Note.—Gate No. 1 was located at the east end of Petersburg, Gate No. 2 was near Mt. Washington, Gate No. 3 was near Searights, Gate No. 4 was near Beallsville, Gate No. 5 was near Washington, and Gate No. 6 near West Alexander.

RATES OF TOLL.

The following were the rates of toll fixed by the act of April 11th, 1831, which were subsequently, however, changed: For every score of sheep or hogs, six cents; for every score of cattle, twelve cents; for every led or driven horse, three cents; for every horse and rider, four cents; for every sleigh or sled, for each horse or pair of oxen drawing the same, three cents; for every dearborn, sulky, chair or chaise, with one horse, six cents; for every chariot, coach, coachee, stage, wagon, phaeton, chaise, with two horses and four wheels, twelve cents; for either of the carriages last mentioned with four horses, eighteen cents; for every other carriage of pleasure, under whatever name it may go, the like sum, according to the number of wheels and horses drawing the same; for every cart or wagon whose wheels shall exceed two and one-half inches in breadth, and not exceeding four inches, four cents; for every horse or pair of oxen drawing the same, and every other cart or wagon, whose wheels shall exceed four inches, and not exceeding five inches in breadth, three cents; for every horse or pair of oxen drawing the same, and for every other cart or wagon whose wheels shall exceed six inches, and not more than eight inches, two cents; for every horse or pair of oxen drawing the same, all other carts or wagons whose wheels shall exceed eight inches in breadth, shall pass the gates free of tolls, and no tolls shall be collected from any person or persons passing or repassing from one part of his farm to another, or to or from a mill, or to or from any place of public worship, funeral, militia training, elections, or from any student or child going to or from any school or seminary of learning, or from persons and witnesses going to and returning from courts, or from any wagon or carriage laden with the property of the United States, or any canon or military stores belonging to the United States, or to any State. The reader will note that the exemptions provided for by this act are changed by force of the act of May 3, 1850, which authorized the commissioner and the court of quarter sessions to determine who and what shall be exempt from the payment of toll. A large wide board, having the appearance of a mock window, was firmly fixed in the walls of every toll house, displaying in plain letters the rates above given, so that the wayfarer might not err therein.

MR. GALLATIN DEFINES HIS ATTITUDE AS TO THE LOCATION OF THE ROAD, AND GIVES INSTRUCTIONS TO DAVID SHRIVER, SUPERINTENDENT.

When the road was authorized to be constructed by Congress, Mr. Gallatin was Secretary of the Treasury, and a citizen of Fayette county, Pennsylvania. His home was “Friendship Hill,” in Springhill township, near New Geneva, about fifteen miles south of Uniontown, afterward the home of Hon. John L. Dawson. It was intimated in various quarters that Mr. Gallatin was desirous of having the road located through or near his place, and that he used his official influence to further his desire in this regard. The following letter, however, to his old friend David Acheson, of Washington, Pennsylvania, shows that the intimations mentioned were without foundation:

New York, September 1, 1808.

David Acheson, Esq., Washington, Pa.

Dear Sir: On receipt of your letter respecting the Western Road, I immediately transmitted it to the President at Monticello. I was under the impression that he had previously directed the Commissioners to examine both routes and to report to him. It seems, however, that it had not then been yet done. But on the 6th ultimo he wrote to them to make an examination of the best route through Washington to Wheeling, and also to Short Creek, or any other point on the river offering a more advantageous route towards Chillicothe and Cincinnati, and to report to him the material facts with their opinion for consideration.

That it is the sincere wish of the President to obtain all the necessary information in order that the road should pursue the route which will be of the greatest public utility no doubt can exist. So far as relates to myself, after having, with much difficulty, obtained the creation of a fund for opening a great western road, and the act pointing out its general direction, it is sufficiently evident from the spot on the Monongahela which the road strikes, that if there was any subsequent interference on my part it was not of a selfish nature. But the fact is that in the execution of the law I thought myself an improper person, from the situation of my property, to take the direction which would naturally have been placed in my hands, and requested the President to undertake the general superintendence himself. Accept the assurance of friendly remembrance, and of my sincere wishes for your welfare and happiness.

Your obedt servant,