The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-04-01
WANT THE SKIDAWAY BRIDGE.
SUIT FOR A MANDAMUs AGAINST
THE COMMISSIONERS.

lt=Ihey say III became "A RarN or
the County Road System by Act of
the LegisIaturc-The Commission
ers Refused TO Rebuild It--A Ger
tiOrari Suit Which Involved TWEEN
ty-Five Cents Dismissed.
The trial of an important case was be-
gun In the superior court yesterday, that
Of the state ex relatione Wolf Barnett
against the county commissioners and
judges of the inferior court of Chatham
county for a mandamus to compel them
to build bridge across from the main
land to skidaway Island.
The Skidaway bridge has been a mat
ter of contention now for more than
twenty years, coming up in one shape or
another before grand juries, and before
the county commissioners, until finally
the commissioners refused fatty and out
right to rebuild the bridge.
In this litigation the plaintiff, who APP
pears as a citizen bringing suit in the
name of the state to compel public Off
GERS to do what is considered their duty,
is represented by Mr.. Walter G. Charlton,
while the county commissioners are rep
resented by the county attorney, Mr.. j.
r. Saussy.
In 1888 the planters on Skidaway Island
erected a bridge across the Skidaway
river, across which they used to trans
port their produce to the mainland ana
bring it to market. Skidaway grew 70
be one of the garden spots of this section
and was a source of considerable revenue
to the property owners there. The bridge
became part of the public road system
of the county, with the proviso that che
county should spend not more than 500
year for Its maintenance and should
not be required to rebuild it in case it was
destroyed.
In some way or other the bridge was de-
| stroyed during the war, and year or two
| afterward it was rebuilt by the planters
and property owners on the island. In
| 1870, by an act of the legislature of the
state, as is contended by the counsel for
the plaintiff. it was adopted as a part of
| the public road system of the county.
| About 1874 the bridge was again destroyed
| and has never since been rebuilt. The
| matter has been taken before different
| grand juries and before different boards
of county commissioners, and has been
| ldlu dSiu6 OF ldDleu from time TO tlney
| until finally when it was brought up for
definite action before the commissioners
who preceded those now in office, after a
consideration of the matter they refused
| fatty to rebuild the bridge.
During all of this time the property on
Skidaway deteriorated greatly. Planting
there was stopped and the land went to
waste and ruin. Very little if any of it
has been kept under cultivation, and now
the entire property on the island pays
the county in taxes only $54 annually.
| The commissioners, it is said, are using
| this fact as an argument why they should
| not be required to rebuild the bridge.
Mr.. Barnett, and number of the prop
| erty owners and Inhabitants of the island
| were on the witness stand yesterday testi-
| flying to matters in connection with the
| case and other residents of the island will
| be heard from to-day. There is still
good deal of testimony to be taken, and 1t
| may be that the trial of the case will take
| up the balance of the week In the supe-
| rior court.
Judge Falligant took up the certiorari
docket yesterday and called several cases
| which have been there for some time, and
in which there was no response. He dis
missed the following cases from
| this docket for want of pros
ecuuon: Charles Lawson, plain
| tiff in certiorari against the Savan-
/ nan FURNITURE company, QeIeAQant IN
certiorari; Annie McCarr, against Mary
| Williams, M. Schoenck against Francis
| Hart, Amanda L. Desverges against Will
| lam Fawcett, Maxine ]. Desverges
against William Fawcett w. T. Walker
| against Rose Days, Eugene Wilson
against e. Cohen, w. w. Wilson against
T. ]. Winn. and E. J. Crane against ia
| cob Klatz.
| The last suit mentioned is rather an in
| terestiug one. as it involves only the sum
of 2 cents. Crane, as a notary, signed a
| paper for Klatz and charged him % cents
! for it. There was some difficulty over
| the paper afterwards and Klatz sued out
! \ possessory warrant for the quarter and
won his case. Crane carried it to the SUI
| perior court five years ago, and it has
never yet been settled.
The suit of John Slavich against Henry
! Juchter with regard to some purchase
money on a schooner, was tried in the
| city court yesterday. A verdict for S227 Is
was rendered in favor of the plaintiff.
! John G. Seasons, Esq, was granted a
! commission as a notary public In the su-
| perior court yesterday.
Temporary letters of administration on
the estate of Ann Fitzgerald were granted
TO NJ. A. O'Byrne in the court of ordinary
yesterday.