Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1848-12-21

the subject, and made themselves even
partially acquainted with it, acknowledge
that plank is the best material Tor an lm-
proved railway, in certain location, and
under peculiar circumstances. And the
Hon. Henry l.. Ellsworth, in his Patent
Office report for lS43, although evident
ly somewhat skeplical of the general
utility of plank roads, is constrained to-
admit that there are stretches OF 30 OF
90 miles in parts of the West, where the
soil is a deep rich vegetable mould, and
without stone or gravel Of any descrip-
tion in such cases you must be content
To wade through the mud, or adopt
plank roads" Even so ; and there are
very many such " stretches" OF " deep
rich vrgciaLle month"; all over Wisconsin,
where even Mr.. Ellsworth acknowledges
plank roads are Indispensable. But that
honorable gentleman labors under The
disadvantage of having spoken four or
five years too soon, when plank road
making was ga new project" and look
ed upon as of equivocal utility 10y some
of the wisesi heads in the country. Such
however have been the rapid develope-
menls in regard TO the usefulness Of
plank roads within the last five years,
that what were considered sound opln-
ions and philosophical deductions on this
subject in lS43, are now secuted as an
tqaaied notions in 1913. In the report
OF the Newly ork Senate, it is remarked
that while Mcadam roads 4" may be best
for one section of the country, the diff
Guilty and expense attending their con-
s'ruclion may render them impractical
bic for another )" while :" plank roads
can he built on any grounds TO the ad
vantage of the public" And recent
events 90 far towards showing that plank
nrc preferable TO stone roaLs in nearly
al localities, rs will be seen from the
following circumstances A plank road
s. about 10 he constructed at Il town in
the State OF New York, where, for a
reach of thirteen miles, the line Of road
runs along ledge of rock proper for
Macadauizjng, which only needs TO be
tumbled into the roadway ready for
breaking. In another town of the same
State, movements are making to take
up the cobbe stone pavement Of street
for Il distance of two miles, and lay
d' WIN plank road in its stead. Ana
We have sen letters from Cleavelund,
Ohio. saying that the city corporation
there are about to substitute plank Tor
the cobble stone pavements OF some of
their streets. This plan has already been
adopted TO ii limited extent, in the city
of Chicago, to the universal satisfaction
Of oil teamsiers and pedestrians.
1t appears, from actual experiment,
that horse will travel, in any kind of
wheeled vehicle, at an average rate Of
one-fflh faster, and draw at least one
filth greater weight, Oh plank than on
broken-stone road. In fine, plank
roads are preferable TO those Of Macad-
amzed stone in cheapness, in ease OF
drau9ht, and in comfort to passengers;
greater speed being attained on them,
with less resistance to drau9ht; and
Stage owners say they are less iaiigung
10 horses than stone roads, at the same
rate Of speed.
1t seems to your committee, that these
facts show conclusively that planked
ways are superior, as market roads, to
those of either stone or gravel, or any
similar material, under all conceivable
circumstances. And there is one reason
more obvious than others, WHY they
should he peculiarly so in our climate !;
il is the deep freezlngs and frequent
thawings during our winter months,
which disrupt the foundations Of nearly
all roads of earth or stone, and which
firmly beddcd Macadamzed roads would
not at all times be able to resist ;
whereas this case is almost wholly mop
eralive to the delriment of plank roads
But your Committee deem it needless
10 multiply evidence on this point for
the advantages of plank over Macadam
roads in Wisconsin must be- obvious to
all, since there is within our bounds
very little Of the material Che sieniit
GRANTEES, and the basalic rocks in which
the hornblende predominates) with which
10 construct the latter, while there is a
efficiency of TIMBER for all the purposes
ot the former. This, in our view, should
settle tic question, hot only as regards
lhc u'liity and economy, but the erpedi-
tacy OF our peoples adopting that class
of road Improvements, Tor local and
sent purposes, in preference to al
others.
Although, as your committee think
they have clearly shown, plank road,
should, for present purposes, be PREFER.
ed by our business and commercial men
over every species Of road improvement
within our ability To accomplish at tins
day-beIleving, as VIC do, that the gen,
eral adoption Of that system Of road
making would be productive of positive
and immediate benefit to them, as wei
as To all classes of our citizens, by Civ
ing new impulse to every branch o
industry among US, contributing directly
and certainly to the still more rapit
growth of our business towns, increasn.
the prosperity of their people, and en-
Al Ill Il