Des Moines courier. ([Ottumwa] Iowa) 1848-1854, 1851-04-04
The Effect Of Plank Roads.

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bune, gives, upon the authority of w.
kingsford, engineer for the Hudson
River Railroad, the following facts, show
ing the effect of plank roads Oh the trade
of towns, and the value of the road as
an investment: as sah aeEa
But the most surprising statements in
the book referred to relate TO the effect of
plank roads upon the trade of towns and
the value of property along their lines.
The traffic over road of eleven miles
leading into Albany, which was finished
in the fall of lS49, has increased 100
per cent, and farms along the line 90
per cent, in value. A road from Fonda
10 Lake Garage, in Hamilton County,
has raised the value of lands at the latter
place from so cents TO 50 and SO, and
has reduced the price of fire wood at
Fonda from So to So rs, at which IL can
now always be purchased. .s.Haa
One hundred and sixty three miles of
plank road may be considered tributary
to Utica, and they have increased her
business 100 per cent, her property Is
per cent, and her population 25 per
cent. They have also lessened the price
of cord wood one dollar and half; and
as $4,000 cords are annually consumed
in Utica, $50 900 are annually saved to
the inhabitants, which would build 80
miles of plank road. Rome is the CEN
ire Of l4S miles of plank road, which
has increased the storage and forwarding
business SO l3 per cent, and doubled
the amount of travel. Ninety mine
miles of plank road run into Syracuse,
doubling the population and raising the
value of real estate from Is to so per
cent, depending on localities, and redu-
cling the price of fire wood from 6 to
50 80 cord, at the same time making
the wood worth so cents per cord more
standing. On the rs 900 cords annually
brought from the surrounding country
$262,5 $50 are saved to the inhabitants,
which would build l3l miles of road
each year., Oswego has leading into il
liz miles of plank road enhancing the
value of property 25 per cent, and doub-
ling the retail trade. There is now con-
struc.ng about Rochester l30 miles of
plank road, raising the value of city
property % per cent, and the value of
lands near the city about so per cent.
Time will allow me to give Mr.. Kings
ford's facts on only one other point, and
that is the value of plank roads as an in
vcs,ment. The Troy and Lansingburg
road has paid off debt of 81 400, and
divides 20 per cent, per annum, besides
laying by sinking fund. The Rome
and Utica road in twelve months has
paid off $4,000 debt and is expecting
to divide 90 per cent. The Utica and
Frankfort, finished in October, ls49, has
paid 10 per cent. The Utica and Bur-
lington, 20 per cent. The Rome and
Turin earned $4,000 the first six
months on a cost of $4,000. The
Salma Central Square Road is worth
now Sll0 per share on $50 paid in.-
The Salina, Liverpool and Clay pays
10 per cent. The Rome and Oswego
10 per cent, both reserving sinking
funds. The Aliens Creek Road, Ro-
chester, is so profitable the Directors re-
fuse TO make any statement. The Au-
rora and Buffalo Road divides 25 per
cent.
The above are the facts connected
with some of the plank roads in New
York--the few which have been proper
ly built and managed in Illinois have
yielded mons.rous returns, which when
known, must render these roads favor
vorite investment. This will form an
important adjunct to our railroads, and
the day is near at hand when our State
will be traversed in all directions by
them.