The Arkansas banner., 1850-07-30
Fer .hs Banner.
PLANK ROADS TN cLARx COUNTY.

Her the Banner.
 PLANK ROADS IN CLARK COUNTY. Asssss Edasvs: :-- Having paid some aitsntiOn to the subject. have besn indHeed to odsr come sug- gssiens io the citizens of Clark couatv relative to the construction of plank road frsm the Tsrrs. nOir creek, neat CRow's mlIls to TArK's ferry, on the Hsais Missouri sach road Is mueh needed. aad weald without doubt bs very profitable to plan tess la Clark sad ths adjaeeat eoaaties In addi- tion to the ABmsdals advantages to hs derived from by the people ia the nsighbOrheed Of the road 1t would sseare the passage.Ofa considerable amount of trade and travel from north Arkansas. and vest sSn Missouri, which should 70 by that route, but s now driven of by the anOst impossible state Of the roads. during great portion of the year.
 My desire ut present is mainly to excite public interest ia behalf of this all important project The exset Foute bs sstied by the euterprisiag cltI zsns of Clark. and in the mean tis s wil call the attsatiOR Oths people or the upper para of the ats who will be materially benefItsd by the construc- ton of such . road.
 The expenses attending the expor alton and lmpOr- taton of produce and merchandise upon the Qua. chita and Little Missouri rivers ia oae gear amou to one third of the cos, of erecting plank road from the rerrsnOir to TArE's ferry. There are about fOar hundred persons ia Clark county alone, who pay upon average following the expense upon the Missouri 10 be as grea, as upon the Gu achita from Camden to Arkadslphial SO. 10 each, making $so0O. annually for freiglt expenses up and down these two rivers. h ls47 there were 300 bales of cotton shipped from Arkadslphi4. and about s, from RichwoOes landing. making 2.s5a bales. from only these two points at dollar per bale; allow ing the same amour, to be shipped down the Mis- souri at the same price It would amouai to $J300 Add the same amount for up river freights, the amount is Slo, $50. leaving of S2, ,sUo reduces the amount to $S0ao, the average annual expense of freight. To erect plank road for distance of twea ty four miles would cost S960 per mile or g .4a0 which ia three years would bs reimbursed by the expenses attending the transportation of produce and merchandEe, exclusive of the receipt of tolls
 The plank road now proposed would not only furnish to the planters of Clark increased facilities for reaching a market but would create home market for their lumber aud their surplus corn oats wheat, potatoes and other miuor products. which. under the present state of affairs never be jeyed. Besides speedily paying ten times over for
 
 the cost of its construction, il would add greatly to the value of alt the Ilabr lands in the county, by furnishing a cheaper, easier and more convenient means of reaching market lhan is at present sifor ded by the rivers.
 The advantages to be derived from such a road may be divided into two classes, the profit to the community. aad the profit to the stockholders IL will be advantageous to all classes of the people but more particularly to tho agricuturaiists. They have been justly styled farmers roads," and are emPhaticslIy republican highways, and destined to be brought into common use to the iucsicuiable benefit of the country through which they may pass. The advantages mutual and while both parties benefiited the public wealth will be n- creased to the stockholders the toll established will yield an ample dividend IL has been proven by experience that the plank laid down will return two three times its original cost, while the snnual dividend is always increasing. According to the re- port of Mir WALKER, chief engineer of the State of New York, the plank roads in that Stale yield a dividend of not less than 20 and ia some instances 30 and 10 per cent, annually upon the capital in- vested.
 desire greatly to hear from of the enter prising citizens of Clark, upon this subject and hope that au interchange of opinion iu respect the terprise proposed will result ia some definite plan of action, which wiil harmonize and advance all in- terests, aud permanently benefit our county
 FRIEND TO CLARK.