History of Northampton, Massachusetts, from its settlement in 1654;

50 HISTORY OF NORTHAMPTON. [liSr.
About forty-five miles were considered a fair day's travel
when on a journey of two or three days, though on occa-
sion persons covered fifty or even sixty miles in a day.
Roads were poor and uneven, settlements widely scattered,,
and the route in whatever direction, tiresome and lonely.
There is little wonder that travelers went in company if
possible, or that the minister found great convenience in
having an attendant. The journey to Boston was the most,
expensive of them all. In 1733, the cost to the town of providing
an attendant to that city was sixteen dollars. ^
After the death of Mr. Stoddard, when the
Increased from entire burdcu of the parish fell upon the
year to year. 1729 tit p l^ i j i j
to 1745 shoulders ot the young pastor, the town
doubled his salary. According to the vote,.
Mr. Edwards^ Salary
£100 was granted " for His Support besides his Stated Sal-
ary." The next year, but £40 was added, but in 1732, the
stipend was placed at £200. This was in accordance with
the vote at his settlement, which obligated the town to givehim
an adequate support, whatever might be the fluctua-
tions in the value of money. During the next five years,
the salary remained at these figures. In 1738 he was paid
£250, in 1739 but £220, and in 1740 it was increased to £280,
with fire-wood in addition.^ The next year twenty pounds,
were added, and he was to have the use of one half of the
1 The journey from Northampton to Boston required usually a little more than
two days, during the first half of the eighteenth century. But a few hours, however^,
of the third day were necessary. If an early start were made but two days were
consumed. On the return it was customary to leave Boston late in the afternoon,
travel ten or fifteen miles and rest over night, reaching home on the third day. People
generally were careful to go on these journeys in company, both for sociability
and safety. Hartford was easily reached in one day. Horse hire seems to have been
charged at the rate of one and one half pence per mile, though the established price
to Boston—one hundred miles—was for many years twelve shillings, but in 1733, had
advanced to eighteen shillings ; to Hartford the charge was five shillings, and these
were probably the prices in Mr. Edwards' time. Mr. Robert Breck, a merchant of
Northampton, expended in 1774, £3.19.9 in the round trip to Boston for business purposes,
including horse hire, which was two pence per mile. The first Joseph Hawley,,
in 1680, charged twelve shillings "for horse to the bay." Samuel Clapp's allowance
for attending Mr. Edwards to Boston—£3—was about the same—a trifle more— as the
expense of Mr. Breek.
2 Enormous quantities of wood seem to have been needed to meet the necessities,
of the case. Until a permanent basis for the salary had been decided upon, wood
was furnished in addition to the figures quoted above. The first account was in
1740-41, when he had 7.5 loads: 82 loads were required in 1741-2; 78 in 1742-3; 95 loads in
1743-4 ; 64 loads in 1744-5; 80 loads in 1746-7; and 80 loads in 1747-8. The price paid
varied from 10s. and 14s. to 25s. and 30s. in 1747-8.