Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1854-02-08
from his fields, his forests his mill, his neighbours

they take his wheel, out of tke mud, and his horses
too and at all times, and in aaf kinds Of weather
enable him to perform his social and business inter-
course with his ncighbors, his domestic carrying,
and his various hoIue duties with much more easc
in less time, and with one-half the labor. When
his gebe is too wet for the trenching plow, he can
employ his domestes and his team, in q thousand
ways about his farm, assisting his ne;ghbors, car
ryng off his produce, &c; he is never obliged to
stable bis team, idle his time in consequence Of
bad roads, for he ha, good road, as well in wet as
dry weather Nor does he wear and break his
wagon upon Plank Roads. 1t is estimated that
wheel, and tire will wear four times as long upon
Plank Reads, as they will upon The common or
Macadanised Road. And it is also n well cstab-
lished fact that, with reasonable and humane travel
ing, horses will last much longer on Plank Roads
than oil any other lit is fast driving and msnan-
ngenent, and not thu weight or load, that makes the
horse full before his time. The following remarks
Of. Mr.. Krsesw.sD, Civil Engineer on the Hudson
River Rail Road in 1850 are admirably Illustrative
of this part ofmy su'ect-tbey are an extract from
"'o 'a'"AoiS P""P"hct VI Imc to'"y, S'toN'u'S
and Statistics of Plank Roaa..n lie says, sit has
been asserted that hcrses travelling mostly occa-
sionally Plank Ronds are ruined before their time
But it will be found that this opinion rests altogether
spon what is observed to occur, either where the
plank surf,cc is badly constructed, or wllIre the
power of the animal is mismanaccd. II, for instance
the stringers laid without care, the pcrcua,ion
of the water increases, the defect, and any weight
passing over the Read is succeeded by rebound
varying with the velocity Of the passage: and it is
this rebound or elasticity which operates principally
on the horse. It's only necessary for man to run
some little distance acauscway having this defect
and he will el at once the difference between well
and i'll constructed Ro.d. Mismanagcmcnt is prin-
cipc and frequent cause Of the deterioration of the
horses vitality and endurance. Owing 10 the tri
fling resistance encountered on Plank Road, and
the Consequent case with which great weight is
drawn, drivers, without noticing ,Ie rate at which
they travel press their horses beyond their strength
The axiom has long been received, that it is speed
not weight, which destroys the here. It is the pace
that kills. The argument against Plank Roals de-
rived from this observation, and making its inference
from the very excellence Of the Road, is palpaby
vicious. In reality, there is nothing to warrant the
inference, that the hor.e is sufferer well-made
Plank Road. On the contrary, it may be said with.
out contradiction, that the horse, when not rres cd
beyond his strength can work, longer and be always
in better condition, on Plank Road, than on any
Road Whatsoever.
III have spoken the truth thus far, and challenge
contradiction 1t will he seen that for I'LL local and
domestic purposes the Plank Road has a decided
advantage over the Raj Road ,'abd oil other Roads.
shall now proceed to the consideration Of the
comparative advantages Of Plank Roads, to the plan
ter in the transportation of hio produce to market:
And here must be allowed TO institute IN assump-
tive argument in order to arrive at reliable data
will, ,hrn suppose that the planter resides at the
distance Of fifty miles, both Rail Road and Plank
Road, from his market; and T@alfurther suppose,
that he produces srty bales Gf cotton, weighing
three hundred and fifty pounds per ba!e., lie must
;c;th,r ship by Rail R"ad, '6Kdu his own carrying
on the Flank Roaf he calculates the cost and ex-
penscs by the one, and COMPARES With the other,
and the result Of his toparisJris follows by
Rail Road, his freight at so ctHs per bac,-hc or
dinary rates-is $50; his drIySgc at 81 cents rer
bale, is 50 IS; his storage, cents per bale is
81 so {; his insurance, a! PERCENT the usual rates
supposins his cotton worth le'cents per b, is S2l !;
his commissions for selling, 80 cents per bale, is
s3o.. tie wants 1000 lbs:Sf Sugar, Coffee, Salt
Iron, &C., in return, the drayugc md freigh, on
which is ST 5O-shc whsle amounting in the aggre
gate to the handsome iste sum Of S93 IS.
must premise the Plank Road side Of the qurs-
tnn, with the observation that the planter runs his
own team and driver; and that in the winter or
market going season, though obliged to keep them.
he has but little use for tcin on his farm, and on
the road they consume n" more food than at home.
This being the case, it is unfair 10 argue that his
team and driver cost him the same, on the road.
that he would be required tn pay, were he to en-.
pley his neighbours team ard driver, for the simple
reason before stated, that 1t cost him more to
| feed on the road than it docs at home; and the
time and labor only can be admitted in the argu-
m ent, and counted al cast paid out.
Well, then, on tho Plank Road, with six horses,
he can, with the greatest case, draw tDenty bales
Of cotton, or 1000 lbs. TITS may at first be regard
cd as too largo figure, but it is not on the North
ern roads, where the grades are much heavier than
they are here 40 cwt. is considered an ordinary
draught for two horses "wheher the team can
draw the load is not consjdera,ion-for those who
l.. ,l,, IL,
is that the wagon cannot bear the load not that the
horse canno, draw it.n-Kngswand's ramphlet,p g..
This would enable tho planter to carry off his SIX
y bales a, three trpa each trip requiring four days
! in iiy performance and this is time enough, for
thirty miles is tho minimum distance per day, made
by trains drawing heavy draushts.
The driver is worth per day so ccnts, (but few
slaves are worth more,) the team and wagon So 50
add to this, the toll down and up SIS, and The plan
tcr's expenses in town ono night, say 50 so, and
the total for each trips $40 so, and an aggregate
for the three trips Of SIS 50, or s35 IS lrss !!,al
the cost by Rail Road. But here let it be.ycmcm-
bcrcd, that the planter pays out no actual cash for
his team and driver; they being his own, he re-
tains within his pocket the $3G, accounted for their
tme and labor; and hence the difference in cash
actually paid out is ST 25-i. G. ST. 25 less by
Plank Road than by Rail Road. TO rccapi,uIatc :
BY RAIL ROAD, BY PLANK ROAD,
Freight on GO bales cot Driver for
ton, SO miles, at 50 CTS per days, at 80 cts.
bale, e,is............. $50 00!per Days 90
Drayage ON GO bales Team, ford
cotton. At Ct cents per DAYS, at 81 so