The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-03-19
County nrninnee.

We publish in another column of this is
sue OF the Morning News a communica-
ton relative to the purpose of the county
commissioners to begin the work of drain
ing Buckhalter swamp at once. The writer
of the communication is as well acquaint-
ed with the topography Of Chatham
county as any other one of its citizens,
and Is as well qualified to speak Of it's
needs in the matter of drainage. He ex-
presses surprise that the drainage of
Buckhalter swamp should be undertaken
while lands in the immediate vicinity of
the city remain UNFRAMED, and we have
no doubt that every citizen who has any
knowledge Of the drainage question. and
the needs Of the county in the matter of
drainage, shares his surprise.
Buckhalter swamp is eight or nine miles
south of the city. and in a very sparsely
settled section. Its drainage is hardly de-
manded at this time when there is far
more important drainage work nearer the
city which requires attention.
To those who look upon the drainage Of
the county as a protracted work, under
taken and carried out for the benefit OF
the health of a majority OF the people, it
would seem that the completion of the
work on the Dundee canal and the open
ing of the laterals through the lowlands
adjacent to IT, and the carrying out Of
the scheme OF drainage of which Mus
grove Creek is a partial of which would
be Of benefit to well populated areas of
the country as well as the immediate SUBJ
urbs of the city-are parts Of the drain
age scheme which should receive atten-
ton before the public moneys are spent
on such work as that proposed on far
away Buckhalter swamp-work that could
be delayed twenty-five or even fifty years
without material damage or danger to the
interests of more than very few people.
An examination of the roads recently
constructed by the county commissioners
shows that large amount OF ditching
and draining should be done in the locali-
ties through which they pass in order TO
make them permanent improvements.
The new members of the board of COM
missioners should give this matter of
drainage their careful and personal atten-
ton, and see to 1t that the public money
is not spent on work, which, to say the
least against 1t, is inadvisable at this
time when there is so much other work of
far greater Importance demanding atten-
ton. The commissioners would take upon
themselves a fearful responsibility if they
should neglect the drainage work requir-
ed for the protection of the health of the
city in order to drain a swamp miles
away from the city, and which has no per-
ccptible influence on the citys health. If
we should have a sickly summer, the
sickness would be attributed to the
swamps and wet lands in the immediate
vicinity of the city. Those who are COM
paratively Indifferent to this matter of
drainage now would then be among the
first and the most aggressive TO hold the
commissioners to a strict accountability.
Indeed, the whole population of the city
would want to know why drainage for the
protection of the city was practically
abandoned, and the means of the county
used to drain a distant and sparsely set
tied part of the county. AS we have al
sumo a fearful responsibility if they
should decide to drain distant swamp in
preference to the wet lands round about
the city, and if disease and death should
come as result of neglecting the drain
age required to protect the citys health,
they would be made to realize how great
mistake they had made.