The Port Gibson herald, and correspondent., 1850-03-15
From the Louasu,lle Journal.


roads. Generally in the West white oak tim
ber.grows along the lines Of the road or can be
obtained at no great distance. This timber
would not rot near as soon as hemlock or white
pine, and it would not wear away near as fast.
When sand could be procured to keep the plank
covered, we think white oak planks would prob.
ably stand for twenty years. good, portable
saw-mlll driven by horses, that Of Page, of Balti
more, for instance, might be used along the
road for saving out the timbers. 1t is in con-
temptation 10 make plank road this season
from Louisville; via Oakland, intersect the Salt
river turnpike, Al miles from Louisville:
From The Oslosgo (N. " Commercial Times.
On Plank Roads.
As this is the season for forming companies
TO build plank roads, make contracts, procure
lumber, &C., we reproduce in our paper To-
day, for the information oI all concerned, the
letter of Senator Geddes, which appeared in
the Western State Journal in August last Mr..
Geddes is known as the father of plank roads
in this State, and there is probably no man in
the State who understands the snhlect better
Oswego begins to experience the benefits of
plhilh IOat14 duu w appreciate lllttI
to all classes and branches of business.
number Of roads have been completed in this
country, all cf which are paving handsome div
idends and contributing largely THE general
business Of the city and country. The Oswego
and Rome plank road, sixty miles long, is now
lntersected by various branches; by two from
the village of Pulaski, and the third, il that d.
| recton, is now building from Port Ontario, TO
The road, running south from Pulaski to Unicn
Square, connects with The Central Square road
and makes contiEuous plank road through to
the city Of Syracuse. Another road has been
built from the village Of Fulton to Hannibal.
A road was commenced las; season to run from
Oswego to Hannibal and Sterling, Of which 5
miles from this city was completed and a toll
gate put up, which is doing good business
The residue Of the road is under contract and
the lumber coming on the ground, to be COM
! peted in the ensuing season. company has
been formed to build road from Oswego to
| Syracuse, and the stock is nearly or quite all
taken, and the lumber is being procured. An
other company has just formed TO construct a
road from this city 10 the town Of Hastings.
Plank roads are no longer an experiment here
The certainty OF ample returns TO the investment
I
the trading and agricultural interests have been
demonstrated and established:
PLANK Rodds-plGnk roads are becoming
very &C mmon in those parts Of the country where
lumber is cheap and where the soil is unsuited
to the construction of good roads. The first
| plank road made in the United States was the
one running from the city OF Syracuse TO Central
Square, upon which the company commenced
| ,.I.ta n. IL Ok IL, IS 1,it
that the road has now been in uss two years.
This read was constructed under very favorable
circumstances. The right Of way cost the COM
pany nothing, and, the bed of an old and much
travelled road being used, there was very little
grubbing or grading required. The soil was
a mixture of clay and sand and was very easily
worked Lumber, delivered on the line aid
distributed so as to be convenient to place in
track, cost only about IS 20 thousand feet
board measure. The first cost Of lie road was
but little, and the immense amount OF travel ovel
il made the receipts into the treasury very large
So favorable were all these circumstances thai
the company have never exacted more thar
about three.quarte.s of the amount Of tolls they
were entitled to by law. The success Of fhi:
road had the effect 10 produce fever, and pIant
roads have become the order of the day. Onon
! QHUd, OItlud, anu CSW61u SOhLAiCo ~ "
in0 covered with a net work of plank roads
From Oswego 10 Utica by way Of Rome, anC
ffam Oswego to Syracuse By way Of Centra
S1nare. are the longest lines. From Utica three
Of four roads radiate. From Syracuse two are
to 90 north one south, and one east. There
NAV now be one hundred in the course of con
struction in the State Some of these may prove
losing concerns to the stockholders, and The
shot haste with which people have embarked
in this new thing may, in many cases, lead to
reaction in which the pendulum will swing al
much too far the other way.
"Pank roads are much superior fer the trav
eler to any other road ever constructed in this
country; and where lumber is to be had at Low
rrcqs, and there is great amount Of travel,
J Is certain that handsome dividends will be madt
By the company; but there must be these tw'
: favorng circumstances to justify their construc
ton: for if the lumber costs too much, then
will wear out or rot before it is paid for; i tn
lumber costs but little and there is but little trav
ell, it will rot out before that little travel pay
for it. Where The lumber costs but little, tfiel
the sooner il is worn out the sooner the none.
is paid bv the travel into the treasury, with whc
to rebuild and pay interest
"Fhe question of how much money can b
earned by a road of hemlock plank (Which
the kind of timber thus far used in this State
before it will wear out, under the rates OF toh
established by the general plank road law, is tn
first one to answer, in order to determine hoy
much may be paid for plank in those cases wfier
; the company are sure Of sufficient travel on tn
road. Inquiries have been made in Canada t
j determine how much pine, which is the lumbe
there used, will earn in plank road; but the pla
ofrentlng their gates to the highest bidder, by tn
. year, makes it impossible to determine whs
amount of money Is paid for toll. Upon the SI
racnse and Central Square road great care ha
been taken to keep account Of the receipts OF e'
ery day at each Of the gates, and as there IS n
: combating OF tolls and no persons exceptln
the directors are allowed to pass the gates FIRE
;. and as very few persons are exempted by the la
from the payment Of tolls, the actual travel ca
be very nearly determined from the receipts
The rates of tolls That are taken do not var
much from those established in the general Law
}: and W taking the receipts of the first two gate
j. which take the tolls for eight miles, and dete
minidg:the amount that the plaDks are worn, "
h arrive at fact that is important:
!. The ioll taken during two years at gate No,
:. amounted to $T,957
II The tolls taEen at gate No. 2: during the
same tifhes amounted to 4,930C
Ir IN "s.R