Page:Historic highways of America (Volume 10).djvu/107

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OPERATION AND CONTROL
107

of the United States, or for the militia of any single state. In Pennsylvania, a certain stage line made the attempt to carry passengers by the tollgates free, taking advantage of the clauses allowing free passage of the United States mail by putting a mail sack on each passenger coach. The stage was halted and the matter taken into court, where the case was decided against the stage company, and persons traveling with mailcoaches were compelled to pay toll.[1] Ohio took advantage of Pennsylvania's experience and passed a law that passengers on stagecoaches be obliged to pay toll.[2] Pennsylvania exempted persons hauling coal for home consumption from paying toll.[3] Many varied and curious attempts to evade payment of tolls were made, and laws were passed inflicting heavy fine upon all convicted of such malefaction. In Ohio, tollgate-keepers were empowered to arrest those suspected of such attempts, and, upon conviction, the fine went into the

  1. Laws of Pennsylvania (pamphlet), pp. 534, 164, 430–431.
  2. Laws of Ohio, XXXV, p. 7.
  3. Laws of Pennsylvania (pamphlet), p. 353.