New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1850-12-25
Renren and Ruflaloes OF Roaa Making.

Keepers and love feast ackets.
Rescscd That adopt the principles Of Nora Reform
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Benton and Bufaloes on Road Making.
MEssRs. EDITORS Col. BENTON, IN the speech
which you published on Thursday, torgetful of the
sutorial proverb, abandons politics for Eaginesr
Tag Allow me to point out some of his conse-
quent blunders, which, however Iudicrous 10 the
professional man, may cause serious nlisconcep
tons to the uninstructed. The Colonel says
"There is an idea become current of late-a rsp-
bo7n one-that none but man of science, bred %
school can lay off road. That is a mistake. p
If so, this new. born mistake is more than two
thousand years old, for the Roman roads were
aid ont by professional road makers. That the
Ideals newborn inttis country is unfortunately
too true, and the consequences are seen in our
common roads, which, like
"1he King OF France, with forty thousand meo,
March up mill, and then-march down again.
Few things more strongly impress the traveller in
Europe than the superiority of their roads to our
own, and If horses could speak they would be
vociferous in their admiration OF the men of sci
ence who have laid out some OF our more recent
roads. The Colonel continues
There is class of typographical engineers
older than the schools and nr0re une1Ying than he
mathematics They are the wild anlInals-butfalo,
elk. deer. antelope, bears, which traverse the
forest, not by tie compass but by an instinct
which leads them always the right way-to the
lowest passes in the mountains, the shallowest
fords in the rivers the richest pastures in the for
ests the best salt springs, and the shortest practl
cable lnes between remote points. They travel
thousands Of nile5-have their annual migrations
backward and forward, and never miss the best
and shortest route These are the first engineers
to lay out road in new country; the Indians fol-
low them, and hence buffalo road becomes war
path. The first white hunters follow the same
trails in pursuing their game and after that the
buffalo road becomes the wagon road of the white
man. and finally the Macadamized or railroad OF
the scientific man.
Here are two grave errors the first logical, and
therefore inexcusable in the Senator the second
q matter of scientific experience, and therefore
more pardonabe The buffaloes never miss the
best and shortest route" between-what7 Not
between the Atlantic States and the Pacific
Ocean, which s that under investigation, but be-
tween the best salt springs and ." the richest
pastures Imagine a road-maker following the
erratc track of the buffalo, under the instructions
of Col, Benton when he becomes Lieutenant
General of the Army and consequently supreme
over the Typographical corps The Engineer
no longer daring to look upward and outward,
embracing the surrounding region in compre-
hensive glance, and by the most extended exer.
else of the high faculties of comparison and de-
duction, deciding upon the best line-now plods
along tracking the buffalo. He comes to swamp
which he could easily build bank across, bat it
is too soft for the buffalo, who turns off miles out
of the way, and the Engineer must follow him
A narrow but walllike ridge of rocks, which the
Engineer would pass through with a few blasts
sends off the buffalo, other miles in a contrary d.
rection. The Engineer must again follow him,
begins to scent his goal, and madly rushes up it
no locomotive or even wagon could ascend it with
q quarter load, but Col. B enton's Engineer must
there locate his road. lie now gets in sight Of his
buffalo-nay, of drove of them; they have got
to their journeys end Is the Pacific Ocean in
sight? Oh, no. it is only SAT- spring Has not
the Engineer who started with following the
buffalo, ended with seeing the elephant ~
Thus much for the logical error the ignordntta
elenchi" Now for the scientific one. The road
whose grade is best suited for the tootman with
pack on his back is too steep tor the pack horse,
and must have its slopes lessened when its desti.
nation becomes thus changed Pat wagons on
this road and they can now carry but half their
load and new and 1atter route must be found
for them. The Senator may find in the Congress-
ional Library map of Napoleons famous road
over the smpon Pass of the Alps, which illus
trates this in a striking manner, He will there
see original horsepaths making short cuts from
point to point in steep lines which the new
ose.7rage.road al tcy eha5ns as unsuitable i5f
its purposes, horsepath may ascend 400 feet
per mile good carriage road should not ascend
900 Ali these principles he will lind proven in
any good work on Road-making
Ny last point refers to very unlucky illustra-
ton which he has employed, that of the Cumber-
land or National road, the early portions OF which,
located before men of science" or educated en-
giieoes took charge of it, were SO badly laid out,
thae Capt. Viewer, its subsequent able engineer,
reports to the Department Exec Doc. 1928 that
"if the road had been very considerably elon,
gated, to effect less steep graduation, the road
could have been travelled in short space OF
time as it now is, and the power used could have
moved double the burden it now can thus rem
dering the road, for commercial purposes doubly
advantageous Such would be the general cha
racter Of roads laid out Il la Benton by Buflaloes
,.c,.s,is Engineers. W. NJ, G.
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