The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-12-10
THEY WANT A NEW ROAD BUILT
TO SHORTEN THE DISTANCE TO
ISLE OF HOPE.

Decentralization For the Cement
Gravel For Road Paving Adopted.
Petitions For Aid From Charitable
Institutions.
The county commissioners had rather a
dry and undressing session yesterday
afternoon after their usual caucus. Com
missioners Lathrop and West were not
present, and the question of the use of the
Ogeechee canal for drainage purposes, and
several other matters which might other
wise have been heard from, did not come
up at all.
petition was presented by Mr.. Walter
P. LaRoche, representing about eco citi-
zens Of the county, whose names were
signed to it, asking that the commission
ers build a public road with hardened
surface from the four-mle post on the
Skidaway shell road, commonly known as
the old Isle Of Hope dirt road, to the cen
ter of the Isle of Hope, to skirt the east
line of Donna Bella and Cattle Park. and
to utilize the old military causeway or
highway from the mainland to the Isle
of Hope.
The length of the proposed new road
would be three and one-ffth miles. The
reasons given as to why it should be con-
structed are. first that it would be prac-
ucally an air line, reducing the distance
from the city of Savannah to the Isle of
Hope by ~ miles, as against the old road
In the second place, 1t would afford direct
communication to Pacentia, Donna Bella
Cattle Park and Harrcck, where there
are about thirty families living consider
able distance from any public road. 1t is
needed, too as neighborhood road furn-
ishing families living near together a
means of communication without going
mile and a half out of the way In the
fourth place 1t is stated it would furnish
one of the most beautiful drives around
the city.
The commissioners heard from Mr. La
Roche, and also from Dr. r. B. Harris,
on the subject Of the road. The board,
however, has no funds at it's disposal at
present for building such a road, it seems,
though the matter may be given favorable
consideration. The petition was referred
TO the committee on roads and bridges for
a report.
Superintendent of Public Works Chap
ms monthly report showed that the av-
erage number of conVicts has been during
the month 200.5, and the total cost for
guarding and feeding $1,418. One gang of
about thirty men has been at work on
Buckhalter swamp, another on the drain
age on the west side of the city as stated
in the Morning News, until removed to
the eastern side to work ON the Gwinnett
street sewer few days ago, and the third
gang on Dale avenue
A claim for damages to certain land on
account of the cutting through it of the
DeRenne canal, was presented by Mr.. r.
IL Tatem and referred to the drainage
committee for a report
Mr.. j. R. Saussy, the county attorney,
made report on the matter of the rights
or way for the Telfair canal, as proposed,
to drain the section west of the city. in
Guiding the Telfair swamp and others
The report showed that some of the prop
erty owners We're unwilling to give their
lands for the purpose without making
conditions precedent which the commits
sioners did not feel inclined to grant. One
party wanted the commissioners to drain
his entire land surrounding the canal for
the privilege of cutting the canal through
1t. Another party insisted that the coun-
ty should build a bridge wherever he
wanted it for a similar privilege. The
matter being still in an indefinite state,
no action was taken
The attention of the commissioners was
brought to the fact that the law requires
the county to insure the law books which
are given it for use in the court house by
the state. The clerk was directed to get
a list of the books and an insurance policy
will probably be taken out A good many
of the books have disappeared in one way
and another, and the suggestion was made
that they be insured from disappearing
The specifications for cement gravel for
the purpose of paving Dale avenue to
Thunderbolt for which bids have been
called, were read. They require that the
material shall consist of al least IS per
cent. gravel or flint or hematite and a Ger
tain amount of iron and other substance
| necessary TO cement the material together
and make it impervous to water 1t is
required that each bidder shall furnish at
least one barrel of the material he pro-
poses to deliver, to the county free of
charge and that a chemical analysis shall
be furnished with it. The county reserves
the right to call for one or more cars Of
the material offered on which it will pay
the freight, and the price of the material
Will be paid should the county decide to
take it. Within ten days from the time
the bid is accepted the successful bidder
must furnish bond for the faithful per
Torrance of his contract. The success
full bidder must be prepared to furnish the
material in lots of not less than fifteen car
| loads. each carload to contain not less
than twenty cubic yards of material The
bids must be sealed and the price specified
| delivered f. o. b. on the savannah. Flor
ida ana western railroad tracks at the
| junction of Estill avenue and the Waters
road. Payments for the material win he
made monthly, and the material will be
! measured as it comes by duly certified
officer appointed for that purpose These
specifications were adopted by the commits
sioners, and they present the requirements
under which the gravel to be purchased
must be delivered.
1t looks now as If the company that has
been furnishing the county with gravel
| right along, will have a number of com
| petitors against it, Two have already APP
peared in the field, and the chances are
that the price will be materially reduced
from $l.S0 per cubic yard, which the county
| has been paying. After the objection was
made to purchasing without calling for
| bids the Augusta gravel people reduced
their price to $l.20.
An invitation was received from Mr.. F.
NJ. Hull, asking the board to send a com
mittee to Tattuall county with him to look
into the material mined in that county.
which contains considerable hematite. and
which is said TO make an excellent paving
material. 1t is doubtful however if any
of the commissioners take the trip
r1afftipn for n from,