Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1849-01-04

STOCK mills, 0S miles. Inc motion OF a
carriage over these roads is said to be SINH
lar to that on solidly beaten snow track.
PLANK ROADS PREFERRED BY FARMERS.
1t is aprevalent opinion among those who
are unadvised of the capabilities of plank
roads, that when Wisconsin comes to be.
!raVersed by railroads, the planked ways will
IN good measure be superseded in their.
usefulness. But your committee are fully
pursuaded, that this idea is entirely errone-
Gus. Half dozen railroads leading into
market town, would not obviate the neces-
sity of good road for wagons in all sea-
sons, to distance of thirty miles at least
IRON the place. Railroads can never be
made to "take the place of teams for the
transportation of grain" &c, within one
days drive Of a market, because the far
mer can carry the cheapest for that dis
lance" There are seasons when work is
slack with almost every. farmer, yer-nfs
teams are daily consuming as much food at
such times, as when fully employed. A.
vailing himself of these seasons he can
haul his produce to market with a very few
shllings' expense in addition to what would
have been incurred had his teams remained
idle in their stalls
Your committee have required more fire.
quently to the Salina road than to any 9TH
err, as the basis of their remarks and calcu-
lations, because they look upon that as a
model work, as well with regard to the So
lidlty of its structure, and the economy with
which it was laid down and completed, as
on account of the judicious management of
the whole concern by the engineer and SUI
perintendent The suggestions of those
gentlemen in this connection, therefore, are
entitled to much consideration. They rec
ommend that the ork on plank roads be
done by the day; and that an energetic
man, competent as an engineer, and capable
of directing the whole of the operations, be
placed in charge of the works. They be-
came satisfied, from their observation in
Canada and their experience afterwards at
home, that in this way the foundation of a
plank road can be more thoroughly made,
the timber more perfectly bedded, &C.,
than when the work is let out to iobbers-
: Besides securing more substantial struc-
ture by days work and personal supervision,
this method has been proved, in the con-
struction of the Sallna road at least, to be
the most economical, it having saved to that
company some thousands of dollars in the
cost of the entire road.
Now, in view of these facts and sugges-
tions, it must readily occur to every farmer,
within reasonable distance of the line of
a plank road, THAT he can better afford to
take stock in such a company than any 9TH
er of our industrial classes, because he can
more cheaply pay for his shaxes-by work.
ing them out on the road. Every head of a
tamlly,"with his teams, wagons, plows, scra-
pers, shovels, and other implements which
are always at hand in the cultivation, &C.,
of his farm, could, during those leisure
, times which every one occasionally enjoys,
work out from one to dozen shares, accor-
ding to his force and proximity to the road,
without any serious division Of his atten-
ton from his regular vocation, or percep-
tive detriment to his crops. In fine, to all
classes of Our Farmers, no scheme was ev-
er devised that afforded so rich an assurance
OF immediate and positive benefits to them,
as the construction of plank roads in the
: neghboThood of their farms.
In consideration, therefore; Of the vast
I advantages resulting from the adoption of
this system of road improvements, as dem
onstrated by the facts and statistics herein
presented, your committee not only deem il
l good policy to encourage the construction
ofthat class ofpubic thoroughfares through
out the length and breadth of Wisconsin,
: but they conceive it an incumbent duty to
recommend that the sanction of legislative
enactment be extended to all projects of the
kind, whether prosecuted by individual oil
t associated enterprise.
: And in order to give effect to their rec
-, ommendation, with reference to the petit.
4 tons from Racine and Walworth counties
they have prepared bill in accordance with
the prayer of the petitioners, which they
d beg leave to present herewith.
e All which is respectfully submitted.
: PHILO WHITE, Chairman.