The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-02-22
GENERAL PREsENrMENTs

4
submit the following general presentments:
Through our several committees selected
for the examination and investigation of
the various departments under the super
vision of the grand jury, we would report
that we have made an examination of the
books and records of the county officers, to
wit: Sheriff's office, clerk of the superior
court and ordinary, and find the same con-
veniently, correctly and neatly kept.
PUBLIC ROADS.
In the matter of the public roads we
would report the Skidaway, Bonaventure,
Thunderoolt, Isle Of Hope and Vernon roads
In good order and condition. The Mont
gomery road, from Underground to
Vernon roads, in bad order, from Vernon
to Waters roads in fairly good condition,
from Waters road to seven-mile post in bad
condition, and very much in need of drain
age. The Waters road is in bad condition,
but is now being worked by chain-gang.
underground road is in fair order, but
needs some work on it near Goodwin'S
| farm and near Roches
Causten Bluff road is only used to Dept
ford plantation and is in fair order,
Augusta road-the Dundee bridge is in
need of a new banister on one side, and a
small bridge about a mile beyond Dundee
is apparently weak, and should be examined
and strengthened if found necessary. Tne
| banister rail on one side of Pipe-maker
creek is missing and should be repaired At
seven mile post the road is bad and needs to
bedrained Of the swamp water standing in it.
Louisville road requires attention and re-
pairing at the following points: At about
| one and half miles from the city, at five
and five and three-quarter miles, and at six
and eight miles, and also just below Pooler
| there are bad places. At the eight mile
post it appears that, as temporary expedi-
emit, small poles of two to three inches in
diameter, together with tree tops, have
been thrown into the road, and being only
| lightly covered with sand, make the road
exceedingly rough and disagreeable.
The Telfair road is in very bad condition,
and, we think, must be almost, if not quite,
| impossible in wet weather.
| The Ogeechee road is in fair condition,
with the following exceptions: There is a
bad place just beyond Battery park and at
the six-mile post, apparently caused by the
water standing in it. We desire to call at
| tention to the Mahoney bridge and small
bridge mile beyond it, which, we think,
should be carefully examined and repaired
if found necessary.
Aside from the exceptions above noted,
the foregoing roads are in fair condition.
| We do not know what system of inspection
is employed in the maintenance of these
| roads, but the Importance of keeping them
| III a ROOu CODulIlOu constant
| watchfulness on tie part of the road com
mis- toners and frequent inspections made
| of their condition. We learn from the
chairman Of the board of road commits
sioners that early in December the
| Louisville road became impossible ow-
| ing to continuous wet weather; that
it was with great difficulty the country
| people could get to the city with their prod
uce. Application was made to the county
| 30 mic for Nf t,,f..
gang and it was put on the road January
| g. 1889, and the road has been put in order
| to Dundee Swamp, about three miles from
| the city. The chairman of roads states he
desires to use the chain-gang on the entire
road, in order to put it in a thoroughly
| good condition. 1t is the most important
road leadi into the city and should be
| put and kept in repair
The Pine Barren road also requires the
work Of the gang upon it. There is gen.
eral need on all the roads of proper drain
| age.
| We would recommend that the Bourauin
| road be Strengthened and opened to the
| public. There are about thirty families
that are dependent on this road to get to
the city. 1t was originally used as the road
| OF the farm lots between the Ogeechee and
| Louisville roads, but Of late years it has
been closed up in some places, and is now
| used on one place only, by consent of the
owner, and should he close his gate at any
| time, some of the people living beyond
would be compelled to go three miles
| further to get to the city. We recommend
that part of the chain-gang be kept under
| the direction of the road commits toner's.
that they may drain the roads thai require
| it, and then the usual road hands can keep
| them in order.
We also indorse the action Of the county
commissioners in the matter of the extern
sion westward Of Bay street to the Augusta
road, and recommend its speedy compile
| ton.
We think that some action should be
/ taken by the proper authorities to open way
of free access to the extreme southern limit
of the city, and not compel the pc pile liv-
| ing in that section to pay toll for their
| vehicles from and into the city proper, or
to go long distance out of their way to
reach their home. This could be done by
removing the toll gate to the extreme south
ern limits of the city.
PUBLIC BUILDINGS.
The jail has been carefully examined, and
we desire to call attention to the following
| defects, to-wit: The ventilators around the
base of the building are frequently flooded
| by heavy rains, and We would recommend
| that this be remedied by constructing a
| brick pavement four feet wide around the
building, with slope sufficient to carry off
| the water from around the foundation, and
| to connect with the improvement recently
ordered by the county commissioners to
carry off the rain water.
We desire to call attention to the fact
that the accumulation Of ashes and cinders
| from the furnace is fast becoming a nui-
sance, and some arrangement, we think,
might be made with the city authorities to
| hanl them away to points in the city which
need filling uD and grading.
We also call attention to two Of the door
ways in the top floor of the building known
as the hospital floor. These require some
attention, and we would suggest that arches
he constructed above them, as the weight
of the superstructure seems to have caused
settling which, If net remedied at once.
may cause much trouble aud expense here
after.
We also recommend that a brick recep-
tacle with iron grating on top and with
doors opening on the lane, convenient for
the city scavenger, be constructed in the
yard for the reception Of garbage, instead
Of the unsightly lot Of barrels now used for
that purpose.
We find that sixty-three prisoners are at
present confined in the Jail, and not a single
case Of sickness exists among them, which
speaks well for the officers in charge
In regard to the court house we desire to
say that the county commissioners are
pressing matters forward rs rapidly a. pos
sbIe 10 the erection OF the new building,
which from the plans submitted to us we
judge will be, when completed, a building