The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-12-09
TEE CouNTYs ROADS.
County Engineer Thomas Inspectio
Visit TO Augusta, Macon and Atlanta.

County Engineer Thomas Inspection
Visit TO Augusta, Macon and Atlanta.
County Engineer Thomas, who has re-
Gently returned from a visit to Augusta,
Atlanta aud Macon, says that his visit was
mainly to learn what those places are doing
in the way Of road Improvements.
'The theory Of road building" Mr..
Thomas said, ''is well laid down In al man
uals Of road-making-the highest modern
authorities being Gillespie and Gilmore
but in the majority of cases, TO strictly fol-
low their theories, as, for instance, bringing
grades to foot, in 100 feet, ETC.. makes road
building so expensive that little can be
done. and the generation we live in will pass
away before we see good results widely
extended. Instead of making few miles
of road perfect, think it better to put all
the main roads leading into the city, as, for
instance, the Augusta, the Louisville, the
Ogeechee, and the Skidaway roads, in good
passable order, and when this is done then
begin from the city and make perfect these
roads. In the sections l visited they
have no drainage work to do; hence
all the convicts are used in the improve
ment of the highways Richmond county
works, on an average. fifty convicts day.
The road equipment comprises 10 mules, 10
carts, @ scrapers, 2 two-horse wagons, four
mule wagon, 2 two-horse dump carts, l
stone crusher, and is operated at a cost Of
about S15 900 a year. With this equipment
the county keeps up all its roads-about 200
miles. The method is to drain the roadbed,
and If too much clay is encountered, sand
is mixed with it, and excellent results have
followed"
Mr.. Thomas went over the roads with
Judge Eve, and he says that the grades
were at least one foot in forty feet where it
was originally sand hills, but now by q COW
ering of clay they are made hard, and suit
able for driveway.
The convicts are kept in tents pitched
near where they work on the poor farm,
the operation of which costs about $4,000
year, and Judge Eve informed Mr.. Thomas
that as much more is given in outdoor
charity.
Mr.. Thomas says that the Macon roads
were the best he saw, and he says that clay
and sand Astounding in equal quantities, and
with plenty OF gravel and rock, the roads
are put in excellent condition. The 220
miles Of road in Bibb county are kept in ex-
cellent condition.
Biob county, Mr.. Thomas SAYS. is well
equipped for road work. 1t has, on an
average, GO convicts, 2 road machines,
two-horse wagons, l one-horse wagon, Is
mules; all at cost of S1l 900 year. Bibb
county has poorhouse that costs $1,000 q
year, and outside charity amounting to 3d.
600.
The convicts are not kept in barracks,
but are housed at night in caravans built
on wheels aud ready at any tire to be
moved to any part OF the county. Men,
women and boys are kept in these movable
houses and made to work on the roads, the
women doing the washing, cooking, etc.
Fulton county, Mr.. Thomas says, spends
more than both Bibb and Richmond coun-
ties, and with poorer results. Fulton
s1Nk oil l. IL.
death to road building, and sand is as
scarce there as rock is in Chatham county"
Mr.. Thomas says the road superintendent
offered to give him a carload of rock for q
carload Of sand. Without sand the roads
are hard to construct
With all the money and energy expended,
the roads, at times, within four miles of
Atlanta are utterly impossible. Grading is
never undertaken unless the portions filled
can be Immediately stoned, and conse-
quently but little is done; what is done,
however, is well done.
Fulton county works on an average $50
convicts. fifty-six mules, and they have all
necessary equipments. Belgian blocks are
used in their roads, which cost so cents a
square yard, and the roads sixteen feet
wide cost IS, 900 mile. a system too ex-
pensive for general use.
After review of the roads around the
three principal cities of the state, Mr..
Thomas says that he is convinced that
Chatham county can have good roads il
the proper effort is made. While admit
ting the necessity of drainage, Mr.. Thomas
says that the changing averages 100 able
bodied men, and OF this force he thinks
thirty picked men, with fifteen carts, should
be put to work on the public roads at once,
and kept at work, to keep the roads near
the city in passable condition. He says that
clay crops out at different points, and with
clay and sand there is no good reason why
the roads should not be put in good order
and kept SO.