The Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Scott Co., Iowa) 1841-185?, 1851-07-24
IFor the Gazette. ]
PLANK ROADS.
WHAT scorr County SHOULD DO At ONCE.

WHAT Scorr COUNTY SHOULD DO AT ONCE.
Mr. EpIToR: II may seem presumption
in comparative stranger to assert wha,
should or should not be done ia our county,
but submit this with all due Difference to
older residents and only claim for il the
weight which the sppare4. RESPONSIVENESS
Of my position may show TO be its DUE
Having been somewhat acquainted with
tho practical advantages and utility Of that
Of which write, | deem that may be able
10 give them different light from that in
which they would DO viewed BY one who
knows nothing Of their working. Although
stranger, Scot, county is my home and
in its prosperity alone hope for success.
| II seems to be well known fact that
for more than one-half the year it is impos-
sible for farmers TO bring iull load TO Dav-
export over any Of the roads leading into
il. This is an evil which is seriously felt,
not only by our citizens, who are thus los.
ing the trade Of many rich sections thai
would otherwise find its way here, bu, by
all classes of community. Upon tho far.
mer the loss falls mos, heavily. He is SUBJ
iected 10 an almost ruinous expense to get
his produce TO market, or procure the means
to build or fence, which must in this prai-
rio country be moatly obtained from the
river. Il will be admitted ] think, that
this is one of The main causes Of much Of
the best land in tho county, and within
from ten 10 fifteen miles of good market,
ct remaining in the hands Of Government
untaxed and useless to u.s. II can hardl,
be expected that men will isolate them
selves from all communication by getting
behind one Of our unbridged sloughs, even
for the sake of being near the most beauti-
ful city in the country and having the rich
est soil without the means Of getting lis
produce to m1rket Now ia order to obvi.
ate these very apparent difficulties and en-
rich all classes, we have but 10 build about
forty miles Of Plank Road divergng from
this CITY in about two directions to the cx.
lremes Of the county. Do this and in one
years time there would not be foot Of
good untaxed land apen any psr, o! their
routes. Farms in the extremes of the
county would at once double in actual and
available value, because they could readily
ge, u market with their produce, and pro.
cure materials for building aud fencing
which bu, little etflrt would set down nj
their doors. New farmers would come 10
eager to procure our unrivalled prairie il
they could 50 easily fad markel or lis pro
duce.
lcog,l cnumcrato instances where Plank
Roads less needed than ours, have doubled
tho value Of land where leading into coup
TRY back from other communication. The,
nay appropriately be termed The farmer
highway TO wealth." Rail Roads my
be built and benefit each terminus, and
raise the value OF real estate, but the far
mer wants roads over which he can drive
his own team, al all times particularly in
tho tall and winter after his produce is
ready for market and he has nothing else
10 do, and at those times at which he is now
almost entirely precludcd from our marke,
by bad roads, aud instead Of using his leis-
uro he must take the precious time which
alone he can devote as ''seed time and har
vests And what would not such roads de-
for our city. They would save it. Save
!, from dangers which no X. K. can avert
(allhough do not question the utility and
vast advantages of II. r. communication
between US and the eastern ci,ics) dangers
which once realized never can be tlily
reneded. We have competitors for the
If ade Of our rich prairie on the north and
sou.h--compe,itors that do not sleep. Once
let the curren, set TO them and BIO assured
they vii. not lack tho tact and ability To
keep il. The trade Of tho fast settling
prairie on the west, and the Waubsipinicon
on the north are in danger Of being trans
lerred from US TO other points. The last
Of these rich and fast populating regions
tells us plainly that if we do not "mend our
ways" they will ''dissolve the Union," that
thcy can do better than to come 10 this city
and yet such attraction though il may be.
Davenpor, must 60 forward or backward.
We have every facility for an onward pros.
porous courso,-we are at the foot Of the
rapids-we are efcc,ually at the terminus
Of the greatest chain Of Rlil Road ever
bul,-and las, not least, in the central out
lei for the produce Of the Garden Of the
World, Central Iowa. But with all these
advantages we must have facilities b.
which tho vast food of emigration which
The r | and c. r II hrinrs in can re 4