The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1888-09-13
THE coUNTY's AFFAIRS.
What was Done at Yesterdays Meet
ing of the Commissioners.

| Inc oepJem Der meeting Oh INC DotFu OI
county commissioners was held yesterday.
Messrs Walker, Estill and Read were pres
emit. The usual monthly reports were re-
| ceived for information and were ordered on
file.
Maj John Rutherford was sworn in and
| qualified as one of the assessors of Chat
ham county to fill the vacancy occasioned
by the resignation of M. J. Solomons.
Various petitions for county aid were re-
ferred to the appropriate committees.
County Attorney Saussy presented a
written opinion of the unsanltary condi-
| ton of the Ogeechee canal basin, which is
| now receiving the attention of the mayor
and the city authorities.
The application of Davis Freeman and
| w. w. Osborne, Esq, asking the county to
provide funds for bringing back John Rod
| riguez, alias Spanish John, from the Dade
coal mines for a new trial in December, was
| referred to the county attorney for a re-
port
communication was read from j. P .
White, inspector of weights and measures
calling attention to the inadequacy of the
present law to prevent fraud by improper
scales, weights and measures, which was
referred to the city attorney for mforma-
ton.
The bid of James Mulligan for boring
finch artesian well at the chain-gang camp,
on the Pritchard farm, for 1870 was ac-
cepted and the work was ordered 10 be done
at once
The application of Sister Mary Eulalia,
superioress of St Joseph's Infirmary, asking
that the annual appropriation for the sup
port of that institution be paid at once, was
granted.
Chain-gang N. 2, west section on the Vale
Royal plantation, was ordered under the di-
rection of the city engineer, to open up Bay
street to the western limits of the city.
The committee on county poor farm was
instructed to proceed at once to organize
and utilize the said farm.
Commissioners Estill and Dorsett were
appointed to arrange for the election in
October.
County Attorney Saussy was requested
to prepare bill to he presented to the next
legislature, empowering administrators, ex-
ecutors, guardians and trustees, to invest in
the new county court house bonds.
Commissioner Read was added to the
committee on roads and bridges, and the
committee was authorized to arrange with
Mr.. Blandford, civil engineer, for the COM
pletion of Typographical and hydrograph-
| ical map of Chatham county, SO as to sys-
tematize acomplete drainage of the county.
Bills to the amount of $7,460 CO were
passed for payment.
County Attorney Saussy presented
very elaborate opinion with reference to
the duty and obligation resting on the
| Savannah and Ogeechee Canal Company to
| keep up bridges and public roads inter-
sected by or crossing the canal, the sum-
ming up of which is as follows.
In the absence of evidence that the company
accepted the amended charter of 1919, and con
STRUNG the charter without that amendment, it
| seems that the canal company is bound to build
bridges on roads existing at the time of its con-
StructiOn of the canal.
| Whether by lapse of time the public have lost
| the right to compel the company to discharge
| this duty am not prepared to say, but that
would be defense for the company to allege
and prove.
The following resolutions by Commits
sioner Estill were adopted:
| Resolved, That the city Of Savannah be re-
| quested TO cede to the county for the purpose
of erecting thereon part of the new court house
| about to be erected, fifteen feet of President
| street adjoining the court house lot it being
| the intention of the county to recess said new
| building seven feet on the York street side of
said court house lot, thus widening the latter
street; said ceSsion subject to the legislature
passing law allowing said cession of land.
RESOLVED further That the county solicitor
be, and he is hereby requested to take all steps
| necessary to carry out the legal requirements
made necessary by the passage of the first
resolution.
The report of County Engineer E lward
j. Thomas, for the work done in his de-
partment for the month of August, was
quite lengthy. In it he says that the main
line of the Vale Royal canal is finished to
the Jasper spring property, and one branch
has been cut to and across the Augusta road
at the two-mile post-some 300 feet. He
reports that the bitches south of the city
are being cleaned, but he says this is only
temporary work and he reuews former
recommendation that the Deckum ditch be
opened into proper canal at the earliest
possible time. Until this is done, he says.
- drainage in that section will not be sat
factory. Haner's bridge has been re-
Jkired. The Hamstead canal is reported
finished. The canal connects at the sum-
init level with the Harmon canal, which
now encircles that district of the county
with continuous canal. The engineer says:
The Harmon canal, beginning at q creek
which makes up from the Vernon river behind
the Harmon neighborhood crossing the White
Bluff at the siX-nlile post, then taking a turn
northwardly, running parallel with and a
quarter of a mile past where the summit level
is reached at which point the Hamstead canal
begins, and running eastwardly again crosses
the White Bluff road at the four-mile post aud
the Waters road about the same distance from
the city, and empties into the Casey canal. the
waters of which flow direct into the Vernon
river. The Harmon canal is 1900 feet long, or
feet or nearly two miles long.
The engineer reports that the flying
brigade" is doing excellent work, from a
sanitary point Of view, just south of the
city, wnere many staguant pools and bitches
have been of long standing. He says rains
have lessened the number of working days.