The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1856-12-20
To the Citizens and Tax-Pay.
erS Of Cecil COIlftY.

4 county, conforming to the course pur-
| sued by our immediate predecessors, beg
| leave to submit this our first Annual Report,
as explanatory of, and in addition to, the
Statement recently published in the connry
| papers.
| BY that statement it will be seen that the
| total amount ot County Tax levied for the
present year is S4S, 625 10, and that the rate
OF County Taxation is G5 cents in the 500.
1t will be unnecessary to lcngtEen this
| Report by reference to those items of the
Levy, the allowances for which are fixed by
law. A reference To the Statement publish
ed will show, however, that these items form
no inconsderablc part Of the Levy the pro-
sent year. 1t is to the more prominent of
those items over which NC have had either
partial or entire control, That We ask your
| attention.
| The allowances of the present year for
| Roads and Bridges are the hcaviest items of
the Levy, forming together an aggregate OF
| S23 l4l.9l, exclusive Of the cost Of new
roads, and the amount levied to pay balances
| due former Supervisors. or this aggregate
there is directly traccabo to the heavy rains
and treshets Of last Fall and Winter the fol-
| lowing items Of the Levy, viz:
| The allowance to pay deficit Of Road ap-)
preparations of 1853 ian excess Of Road }sS0o.0D
supervisors sccts. over tho Levy.)
| That part of the allowance for work
| Roads, Bridges Foot Logs, &c tracea- 10000
bic rs above. about
| The allowance for repairs OF Road pass
| ing CrawforIs Factory, in the 9TH : 10000
| District,
The Levy for Bridge at North East to ,,oo m
| replace carried way by freshct I -''' w
| The Levy for repairs Of Br ise at Mat ON m
! thews' Mill, damaged by freshet, ''0''
The Levy for repairs Of Bridge at Basin .. M
Run, A'o'
The Levy for repsirs Of Bridge near Ora 7soo
velly Hill. WV
The excess of this years Levy for repairs
Of q Roads and pay Of Supervisors over 1880
Making total Of s6,2s2.50
The Reports of the Road Supervisors in
the different districts of the county, as we'll
as the representations Of various citizens of
all parts of the county, as to the unusually
bad condition of the public roads during the
past Winter and Spring, induced us to make
4 larger provision than usual for their re-
| pairs. As fal as we can learn, the amount
levied has been judicously expended, the
roads generally being in excellent repair.
An unusual number of petitions for new
Roads were presented after our induction
into office, aud previous to the Levy, on
which Examiners were appointed, AS reluir-
ed by Law. In some cases in which Reports
were made, the damages awarded to land
| holders were heavy, in other cases they were
| loss so, but, in very nearly all, damages to
some extent were awarded by the Examiners.
or the entire amount levied for this item,
S4l6 was provided for by our predecessors,
and $20lf 80 by ourselves. The Levy for
the opening Of new Roads, with the expense
Of locating them, &c, added to the damages
as above, will make the entire cost Of new
Roads in the county, the preaent year,
$3463l5. From the best information we
could obtain, we believe the interests of the
county will he subservcd by the location and
opening OF the Roads thus provided for.
Two petitions, very nnlnerously signed,
we're presented to lis, asking the appoint
ment OF Examiners, to view and determine
the propriety Of altering, Strengthening and
amending two very important roads in the
county, viz: the Road leading from Port
Deposit to Battle Swamp, aud the Elkton
and Turkey Point Road. The Road first
named had been for long time subject OF
grievance. The steep hills and extreme
narrowncss and crookedness thereof. where
it approaches Port Deposit, rendered the
meeting Of teams and carriages very dam
gerous. Upon the rendition Of their Report
by the Examiners, and upon their recon-
mcndation, we levied the sum of $1,000, tor
the alterations aud amendments recommend
ed by them. The Road from Ekton to
Turkey Point had been laid out at time
|
not in such general demand as they now are
and had become, by neglect, very little more
than drain for the lands on either side OF
it. That part of the county into, and through
which this road passes, is now rapidly i'm
proving, and the increased travel over it de-
mands good road. A material alteration r
the route of this road was recommended by
the Examiners, but was not approved Of by
us, owing to the heavy expense that would
have attended it. On the Recommendation
of the Examiners, we divided the Road into
throe sections, placing Supervisor on each
and levied $1,000 for the repairs ofthe Who'll,
Road, which we divided among the several
sections, as they seemed TO demand. The
amendments are nearly, if not quite COM
peted, and the Road is now In excellent
, condition.
The Levy for widening and amending the
Rock Run Road Of SlC0 is a somewhat SINH
lar case to the above. This road, at the
point where the alteration and repairs were
needed, was obstruc,cd by rocks, rendering
it narrow and crooked, and II serious incon
vencncc to those using it as the northern
outlet from Port Deposit to the northwestern
portion of the county. We have appointed
a competent person to snpcrintcnd the re-
pairs of this Road, and presume tho work Is
nearly completed.
The next, and last, item of allowance fol
roads, to which we shall call your attention.
is the Levy of $500 for the raising of the
Causcway near Elkton. This Causeway is
frequently overfowed by high tides, an6
travel over it at such times is thereby rem.
dcred very dangerous. 1t is proposed to
raise it two feet higher its whole length, and
but for the difficulty of procuring the neces-
sary material, the work would have ere this
been completed. Arrangements have now
been made, however, that will secure it,
, completion early in the coming SprIug.
The next prominent item Of tho Levy thai
will claim our attention is that Of Bridges.
The Bridge at North East has been alluded
, before. The former Bridge, rapidly becom
ing decayed and dangerous, was washed
away bya freshet. The new one has been
completed by the contractor-Mr. Ferdinand
Wood-in most creditabe and workman
like manner, and is pronounced by Judges
the best Bridge in the county. 1t is elevated
above danger from treshets, and the span is
heightened to 40 feet, which places the
abutments out Of danger from the floating o
timber down the creek during freshcts.-
: Additional grading was made necessary BY
, the Frightening Of tho span IN above, and by
the elevation Of the Bridge one foot highel
than the contract called for, hut the greater
security and pcrnancncy Of the structure
abundantly makes up for the increased ex-
pensc occaSoned thereby. The Levy Of
| Soh0O will with n frif1inp addition from the