The Plymouth pilot. (Plymouth, Marshall County, Ind.) 1851-1852, 1851-12-03
Plank Roads.


to see some of our prominent citizens
take hold of the subject of Plank Roads;
but there seems to be an apathy existing.
.lat makes them apparently blind TO their
most prominent and vital interests. In
a county located as this is, possessing the
various and valuable facilities for wealth
aud improvement. it does seem as though
the people had entirely. o, erlooked. or for
gotten thei most important means for their
advaEement.d Here we have county
containing population. of 5000. We
have but one town in the county, and no
other town within twenty miles of US,
and no good market under forty miles
In order TO get to that market, we have
10 pass over some most execrable roads
at all seasons of the year. which are cas-
ily bettered, and which we fail to make
any effort in, while our neighbors around
iss are all awake 10 their own welfare,
we can ask, and that needs only the TAX
itg advantage of, TO bring market TO our
own door. Ii is acknowledged, that ia
ken as whole county, we have the best
body OF land in the State; and the divis-
io of timber and water. wet land and
dry, is such. that any man can locate
himself TO the 'most particular notion
Lumber is cheap and still market could
be found for larger quantities than we
can now supply, 'snd would command
price that would be within the reach of
all, 'and yet afford fair profit to the
manufacturer Four steam mills, costing
$4,000 each, would make from So to $40
per.day clear Of expenses. and could find
timber a. from 25c to 81 90 per log. and
sell lumber a: from Sc 20 SIS, per thou
send at the mill We clm raise from
10000 20 500 900 bushels of wheat. and
from 800 900 TO 100000. bushels of corn
per annum. Cattle can be raised and
ia ted for the breeding a a mere nominal
cost. and any quantity of hogs with the
same facility. We have men here that
would butcher 1000 head of cattle if they
could get them, at from 3 to cents per
pound, and would dispose of any quaint
" of hogs at the very highest market
prices and paw cash for it. They would
buy oil surplus grain. and with little
investment Of capital, they could flour
every bushel here. Send off the flour.
and be able to pay Michigan City prices
for grain. These as some of the most
prominen: features Of advance, would be
the result of ready outlets in the shape
OF Plank Roads, built at comparatively
trifing expense, and known 10 yield
dividend of profits from | D to 20 per cent
upon the capital invested, besides keep
ing the roads in repair. But there are
r,any minor considerations to be taken
into account, which, in the aggregate, a
mount TO a vast sum in the total of bene
fits, and which our people appear to have
never thought of. Next week we shall
cndea vor TO present some of them. Mean
time we wish 10 refer TO a few Of the Of
fers made to us. Michigan City is the
only sea port in the State. Every citi-
gen In the State should feel it matter OF
the utmost consequence to see it prosper
as much as possible. She has built
,aost cxcellen: plank road TO Laporte-
or the citizens of both places have, and
no one pretends to question the fact Of
its result being of incalculabe benefit
Two immense Rail Roads. running paral
lei, one through the City, the other thro'
Laportc, together with the lakes. offers
three outlets for the immense produce of
the North, and the competition is for the
benefit of the farmers and mechanics
Blu, unless Michigan City is kept up as
port. the farmer becomes the victim OF
the Rail Road monopolists. With that
port open every 5ushel of grain will bring
from three 20 six cents more, than 1t 9th
erwise would. Tie interest of Michigan
City and la porte are identical, and we
should care nothing Cor their chickering's
South Bend 81 miles North, is on the ST.
Joseph River, with the Southern Rail
Road through it, and the Central 0 miles
distant, and the warehouses Of the Cen
trail Company, at Mishawauka "a miles