The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-05-31
eARRARD TRACT FAVORED.
COUNCIL COMMITTEE RECOMMENDS
ITS PURCHASE FOR CEMETERY.

Price Is $4,000, Payable in Ten
Annual InstaIments-The Commit
tees Reasons for Recommending
the Tract-AIderman Mills Dissent
ed From the Majority Report on
the Ground of InaccesSibility of
the Tract and Alderman Thomas
Made Several Objections to the
Adoption of the RepOrt-The Re-
mort Laid on the Table Until the
Next Meeting.
The special Cemetery Committee sp-
pointed two weeks ago by Mayor Myers
for the purpose of securing Offers and re-
commencing a selection for a site for a
new city cemetery. made It's report at the
meeting of Council last night.
The report recommends the purchase of
the tract owned by Col. William Garrard
on the Ogeechee road of 1,06O acres, at a
total price of S45. 900. The indications are
that the recommendation of the commit
tee will be adopted The terms are for the
sum named payable in ten years in equal
annual instalments. with interest on de-
ferred payments at the rate of per cent.
per annum.
of the Whole and was received with favor.
The report was read only by title in open
Council. After the report had been re-
ceived in Council, Alderman Thomas made
the following statement, which he had
prepared in advance:
1.-THE tract of land recommended by the
committee is, / believe the largest of
fsred. lays prettily, and can be had at
the lowest price per acre, but in my o2in-
ion II is not what any considerable of our
people Wish for a burial ground. The
high land is in detached patches and not
q large proportion of the whole. While
drainage has done much and will do more
for the low ground, 1t is uncertain IL
enough of 1t will ever be desirable for
cemetery. There is no street car line
within two and a half miles. The Ogeechee
road is not a favorite drive and at times
has pools Of water on its line.
There Is no need for haste in this mat
ter, and before committing the city for the
payment of $4,000 for what may prove I'M
satisfactory, we should give more time for
the development of something generally
acceptable. / belieev the popular choice
for the location of a cemetery would be
in the neighborhood of Bonaventure or
Waters avenue, and although land in these
locations cost more per acre, much less
than 1000 acres would suffice for a century
on table until our next regular meeting,
and published for information"
The motion was seconded by Alderman
Haas and was unanimously agreed to.
The committees report makes the fol-
lowing statement of offers received:
Brampton plantation on the Augusta
Read, by DIR. James B. Read $40 acres at
500 per acre. One hundred and fifty-t,vo
acres of the 3rrtoIi HIio plantation by the
heirs of Dr. James p. Screven, for SIS 900:
fremont Land Company, by Mr.. C. Fl.
Dorsett 500 acres on the Ogeechee Road,
adjoining the Garrard land and lying on
both sides of the road, between the Gar
rard tract and the city, being about one
mile from the city limits, at $3.50 per acre;
the Warfieid Land, by Mr. Dorsett near
the junction of Waters Road and the
Montgomery Cross Road 300 acres at $50
per acre; Battery Park tract adjoining
Laurel Grove, by Mr. Dorset, at 81, 500;
300 acres by Mr.. G. w. Lamar on the
savannah, Florida and Western Railway
just beyond Solthover Junction, $40 per
acre. 36S acres between Laurel Grove Gem
etery and the Ryals farm, by Youmans
& Demmond, at 500 per acre; $50 acres by
1oumans * Demmond, lands of j. Palmer
Brown and C. T. Cooper, between White
Bluff and Waters Roads, $11O and S115 per
acre; Bonaventure," by Evergreen Gene
terry Company, 80 acres. of which 400 lots
nave been disposed Of $4,000 cash: Mer-
Giants and Mechanics Land Company. IA
acres adjoining Bonaventure at $3.50 an
acre, ana q acres in the same locality by
otner parties at an average of $3.50 per
acre; Col. William Garrard, tract of land
on me Ogeechee Road at crossing of the
Florida Central and Peninsuiar Railroad
one and seven-eighths miles from the CITY
LOGO acres, at $4,000
Ihe following comment upon the Of
fers leading up 10 it's conclusion in favor
VI tne Garrard tract. was made by the
committee in lis report
I'm considering these offers this com
mlttce. having in view that Laurel Grove
Cemetery has been condemned bv
the Meath officers for years
Pas. as menace to the
public health could not entertain offers
OF lands adjacent 10 the same such as
crers numbered 5 and 7. The offer of
Bonaventure Cemetery and lands adj
joining could not be accepted by this com
nittce, because the price was too h 9Th
not enough land was offered, and be-
yond all this. Bonaventure is. and has
pcen cemetery since 1Si9 and it would
be bad policy for the city 10 ACQUIRE She
remainder of the land not already used
by graves for the public cemetery of the
future.
When Laurel Grove was laid out, less
tnan nifty years ago. it contained l179
acres, when the population of Savannah
was about one-fifth of what Ii is now:
so, that # a cemetery should be acquired
60 be laid out with narrow driveways
and small lots, as the present one is.
and to last less than half a century.
about 6OOs acres would be required. The
cemetery of the future should be modern
and handsome, with broad drveways,
larger lots and with land enough to sup
ply the needs of our people for more than
half century. 1t should also be so
located as not TO be in the line of prob
able city extension, and yet near enough:
and Its drainage should be in direction
from, and not toward, the city nor should
II be into the Savannah river
After careful consideration of the lands
offered and of the NECESSARY requisites of
new cemetery, the committee has select
ed the Garrard tract. This tract as Of
tered,embraoes 1,0Sl15 acres, extending from
the Ogeechee road TO the Savannah. Flor
Ida and Western Railway. but Of which the
owner has given 10 the county a public
road through same. and also a sufficient
amount of land for Buckhalter canal and
It's laterals, leaving of this tract $50
or. rfIf. oh, A