The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1895-03-21
R. J. WADE BACK IN OFFICE.
UNANIMOUSLY ELECTED sUPERIN-
TESDENT OF COUNTY ROADS.

TESDENT OF COUNTY ROADS.
The Committee ON Roads and
bridges 10 Begin the Work of Road
improvements at Once-They VIII
start "A Hired Gang Until They Can
Arrange n List of Those Liable to
Road Duty-One of the Frozen Con-
victs Puts in an Application for
County Aid.
Mr.. Robert J. Wade was elected su-
perintendent Of roads, by the county COM
rnissioners yesterday. under the new road
law now operative in Chatham county,
which puts the working. as wen as the
establishing Of roads in the hands Of the
county commissioners. On motion Of
Commissioner Carson the salary Of the
superintendent Of roads was fixed at 500
a month.
There were in all fourteen applicants
They were besides Mr.. Wade, J. p
o'Brien. J. W. McAIpin. ]. F. Sweat. L.
Q. c. McCrary. Frank Lamar. ]. H. Sto-
rey. C. A. Cook, c. b. Patterson, F. NJ
Johnston. n. L. Grayson. Thomas Multi
gan. S. Hesser and D. G. Heidi.
The commissioners took the applications
before holding their regular meeting and
retired to the county attorneys room,
where a caucus lasting about ten minutes
was held. After fixing the salary at 500
a month, Commissioner Carson moved
that the board proceed to appoint the SUI
perlntendent by ballot which suggestion
was adopted, and five votes were cast for
Mr. Wade. The commissioners in consid-
ering the applications had evidently made
up their minds. as was evidenced by the
unanimity of the vote.
Mr.. Wade, it is expected, will enter
upon the duties of his new Office at once.
He is regarded as the best man that
could have been chosen for the place.
His familiarity with the county's roads
and with the various methods of road
improvement; his experience gained in
the office of city marshal and
his business ability Mt him
for the position. 1t is expected
that under his direction the county roads
will be kept in the best possible condi-
ton, after having been improved, and
that improvements viii be made as rap
idly as it is possible to make them. The
office is an important one, and will re-
quire all of the time and attention that
can be given to 1t.
An order was passed authorizing the
committee on roads and bridges to supply
themselves at once with all the imple-
ments necessary to begin work on the
roads. The commissioners have put the
road working under this new law alto
gether in the hands of the committee on
roads and bridges, and this committee is
going to begin the work of road improve
ment at once. 1t will hire about twenty
five hands as provided for in the law pay
ing expenses out of the money appropri-
ated in the budget to the roads and
bridges fund.
The committee will then take hold of
the work of preparing a list of those, who
are under the law liable to road duty and
they will be called out, and apportioned
among the districts as they are needed.
The road work will begin in earnest in
the next few days, and the road gang
viii be in charge Of foremen who will re-
port to Superintendent Wade.
William Houston, one of the convicts
who was injured during the cold snap,
filed petition, through his attorney Mr..
T. S. Morgan, Jr., for county aid.
Mr.. Morgan said that Houston was sent
out for thirty days from the recorders
court for disorderly conduct some time
in December, and that he was sent into
the canal with other convicts during the
cold snap in the latter part of that month.
He said Houston had lost the use Of
both his hands, that some of his toes
were gone, and both were in a bad con-
dition as a result of having been FROST
bitten. Houston claimed he had been de-
prived of his ability to earn a livelihood,
and he asked that the commissioners make
some provision for his subsistence.
Houston, who was just outside, was
brought in for an inspection by the COM
missioners. One of his feet was tied up in
bagging and his hands seemed to have
been somewhat injured. He was asked
why he left the hospital, and said the
doctor thought it would be a good thing
for him to get a little air, and as he
thought so, too, he left. There was no
doubt that in his present condition he
was still a proper subject for the hospi-
tai, and he was given certificate to
that effect in order that he might return
at once to the Georgia Infrmary. Mr.
Morgan stated that he did not seek to
hold the county legally liable, but his
client merely applied for aid on account
of his condition and the cause of it. The
matter was referred to the committee on
poor with power to act.
Mrs. Mahala Myers appeared before the
board to make an appeal for county aid
for herself. She said she had been unable
to get all the aid she needed from the
Louisa Porter Home. Her case was re-
ferred to the committee on poor with
power to act.