Arkansas State Gazette And Democrat

TO THE HEAD, OF SCALPING
Mr. Editor—Craving a small space in your columns, I proceed, without further preface or "palaver," to scribble a few lines more concerning that Plank Road Scheme.
There are but two points of difference between "Railroad" and "Schemer." One of these is the estimated cost, the other in the route. In regard to the former, since Railroad concedes that the road would pay well, even at $4,000 per mile, I am willing to accept his calculation, and in reference to the latter I give the following as some of the reasons which induced me to suggest that particular locality.
The object, as stated at first, being to get up a working model of a Plank Road, which, while it would serve as a pattern of such structures, should also pay its own way, my attention was drawn, at once, to the great southern thoroughfare as the precise locality for such an enterprise, on account of the large amount of travel usually passing to and fro upon it, and the extending number of emigrant teams, which annually pass in that direction, on their way to Southern Arkansas and Texas. I did not propose to plank the old beaten road laid out by our good Uncle Sam, because, unless our road is to be free, there must, necessarily, be a common road for such of the travel as may not choose to pay toll. This is already supplied by the old road. This road might be widened a little, and a plank road built parallel with it, or on one side of it, as far as we choose; but, besides the objection that many would slip up and travel upon it, whenever they were out of sight of the toll gatherers. I am credibly informed that it is not so good a route as may be found on or near the new line indicated. I have heard it remarked that the engineer who located the old road seemed to have forcibly impressed upon him the injunction of holy writ, and in his labors "turned neither to the right nor to the left," forgetting in his zeal for "bee lines," when coming to a hill, that the distance round, generally, is no greater than over, while the grading might be much less.
I am informed by those who are conversant with the route suggested, that it is comparatively a level country, and that with the exercise of a little attention in selecting the line, it would require but a small amount of grading, and the distance could be considerably shortened; besides, we should then have two entirely separate roads, and the traveller could be free to choose at either terminus which to take. As a concluding remark on this branch of the subject I will say, that, although I think the route named is the most feasible, and promises the best returns, yet I am by no means wedded to it against all others. Give us a plank road on any locality, leading anywhere, except to the d—l, and I am in for it.
Please reprint from the Whig the following remark of Railroad. It is pregnant with considerations worthy the attention of our citizens, and leads the way to conclusions most favorable to the enterprise:
"One thing I do know, that there is not two miles of good road from this city in any direction, and that the roads cost this city more each year, in fire wood, than would pay the interest at 10 per cent. on $4,000 per mile and leave all free of toll. The worst feature of this expenditure is, that no one is benefited by it. Those who furnish wood, run teams and wagons at a rapid rate, and scarce haul enough to keep one fire for a day. Still they are not interested, when, by a little calculation, it can be shown that they pay twice as much for fire wood as they would, and no one is bettered by it."
To bring this proposition to the comprehension of every-one, let us suppose that we all paid for our fire-wood the usual rate, $1 per load, and that our city, contains 400 house holds using, annually, 30 loads. The total cost of fire-wood would be $12,000 per annum. Now, over the plank road, the same teams could haul twice the load in half the time, and, consequently, the actual cost of the fire-wood would be reduced about three fourths; and instead of 12,000, the outlay would be about $3,000. In the item of fire-wood alone, supposing the calculation as to the amount consumed to be correct, the annual saving would be about $9,000. I do not put this as corresponding exactly with the facts as they exist, in regard to our fuel: but it renders very apparent what difference, under such circumstances, would be made by the road.
How lamentably true is the remark of Railroad!, that "it is too early in the day in Arkansas for great things to make great times in anything but politics!" Alas! were the labor, the time, and the money now vested in politics and politicians, bestowed on some project, really beneficial to the people, how much might be accomplished! Were as much anxiety felt for the welfare of the State as is manifested for the security of "the Party;" were that spirit of pertinacious advocacy of, and adherence to all measures for the public weal exhibited by us all in that measure of earnestness with which the Democrat asseverates his readiness to endorse the Devil, so he be the "nominee," and the Whig his determination to vote for the ghost of "old Harry," we might predict that times were really changing for the better. So long, however, as the people will submit to be befooled by politicians into neglect of their own concerns, so long will they continue to be "diddled" out of their substance, and the all-important subjects of education, Internal Improvement, with all the other concomitants of progress, will be left undisturbed and unnoticed save by an occasional "splurge" by some buncomber, or a fancy sketch by some scribbler, who will have his "labor for his pains," like "Railroad" and
SCHEMER.