The morning news., 1897-08-06
DRAINAGE AND PAVING.
The BueiIhnIter Watershed and the
Paving of the Ogeechee Road.

The Buci<hnIter Watershed and the
Paving of the Ogeechee Road.
Editor Morning News: Permit me
through your columns to thank the editor
of the Press for his courteous, albeit tardy
notice of my communication. though in
his courtesy he lodges the issue and does
not answer at ALL
The elevations he quotes are correct as
to figures, but their relative locations with
reference to the summit level (Which he
does not give will not admit of any com
parison. Had he gone far enough south
in the little tributary of Buckhalter he
might have found a lesser elevation, but
the points he seeks to make "are not ma
terial"
"Buckhalter swamp extends from the
Little Ogeechee to Southover junction"
says the Press last Saturday, and as it
was the third time that this erroneous
statement had appeared in that Journal in
one form or another, l wrote the commu-
nication alluded to.
The upper part of Minis swamp and all
of Lamar swamp lie beyond Southover
junction, and between Buckhalter and
Savannah. In 1894, by order of the ma
jority of the commissioners, Lamar swamp
outlet, the bitches and canal having an
excellent fall and rapid discharge from
head TO mouth, a distance of a mile and
half. Messrs. Dale ana Chaplin both
know this for they were in office when
their brother commissioners ordered this
most necessary work done.
Why. at this time, there should be such
a persistent effort to represent this ter
ritory as a part Of Buckhalter swamp and
misead the people into the belief that 1t
is necessary to drain Buckhater swamp
in order to reach it, can be easily sur
missed.
If one-ffth the force now at work near
the mouth of Buckhalter was employed
for few weeks i'm extending the drain
age above referred 20, Savannah in san
itary point of view, would be a hundred
times more benefited than by all the work
that viii be done in the distant Buck
halter.
The Meridian road-the figures which he
gives $4,000 to S26,0O0. as my estimate
two years ago, for grading and shelling
this road complete, are correctly quoted,
but he does not tell as | asked. when
the $4,000 estimate was made or where I
might find IL. While the former county
engineer who made it, appears TO be a.
county official. However, as he saws
THAT is an inConsequential matter" There
was another estimate on this road made
over two years ago which he does not
mention, but doubtless recollects (see
Press. Feb. q, 1880 Mr. Dale Is quoted
as the author who figured out the right
of-way about thirty acres) would "cost
the county 100000 for that alone 800
900 besides the cost Of construction for a
something over six miles Of road is an
estimate which, l think, even the Press
viii concede, rather hyperbolical. But
then, the honorable chairman of the
present board of county commissioners
made it.
Anent the Ogeechoe road: The Press re-
porter duly 81, lasO was informed that
the bad condition OF that highway so soon
after it's completion was chargeable TO
the material used In paving-chert About
six years ago Engineer Wadley paved
New street with ebert. along the front
of the Central railroad local freight ware
houses, which has been subjected ever
since 10 the severest usage and "a hun
drod times more daily traffic than the
Ogeechee road. yet II has stood the wear
remarkably well The city part Of both
Bay street extended and the Louisville
road has a top covering of three inches
OF ebert, and though the traffic on each
is mauy times more than the Ogeechee
I into holes. The city OF Waycross has
been for several years paving its streets
with ebert ! am informed with excel
! lent ana most satisfactory result IN the
4 light of these facts one is impellcd TO
believe that the defects in the Ogeechce
raad are not attributable 20 the paving
mntorial. but 10 its faulty construction.
r.. a. Blandford