The Camden journal. [volume] (Camden, S.C.) 1836-1851, 1849-01-24
NUMBER q.

60 10 market at all times when he eanaol worl
] his farm on account of The weather, or iron
other causes and when other roads are m
passable he can lrot off with his pair of horses
and two tons weight, and return Giving some
Is or 20 miles distant from markei) the sans
day; while with bad road, taking The same
weight, would require several days, besideu
great wear and tear Of horses and wagons,
and harness.; in fact. leaving actually little
return after deducting expenses. This is no
fancilul calculation; it has been fully proved.
This improvement will bring mp the value Of
OF farms within reach Of markets, which have
been greatly depressed by the low price of land
at the West. The convenience of getting the
produce Of the farm to market, will enable the
farmer Of the East better 10 compete with the
farmer of the West. although the cost Of land
is SO much less at the West. The expense Of
distant transportation will serve to confirm the
value of farms near the great markets., Our
new ates, until they have more, .noney,
should 20 to work constructing plank roads---
they will for long time answer the purpo,e Of
railroads, except on the great and central thor
oughfares. Michigan should be wide awake,
on The subject. SfIE.[ :: =,
plank road is 10 be Immediately built be-
tween the city Of Schenectady and the village
OF Saratoga Springs, passing through the
thriving village OF Ballston Spa. If the mate.
rials can be procured in season, the calculation
is to have the road built and ready in time Tor
the pleasure travel of the present year, so that
travellers from all quarters Of our land csn
carry home accounts Of it. This road will
pass through country tor the most part very
beautiful. 1t is contemplated TO have spacious
omnibuses 10 run in connection with the Abany
and Schenectady railroad, and the White Hall
railroad, SO that passengers can pass over lbs
road in two hours. and to or from Albany i'm.
three hours or less. Arrangements will pro-
badly be made 10 ticket passengers through.
from New York, or from Saratoga via Albany
to New York, so that no care need be taken
about luggage until it is deposited at the aotels
at the Springs, or on arrival at New York.
Those that travel with, ladies will find great
relief in having the care of luggage iakenffomt
them by such an arrangement. In the dyess
season there is little or no dust to incommode
the traveller on plankroads. -
The press cannot be TOO diligent in calling
public attention to these roads. At the Sout5,
where timber is cheap and the common roads
e1ecrable, they will he Of great valuei indeed
in every part of our Union they can be con.
s,ruc,cd to great advantage employ
ment to the laboring classes; increased value
10 real estate and good inveAment tos,ock.
classes. Some fear has been expressed that the
timber of the country would be exhausted by
the rage for plank roads but such will not be
the case. Those roads will he constructed so
as to lead to those districts where the timber 10
now ready, but of liule or no value to any one,
or the land on which il grows. on account Of
The expense of getting il TO market. These
plank roads are about 10 open sources Of wealth
to the northern part Of this State, Of more
value to the public than the gold mines Of
onr loot rise in from twelve TO sixteen can
easily be overcome with pair of horses with
wo tons IF made perfectly level, advantage
would he taken, and teams loaded with four or
i've tons would pass without any additional talfr
carrying a weight too heavy for such road.
Legislation will be required to regulate the
weight of loads, so as TO prevent imposition.
When these roads were first thought OF it
was supposed they would not answer on &C.
count of perlshable nature Of the material used;
but it is now discovered that these roads wear
'ut before they decay and that while wearing
,ut the income is so great that they will afford
10 per cent 10 the stockbolder, the maximum
-ate allowed by law in the State Of New York(
md from 10 10 20 per cent. surplus to keep
he road in repair, and relay i; when necessary.
Ii will take above three thousand loads OF
blank of three inches in thickness and eight
eel long to lay the Saratoga and Schenectady.
IN about every seven years the worn plank
will have TO be replaced-the old ones wiz be
'aluabIe to the farmer on the line fsr -many
purposes. .g,,..
These roads will also give good Eot.walk
Il all seasons of the year free Of cost, and save
he trouble Of much horse Harvesting, in neigh
,orhood visiting and church going, as well RS
irving the children easy access to the district
chools, the pride Of our State.
These roads are also to be source oi atidf.
ional income to the great central lines OF ratl.
.oads and canals already constructed. Plank
.oads dverging from each side Of them, eI.
ending through fertile valleys up TO our noun
ain regions, will bring all the resources Of our
State into active pay-employins every idle
,and and every idle dollar. Tens Of thousand
# dollars are now locked up in o,r agricultural
districts; one hundred here, five hundred there,
oing nothing for the want Of favorable in.
es,ment. Plank roads will call forth such
means and sci it at work for The public good,
nd at the same time give q fair return in inter.
st.--Nat. Inteligencer.
Prices IN CALIFORNIA. A letter from Cali.
,rnia. published in the New York Tribune,
ays: ne