporations. These companies were granted theprivilege of charging toll from every traveler over theirroads for the purpose of paying a profit to the members ofthe company, as well as to keep the roads in repair. In thesame way corporations built bridges, charging a small tollupon every one who crossed them. Thus travel was im-. OLD-STYLE CALASHES. proved, time was saved, and less discomfort was caused thetravelers. In the eighteenth century public carriages began to comeinto use. Previously if any one wished to travel by land, hefound it necessary to own or hire horses. If he made a voy-age by sea, he could pay his fare on some vessel that madethe trip he wished to take. This means of public transpor-tation, this carrying a person or his goods for pay, had beenlimited, however, to water travel. There were no regularconveyances running from town to town by land whichwould carry passengers or freight. The town of Plymouth had been settled nearly a hundredyears before the first line of stagecoaches in any part of thecountry was put in operation. This stage wagon ran be- TRAVEL—STAGECOACHES. 203 tween Boston and Bristol ferry, where it connected with thepacket line to Newport and New York. Three years latera stage line began to run from Boston to Newport, makingone trip each
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