Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1851-02-27

is no longer known where there is a
plank road. The farmer is brought in
the vicinity of the village or city, en-,
joying its benefits, and exempt from its
inconvenience. The plank road finds
its way TO the forest first, building itself
from thence, and then placing the wood
treasure into active use. Ii assures the
settler 10 redeem lands hitherto set
down as desperate real estate; unreal
as to income, and real only as to taxa
ton. II goes up into wild lands and
civlizes them. 1t threads the enyirons
of city with pleasant drives. 1t mag
nifies the means used by the farmer in
taking his products to market. 1t is
the road of the people open TO all, and,
the nature, in whose energies it has
grown into such favor, it is every year
increasing its range and extending its
benefits"
The plank road is Of the class of
canals and railways. They are the
three great inscriptions craven on the
earth by the hand of modern science,
never to be obliterated, but TO grow
deeper and deeper as channels of com
fort and prosperity"
at was some time in the summer of
1914 that a meeting was called and
held in the village of Salina, which,
since that time, has become part of the
important and prosperous city Of Syria.
cuse, N. Y, TO confer in relation 10
fitting up the stock for a plank road
from Salina to Central Square, locali.
ty not far distant, and by the travel on
it presenting desirable opportunity to
illustrate the advantages or defects Of
the proposed system. A charter had
been obtained in the previous winter,
it being much easier for the legislature
TO enact the privilege than to explain the
construction-not Of the statute but Of
The road. The gentlemen present were
desirous Of having a good road built;
but unfortunately, not one of them had,
as yet, ever seen plank road, and had
a very indefinite idea Of the manner in
which il was 10 be bult-or if built,
what would be the probable duration,
and, most importan, Of oil, what would
be the cost"
"A gentleman of Onandogo county,
(Ion. Geo. Gcddes) now representing
the 22d senatorial district in the Senate
of New York, attended the meeting and
became so interested ir its proceedings,
forcsceing the great advantages and
benefits which mast result from such
highways, if they could be chCaply
made, and permanently constructed, de-
termned 10 proceed to Canada where
the experiment had been already tried
and to whose wealth of timber such a
: system was appropriate"
WI. "cuuts Win iDo llIOI lIdtlOIi
thus obtained, applied his facts 10 the
road, concerning which the movements
had been made. He stationed men al
several points on the proposed line, SO
that the amount of travel on the ordin
q ary road could be ascerlained, and the
result determined; with the Canadian
theory and practice and his own, he
made an estimate Of the cost and the
avails, and asserted that the road woul
realize twenty per cent. per annum
J and TO give assurance of the sincerity
of his opinion, he made liberal sub
5 scription TO the stock. The work wa
resumed in the next summer but it wen
t heavily. At last committee wen
s around the town and levied rather thai
raised subscriptions from the bushes
:, men TO the amount of $4,000"
s "It-was finally determined to begi
= with a single track, and let further &C
y lion be governed by the results of tim
IS and experience. Mr.. Geddes cslimat
If ed the cost Of laying out the road al on
= dollar per rod, and the whole cost c
n single track at Q hundred dollars pc
= mile. Al an early period next sprin!
J; he, accompanied by few laborer
at commenced By laying down about fo
b. ty rods in the village of Cicero, whic
oi was the FIRST FLANK RoADIN THE UN
u TED STATES"
v. The road has fully and completed
lis succeeded. The estimates were so a
ch curale that the cos, was just abou, Mr
is dollars less per mile than was compute
i u, a IL L =.