The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1900-06-03
WILL OPPOSE GARRARD TRACT
FIVE ALDERMEN ARE FIRM IN
THEIR OPPOSITION.

-
Their Views ON the subject-Its
Unsuitable Location and Inacees-
sibiIity the Chief Objections, But
u, They Also Consider the Price TOO
p High-The Section Southeast OF
the City Much Better Suited Tor
Cemetery Purposes and In Much
Better Favor With the Public-Mr.
of the Question.
The report of the special Cemetery
Committee Of City Council In favor OF the
purchase of the Garrard tract ON the
Cgeechee Road as the site for new Gem
etery, is not likely to be adopted without
opposition. The five aldermen who OPP
posed the report at the meeting OF the
Committee Of the Whole last week, are
very decided in their opposition, and they
have the backing of a number OF citizens
ia the positions VIII CHI they have taken.
The members of Council opposed to the
purchase of the tract. are Aldermen
Tiedeman, Thomas, Mills. Wells and
Doyle.
Aldermen Tiedeman and Wells, who
were seen yesterday at the City Ex-
change said that the chief grounds OF
their opposition are the unsuitable loca-
ticn, The inacce ssibiity Of the tract and
the high price demanded.
TIE location is unsuitable" said Alder
man Tiedeman. "It is not in the right
direction from the city, and it is inaccessi-
ble At every funeral of even ordinary at
tendance, there is always a good many
people. who not being related to the FAM
lily or not beng on sufficiently Intimate
terms with its members are not entitled
to the privilege of riding in the carriages,
and it some times happens that there are
not sufficient carr.ag,s for the friends of
the fami " These people would not feel
warranted in going to the expense OF hir-
ing a conveyance for the purpose of at
tending the funeral. At present they can
avail themselves of the street cars, but
there is no assurance that such facilities
| would be provided to the tract In ques-
! lion.
1T would be much better In my judg-
ment," said Alderman Tiedenan, TO BUY
| q tract In q more favorable locality, one
| already having means of access, even If
! we had to pay more for It. Such ceme-
| terry would be much more generally resort
| ed to, and 1t would be easier to get peo-
pie to buy and improve lots. With the
amount of land in the Garrard tract,
which is unsuited for cemetery purposes,
1 estimate that the actual cost 20 the city
would be about twice the price named
| per acre. or about $S5 per acre. This is
| too much for land In that locality. / In
| vestigated this question when a member
| of the previous Cemetery Committee, ana
| / was not favorably impressed with the
4 fnl -. rarta AAr rxft1s
| was instructed TO take soundings and lev
| els there, reported q great deal of low
| land and that his soundngs showed wa
| ter at a depth of III to feet below the
surface. This is little If any better than
| Laurel Grove"
II think the price is too high" said
| Alderman Wells but my chief objection
is to the location. / would have no OBJ
iections to paying the price named for a
| large tract favorably located. There is
little travel from the city on the Ogeechee
road, and no attractions to draw the peo-
pie in that direction, nor Is the road in
| good condition. There is large negro
population In that section, while white
people are few. AS we all know the
graves of our dead are chiefly looked after
by the women and children. There are
very few. ladies who would core to &C
out unaccompanied to new cemetery
distant from the city. end but little fire.
| quenleU, as WOuid certainty DC tilS NdSs
for number of years, and especially
would this be the case without means o.
access, other than by private conveyance
ION the other side of The city," sale
Alderman Wells, I'VE already have on
street railroad and the promise Of an
other We have a shell road which will
| probably be made free in the next few
years and fine gravel roads already pro
vided by the county. There is a grea
deal of travel over these roads. and IN,
section is already the most popular II
the county. A cemetery located in thi
section would be under constant OBJ
servatiou, public interest would be east
ly stimulated and the lot owners, as wei
as the city, would take pride in i'm
| proving and beautifying the property
} The lands between the Catholic and tn
| Bonaventure Cemeteries are well suite
for cemetery purposes. For the most par
they are high and well-drained and coul'
be easily improved. An effort should b
made on the part OF the public 10 secur
, quarter"
r Mr.. John Lyons Is one of number o
citizens who are opposed to the purchas
of the Garrard tract. 81 know nothin
about the land" said Mr.. Lyons.
am simply opposed to The location. ! Sc
no reason for haste In this matter. Al
: the funerals do not go 10 Laurel Grow
by great deal. l have attended fou
: In the last few days, all of them eithe
at Bonaventure or the Cathedral Gene
I terry Probably more than half the inter
n ments are at these two cemeteries an
[ this proportion Is likely to continue fo
n number of years to come If 1t wer
/, left TO a vote of the people I am salts
: fed that the vast majority would decid
in favor of locating the new cemeter
somewhere between the Catholic Gene
: terry and Bonaventure. preferably nea
: the latter 1T would then be PRACTICAL
!. part of I3onaventure and could be i'm
= proved on tho same lines.
Mr.. Edward Lowell said that he did nc
u think II would be wisdom on the pal
OF the city 10 purchase the Garrard trac
and that the Avondale tract was MOI
suitable for cemetery purposes than an
other in convenient access of the city.