The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-06-10
GOOD ROADS FOR CHATHAM
Maj. BidndlOrd'S Idea With Regard
10 Their Construction.

Says Long Term Bonds is the Only
Practical System-Undsr the Pres
emit Plan There are Three and a Half
Square Miles For Each Convict TO
Work-Good Dirt Roads With Sub
stantiaI Coverings Can Be Made
Here CheapIy.
The good road question is just now oc-
cupying the attention of many citizens of
the CO unty, whether they are directly
and pecuniarily affected by the condi-
tion of the roads or not
The matter has been brought up by the
grand iuries for several successive terms
of court, and recently, though they have
been deeply interested in the matter Cor
some time, by the truck growers, who have
begun a discussion in their meetings of
the questions involved.
Maj. X. A. Blandford, the county engi-
noer, is, perhaps, as deeply interested in
the work. If not more so, thaniany other
man in the county. He has brought the
matter of road improvements before sew
eral grand juries and discussed it with
the members. There are few thinking
men who will not agree that Chatham
county is in need of a better road system.
Speaking in regard to the matter of
good roads Maj. Blan6ford gives the fol-
lowing interesting facts and statistics:
STATISTICS FOR ROADS.
Chatham county embraces an area of
about 49, square miles, something over
10000 acres. OF this area POI 800 are
cultivab!e lands or can be made so by
proper drainage About 10000 acres Of
these lands require drainage to great or
less extent and this portion is the most
fertile and valuable for truck farming
indeed l believe the swamp lands of this
county properly drain cannot be ex-
celled for farming lands anywhere in the
south.
There is, however, another necessity
equally as important as drainage for
the development of these lands, and that
is good roads. Good drainage will bring
these valuable lands into cultivation, and
good roads will speedily populate them
with intelligent farmers The two
last grand juries of the SUI
perior court in their presentments elo-
quently voiced, think, the sentiment of
the people as to the needs of good drain
age and good roads.
In this county, outside of the toll
roads. there are none worry of the name
The length of the toll roads beyond the
corporate limits is only about thirteen
miles. Think of it, only thirteen miles of
passable road in 4S5 square miles of terri
tory. l believe everybody now comedies
that our road law is defective, useless,
and in this age, inoperative-a relic of
feudalism,' brought over by our ancestors
in colonial days. Under such a system
there can be no good roads
TO PROVIDE GOOD ROADS.
ford, that the only thing to be done to
secure good roads and good drainage is to
provide a system of long term bonds. To
show how little can be accomplished I'M
der the present system q few comparative
statistics will suffice. The county chain
gang averages about 100 men and boys,
who can work on the drainage and on the
roads. Take the number of acres which
it is possible to make cultiyable, divide
il among them and you give about 200O
acres or 80 square miles of territory
to each man on which to build the roads
and construct the drainage channels.
This will show at once that it is impossi-
BILE, with the present force, to accomplish
anything like the amount of work there is
to be done.
Good dirt roads can be built in this
county as cheaply as anywhere else. The
county has many advantages in that
terial can be obtained at much less ex-
pense than the cost of shells. A good
quantity of ebert could, think, be OBJ
tanned with almost no expense beyond
the freight charges.
WHAT TIE FARMERS NEED.
SIT should be borne in mind that dis
| lance means very little to the farmer if
he has good road over which to haul his
| produce, and good roads in Chatham
| county would put almost every farming
| locality on par.
Il am in hopes that will be able to at
| tend the National Editorial Convention
| which meets at Asbury Park July 5,
which will have before it in connection
| with the New Jersey State Road I'm
| provement Association, this subject
which is of great importance to every
section at this time. The most improved
methods for making good roads are to be
| discussed and illustrated and there will
be much OF practical advantage to see.
II have discussed tho matter from one
end to the other, and the only system
that will accomplish what is needed SO
far as l can see is the issue of long term
I H.