The miners' express. (Dubuque, Iowa) 1849-1854, 1852-07-28
REPORT.

REPORT.
The President and Directors Of the Dubuque
and Sageville Plank Road Company report, that
two hundred and twenty-one shares OF stock
have been taken, which, at twenty five dollars
per share, makes the sum of five thousand five
hundred and twenty -five dollars. The first IN
stalment of five per cent on each share was
paid after the organization OF the CON-
pany and of the second, third and fourth install
ments of twenty per cent on each share, TN.
sum of two thousand six hundred and forty five
dollars has been paid, making in all received up
to this time, the sum Of two thousand nIne nun
dred twenty lone dollars and twenty ave cents.
So soon after the organization OF the company
"a practicable, we employed J. G. jennings as
enuiueer 20 survey and locate the road LII
cense bayi been granted BY the County Court
or Dubuoue to construct plank road, and to
use for such purpose thirty feet of the public
highway leading from Dubuque to Sagevile,
the engineer was instructed to locate 1t on the
west half of the public highway, which was
done immediately after the road was thus
located, the distance, - miles, was divided into
three sections, and proposals issued through the
newspapers of this city, for the earth work.
The first section commencing at the north line
of the corporation, and terminating at or near
the north west corner OF John +. Mlllers
enclosure, was taken By MsGowen and Tool at
~ cts per square yard, for excavation and en-
bmkmenis, which, together with the work on
culver's, walls, and. extra work, amounts to
the sum Of six hundred twenty two dollars aud
ftty-o cents.
The second section terminating few rods
north of Capt. Smith s barn was let to M'Gowen
and WEIGH at II cts. per square yard, for exca-
va,ions and establishments, which, together with
the work on culverts aud extra work amounts
to the sum Of eight hundred seventeen dollars
and eight cents.
The third section was let to Patrick Sherman
Al Is cents per square yard, for excavations and
cmbankEients, which, together with work on
culverts aud extra work, amounts to the sum
of fifteen hundred and four dollars ninety -four
cents.
The contractors on the first and second sec
tons have been paid in full, and nine hundred
fifty-three dollars and ftty-fve cents have been
paid to the contractor on the third section, leav-
ing a balance due him of five hundred and
fifty-one dollars thr;y-nine cents. The road
bed was ready for the plank about the LIST OF
january last but, owing to the great difficulty
in getting plank, we have as yet been able 10
lay only about of a mile.
A contract has been entered into with l.. Ma
loney to furnish three inch oak plank at eleven
dollars per thousand, delivered on the landing
in this city. About twenty-sx thousand fret
have been delivered and laid. and we are daily
in the expectation of the re ceipt of one hundred
and fifty thousand feet more, and the balance
to complete the road can probably be delivered
as fast as it may be wanted.
The following estimate viii show the proba-
BILE cost per mile
Earth work, including extra earth work.bridges,
culverts, &c, 100000
Plank, including sleepers, board
measure, 100 NJ feet at gil, 30
per M. l1oo,O0
Shaping and laying at 81 per
rod, 500, 90
Engineering and supermtendence, $500
Total, $3l75,O0
1t will be thus seen, that when this work was
commenced, we knew nothing about plank
roads and made eur estimates too low (far we
did not estimate the cost at more than $2200
per mile) or that we have paid much too high
for work and materials, and yet, when we look
at the cost of plank roads in the e9st, and COM
pare the price Of labor and lumber here with it
there, the difference is not so great.
The Syracuse and Central Square Plank Road,
l6 miles long, cost $l4s7 per mile, with lumber
at $3.50 per NJ
The Rome and Oswego road, 62 miles, cost
about $500 per mile, with lumber at from 81
to So per NJ.
The lumber in each Of these roads is hemlock,
which can be afforded cheaper, but is far in
farior to oak The cost of their exca AVIATION and
embankment was from ten to fifteen cents; on
ours, twelve, except the Sd section, where
to OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES large portion Of the earth
was carried over 100 feet in such cases, the
price is usually doubled; the price on this
section was Is cents per yard. All The work
was examined and measured by the engineer
We cannot believe that plank tuads can be
u. kxl ,ptr fNp vncc
than the above estimate, unless the savingshall
be IN the price of lumber, which Is more than
double that Of eastern prices There may have
been, and probably is, some superfluous ditch
ing on the road, but, being inexperienced in
work of this kind, we have thought 1t best TO
err on the safe side, and to make the road every
thing it should be, for strength and durability.
and for rpidity, safety and economy of car
rage; and we think these ends have been
obtained II completed on the plan proposed,
there will probably not be so well built road
in the West 1t will last for twelve or fifteen
years, with an expenditure of not more than
SO per mile annually for repairs.
1t will yield the first year, ct moderate
charge for toll, not less than 10 per Ct After
the first year, while the cost of repairs will not
be increased until the srst superstructure Is
worn out, the profits will be increased in the
ratio of the increase of travel.
Believing that the road Will ne OF great 10
lie utility, and an index TO the enterprise of our
citizens, we would urgently recommend that it
should be carried forward with prudence and
energy to an early completion.
The capital stock of the company is now
only eight ,housand dollars; it should be in
creased to fifteen thousand. Several stockhol-
ders have paid only the first instalmcnt Of FIVE
per cent, and some the second, but the gr. at
majority have paid the 4th.
The 9Th was called for the first Of this month !;
Of this but about $50 bave been paid in.
RECAPITULATIoN
Amount Of stock subscribed, two hundred and
twenty -one shares at S2o per share, $685.
Amount paid in, $2,92l ,25
Sc out for work, 3,900.59
due contractor on
Sd sec, 55l, 39
& I" for about 10000
lumber at Sl1 per m, $500
I" additional culycr's
and laying, about IS
- e II.