The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-01-24
CAN'TBE WHISTLEDDOWN
COMMISSIONER BoURQUIN AND
THE AUGUSTA ROAD.

The Commissioner Bound the Citi-
zens Shall Work the Road IL the City
Won't-Al Citizens Of the First Mill
tia District to be Ordered Out With
Spades and Hoes on Jan. 3o-Fine
and Imprisonment for Failure.
Road Commissioner Bourquin appears to
be in deep earnest about having that por-
ton Of the Augusta road inside the corpo-
rate limits of the city worked for two days
by all the male inhabitants of the first mill
tia district, between 16 and 90 years old
Commissioner Bourquin said yesterday
that he disliked to order out the people to
work the road, but the city council has paid
no attention TO frequent reminders that the
road has been neglected, and is in such bad
repair that the measures provided in the
code for such emergencies had to be in
voked, and he says that If Justices Endres
and McDermott do not obey his order he
will indict them in the superior court.
Commissioner Bourquin says that it is no
laughing matter, nor can it be whistled
down the wind, and he cites section $50 of
the code. showing the duties of Justices
Eudres and McDermott in the matter. The
section is as follows:
THE LAW IN THE CASE.
When the main streets of an Incorporated
town or city continue in q state Of neglect for
three months, the Justices of the peace therein
are, by virtue OF their Office, road commits
sloners, and shall appoint oyerseers, apportion
the hands that would be liable to road duty
throughout the the town, have the streets
worked on, as though they were public roads;
ana must, in every other respect, perform the
duties Of road commissioners; and for neglect
OF any other duty, or violation Of any of the
road laws, are liable to fine as such commits
sioners
Mr. Bourquin says that the justices, En-
dres and McDermott, have been notified to
appoint three summoners to serve notices,
and he has instructed the justices where
they may obtain the blanks. Every male
between the ages of 16 and 60 must appear
at the canal bridge, on the Louisville road,
on the morning of Jan. 30, and every one,
except twenty, must bring a spade. That
twenty must bring hoes, and work the road
Tor two days. Two overseers are to be APP
pointed.
MUST TURN OUT OR TELL WHY.
Those who do not report for work must
appear at the canal bridge Feb 8 aud show
good cause why they did not comply with
the notice to appear. In the absence of a
satisfactory excuse each delinquent will be
fined 80 per day, and if unable to pay the
fine he will be imprisoned in the county
Jail two days for every dollar of fine, and
this course is to be taken if no property of
the defaulter can be found upon which to
levy an execution.
Justice Endres was asked yesterday what
course he expects to pursue, and ne said
the time Is too short TO summon the 1900
persons in the first district who are alleged
to be subject to a call for road duty.
de has doubt as to his jurisdic-
ton in the matter, and to solve this doubt
he presented a copy Of Road Commissioner
Bourquin's order to the city council, and
asked it to advise him fully as to the course
which he must pursue.
WAITING FOR THE CITY COUNCIL.
The council having referred the matter
TO the street and lane committee, and the
city attorney, it has left him no other alter
native than to await their determination in
the matter, or to Issue the notices. and he
added, lit is now too late to give the five
days notice required under the section OF
the code referred to u.s."
Justice Endres said, laughingly, that the
applications for overseers are already pour
ing in on him. Everybody wants to be an
overseer. Some Of the applicants say that
they have no spades, and none Of them are
willing to admit that they are the possessors
ofla hoe. Some say they are Just getting
over an.attack of 'lasgrippe," others that
they have just taken it, and others that
they can feel the symptoms of its insidious
approach aud think that by Jan. 80 they
will have it bad.
COMMISSIONER BoUaQUIN IN EARNEST.
Mr. Bourquin says that there is ample
time for the notices to be served He thinks
it can be done by the sulnmoners in half a
day, and certainly day at the furthest.
Ii the justices default in their duty waiting
on the city council for advice, he will urge
their Indictment. If the city council will
order the work done by the street force, as
he thinks it should long ago have done, and
as the citizens are taxed for snch work. then
the necessity Of the citizens turning out to
work the road will be obviated, but he SAYS
that he has stood the delays as long as he
proposes to do, and as he is him
self subject to fine of $500
If he does not see that
it is done, he does not propose to excuse the
justices from their duty under the law.
They are now road commissioners, and are
as much subject to the road laws applicable
to the county of Chatham as the county