The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1851-01-11
Plaui< Road.

lie have repeatedly during ,Le las' year ca led
the attention Of our citizens 10 the absolute nccr,,i-
ty OF improving the roads leading INTO our town,
and 1t seemed fora loug time with Uuc success
He nre now, however ah.cto state confidently that
plank road w.,, be built from Ottawa to Munzon-
Town. Its estimated that the cost Of ID" cuu'em-
plated road wI, be $500 perm.lr. abou, i0OJ of
the stock has already been subscribed of Inch over
$4,000, was taken IN this town About $1,000
more has been pledged making in all about sl6O 900
The company wiIl be organized next TUESDAY See
advertisement IN another column. Ne entertain no
doubt that when this road shall have been compile
ted and II, advantages seen and el that there wIl
be no difficulty IN extending the road to Paw-Paw
and thereby securing trade which has been Invested
from us, solely because the communication has been
so difficult. Objections have been made 10 tins
road in the vicinity At Munsontown for the reason
as stated that the object was, and tendency would
be, 10 lnlure the contemplated Railroad through
that pIace. 1t is sufficient answer to this obec-
ton to say II railroad should be built through
Munsnntown, the direct influence OF this road
would be To attract trade to it, But we feel war
rantcd in saying that the citizens of Ottawa, who
are the holders OF most Of the stock feel so little
interest in regard to the constitution OF that rail-
road, that they certainly would not expend ,heir
money to hlndcrit
In place OF Tei,eraing our own views upon the
advantages to be secured 10y stockholders and the
public generally by the construction OF plank roads
We append the following extracts from the St LouIz
Republican to which We ask the attention Of our
readers promising that the cost OF constructing
plank roads in tins vicinity is much less than the
cost Of the roads alluded to by the Republican, aud
actual experiment shows that plank roads IN this
state have paid n better dividend than the roads
spoken of in the states OF New York ana Iowa
1T IL confidently said by the Directors Of the
New York Plank Roads that the drnught OF teams
on level roads, or roads not having an inclination
OF more than Two degrees, is ttebcj. SupposIng
thu cost Of transportation common roads Is at thu
rate Oi 81 % Tor = 900 pounds over space Oi -
miles OF load iortwo horses one day travelling on
a good common road, about the average rate ct
cost tor the teams Of that character throughout the
year, the saving, II the load be- trebcd, would be
twice thus amount, or -. The teamser, therefore,
would neither be- gamer or loser II he were to pay
20 cents toll per mile bat II he pays :wO cents per
mile, under the law of Indiana, he is the actual
gamer OF ) 50 tor his days labor, This same 50
saved Will transport load Of 6uO pounds, ut cents
per mile, 30 miles, or i the team goes to market
and returns without a load It can lie stared AT n
mt les miles from market, so tar NJ the cost OF
trayc, ia concerned besides, the plank gives the
tanner n .oad in winter when he can spare time TO
leave home pr suilrr his working force to do 80,
and when he wis hes to lay IN hs purchases Tor the
wear The idea thai common road Is a Tree road
is such interpolation OF terms that must say a
few words ol this before ! alIude 10 tue prohs OF
plank roads
The people are taxed from the time the petition
fur road to be opened goes into court TO the tune
II is declared abandoned as public highway. Mo-
nry must be expended, from necessity. almost con
stanty from the imperfect law in this state, much
OF II IS mlsappIied; some from lna,lenhon on the
part oi she road oyerscers hut more from the labor
ers being in almost nil cases nclghborhood hands,
who will work they pense, hardly permitting
the overseers 20 demonstrate
The roads to be kept passnble in winter, must be
Amos, constantly worked, and then the term II pas
sable must he taken III its most enlarged sense. II
Is true the people pay no toll ga,hercr, but they
cXpcnd their time, pay money To the collector tor
road purposes, pay the wngon-maker, blacksmith,
mud harness. maker u tax, and large one, too all
Tor the privilege Of wnding IN the mud SIX months
in the year often killing horse or riding delight
fully through n storm, which, on good road might
be avoided The question is not, the reore, sllo
the road be fee I" bu, "how shall II be taxed ~
My belief is and know eth make any sensible
man acknowledge, that n tax OF one cent Oh the
dollar, per mile on n good road, Is an advantage to
every one who goes on the road, or who reaps III.
benefit Of the extended commerce 1t affords, The
general principle, that those who wear out n road ,
should be made to renew ii, no one will deny.
Plank roads leading from Rome ". Y, yielded
% per cent, concndlng, too win the railrond and
Erie canal. Those running out OF Syracuse, n Y,
yielded from 20 to 30 per cent
The Burlington mud Mount Vernon Plank Road
Company. in Iowa. divided last month 25 per cent,
A road leading out OF Chicago paid Tor itself IN one