Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1851-07-01
Payment OF tolls, II miles each way, ~ at l.: ct.
Return per diem

Farmers take cord and half OF green wood in place Of
half and threequarers of cord 50 bushels oi rscand lOe
bushels of oats when formerly they carried lO and 81 huScS
200 plank in The place of SO TO 80 This is d1ne AT the rate
of four miles hour whereas three miles All hDur "Ae
the road in tucrhbc order was con !eed ra travel
ling with manufacturer o Utica, formerly trah-
nor;cd from The railroad his establishment Ia distance OF
mcs) 10 bales Of cotton per day with two teams w'lc
made but daily trip hu. ON the recently construct
ed Plank Road performs the Journey i"ce deliver
rg Is bales daily. The weight "i bale " COTTON
is therefore, team is equal m the worth 'i 10 c"t
while The old road it equal only 10 . cw These
loads be considered fair average burdens, without the
energies OF the horse b.ing unfairly taxed
Tue cos. OF plank road depends contingencies. The
"Grcat Western Albany" road IL miles in length and
bu,l, on an old highway cost 81 553 ~ per rcwte the
"Syracuse and Manus Centre miles in length, cost but
$1,000 per mile The repairs which plank road will need for
the years ought be tr:n To great extent al
this y period they depend the ur in which III. road
has been constructed ii il has been we'll Kept up ana well
dained there is c fear Of the road scIi!ng or he plank
becoming loose.
Those skcpcal Of the advantages which plank roads have
EXTEND in t= short space of few months would do well
10 examine the following facts
The Communications leading 10 and from cities para
mount in importance for the furthrrance OF prosperity
city which has been rendered by art nature accessible on
every side becomes the centre " the surrounding country
lis magazine and UsG-and The which radiate
The impcing causes Of ins:r and agricultural activity
Albany has plank road in cunncctinn with the city
three Others prectcdthc traffic in Tie direction Of the
eleven miles laid down. has incr asrd lU per Farms
living contiguous the roLd have increased in value % per
cent from The acquired facilities Of akin produce nArSeI
Iroy-a short plank rad of miles and halt leads
from Troy Lancsburgh Since has been constructed the
traffic has doubled between The places Tie people n
the neigh5ohnod taught by experience appreciate the ad
vanagcs of plank roads, have commenced the constructed
Of new lines.
The Fonda and Caraga Road. Bcfo7a its construction
proucry at northern end WI alc from brin.
inaccessible 1, is held 81 and So PER The prize
OF 6rcwuod in Fonda has occasions been high So
the ordinary price SIS. The un.:nrm now ls
81 75 and always te purchased; when formerly the wea
tncr left The road IN such state as 10 rc"cn wagons from
coming in ,
from Utica has gone up ' ceat. Oa the Utica ano
| Iljon road the advance is laid al Is per cent.
On the Saina an! Central Syracuse road farm land has
increased from 50 to Sl5 per s increase extends
three miles each size .. the In"d On ihe Syracuse ah
Manlius Centre road land has Increased III vanc about
DER acre. There many other instances where plank roads
are formed, to prove similar results
On the plank road the arner has "a he had ne
forc-n good road every day in The year He select Il"
his Journey days when he cannot work The iar taxing
with greater in bali the time three lines what he f'l
mcrIv could The and Ills horse hnrnss
and vehicle is reduced asst ure bali. The tolls not only
pay themselves in this saving, but leave surplus III
the pocket of the farmer which would otherwise have Dct
spent in repairs. Horse s Ies .t twice !hc time nse
OF frcunent shoes, il only necessary have the oh'
ones periodically removed The very a5O: OF cleaning ttr
horse comes into calculation.
Amuug the nlny roads constructed the State some le"
have been built more as The means of Ur,rng u the co
munictinn than as an Investment but h"eloui the
can BE- asserted positively that he stoc o Plank sd
is below par Nor can stock be bUug except ifoh "
dividuals who pressed for money.
Where the travel is mc the plank vii, Of itself decay
and need restoration without sucency of receipts 10
for restoring it. But from such pcsrala:e dtcuc,
can ow road 10 bc rcrEncraiive first be reqn.
good road increases travel hut there be other ca"
10 But II on the other hand, The road Is 10 u
through by extraordinary travel, il mus Uo
evident that the event Is advanag 10 the SUI"
holders for the Decay VI tie wood is which &C Ss
to operate. TIE bears direct proportion 10 the mon!
received. And il can roved hat roads pay even
subjected 10 the t"o dssrasi siv1 ia Guc,a Of travel a'
cay, it must &c evident that they will pay ntiniie!
when subjected To travel aInc the principle, therefore, M
be laid down, that the often The wcrr upon 'c
renders il necessary TO teank it, the greater the po
| the larger the dividend. c
What roads have already done, may b2 best earneo "
| the following statements: 49,
The ASany Western Road, laid down a5ou six iont, M 49,,
promises 10 enable the Company pay t.T divdea1 " "
! shares and 10 lay by sinking fund for repairs .,,
the Troy and Lanesbur. Road in bHln incurred w. "
Sl400; this debt has been paid with se!,.an!la a'i',
0 per cent and large sinking fund laid u. ne ' =
in few hands and cannot be Purchased a. ALI ana So So
1na il is difficult {" nhian information tie sr'j"t'
The Ctru and Burlington Road has ccll eli 'i'siIt W. .
20 per cent but tr Road TO be ex.eaea II VIII DC "
| rad to account additional stock. ,
The Rome and Os"eso Road has pa! 10 per cent "''u
| IT, laying by II sufficient siu>i ng fund. go,
The Aurora and Buffalo Road divided p per cent IA M
owing to the instaiIuens having hcn paid up.
stock is held par, and bring price "lef'u 'o 49,
Aliens Creek Road, Rochester, gives sGrh barge
that the directors decline stating them, frankly as7e Hs "
reason. Stock cannot be purchased.