The Lancaster ledger. [volume] (Lancaster, S.C.) 1852-1905, 1852-08-25
Communications.
Correspondence of the Ledger.
CAMDEN, August 10, 1852.

Ill Ioir paper OF lilSt week, III Sncerlng ut
our Plank Road project, you have made
statement which is well calculated to
prejudice the enterprise, which sooner or
later will be carried into execution. l feel
sure that the statement was made in good
faith, and believe you will correct it, as
Don as convenient, of is error We have
never expected to charge more than two
cents per mile for wagons travelling on ouI
proposed Plank Road; SO that the Jour.
ney from Lancaster to this place would
ost the WAGNER but so cents, instead Of
S4,oo, as you suppose. You say, 6" il
would cost for siG horse wagon about
$500 for the trip, i. e., 10 cents per mile
Except i'll the transportation of iron OF
lead, OR some equally heavy material, it
would not be possible to load a wagon
heavy enough to require six horses on a
plank road. Two horses are used almost
exclusively OH plank roa'ls, and they draw
heavily loaded wagons 80 miles per day,
for weeks and months at a time without
failing. But recently, a gentleman of
Montgomery, Ala, went on plank road
seventy miles, made a long public speech,
and returned by the same conveyance to
Montgomery ut night. If that is not fast
enough for Lancaster, she will have to
take the telegraph, rail road wont serve
her purpose.
Suppose you get your Rail Road built
to Chester, will it cost your farmers less
than dollar per bale to send their cot
ton to Columbia! BY the Plank Road,
1t they would have it, they could send
their cotton to Camden for 80 cts. per
bale; and when at Camden, they are as
near the city of Charleston as at Column
Dla. This estimate gives them the hire of
their team and driver, as well as the ex-
pense of toll. Then by taking a half day
longer, they may bring back load of
goods on freight, and clear enough to pay
all the expenses of the trip. The fact is,
that as an accommodation for Farmers. the
Flank Road cannot be surpassed by any
thing yet discovered.
Now how is it as an invcrtmont Of
money! In the first place, rail road
costs ten dollars for every one that plank
road costs. If, therefore, it docs not pav
"ei'' 1t Is but onc-teuth part OF the loss to
the community that a rail road would be
under the same circumstances. Then
with plank road, the first cost is all
how different is rail road. The truth
H' 10 one can estimate the expense Of
working a rail road, because a SINGLE col
lIslon may involve the loss of thousands
o' dollars. But compare them as invest
ments OF money. Did you ever hear of n
rail road paying 40 per cent. per annum
There are five plank roads extending from
flyo to forty miles, leading from the same
place, not one of them completed, which
last year declared, in their unfinished
state, from te" to. forty per cent dicideods
Now' will make an assertion, that no
business, investment, plantation, stock or
trade Will average as high a per centaoc
as the money invested in plank roads in
the United States.
have read some little on the subject
and have never heard of "a plank road poy.
ing less than ten per cent, after lavino
up a surplus to rebuild. No plank road
has ever yet rotted. Every one heretofore
constructed has been worn out bv travol
before it rotted. Wherever this is tho
case 1t must have yielded about lat leasA
2oo per cent. on its first cost, and this
within ten years, for it would rot in that
t'me' 80 you perceive, Mr. Bailey. that
III our estimation at least, the Plank Rood
IS not to be beat, either as an accommodo-
tlon to the public, or as an Investment os
money.
There is one thing l have. omitted to
say The land in the vicinity of Plank
i'o"d VIII be increased in value to such an
extent that it will equal the amount in
vested in tho road.
IL you choose, you may publish this ar
',cle IN your paper; but if you do not
th'nk it proper to do so, you can return It
oy mail at my expense, and oblige sub
scrlber, and citizen of
CAMDEN.
~ b.-l have but one word to add. If
you '''" build the Rail Road, be sure YOU
ger Incorporated into the Charlotte Rail
ho"d Company. Don't establish an in
dependent Company, if you value vour