The Savannah morning news., 1902-07-11
AFTER GOOD ROADS
PETITIONS FOR CONSTRUCTION
FILED WITH COMMISSIONERS.
COST TO BUILD TOO GREAT.
EXPENDITURE OF MORE THAN $50
coo WOULD BE NECESSARY.


Have Means of Communication
with the City ImprOved-ROad
over Wilmington and Whitmarsh
Most Important of the Projected
Public ImprOVements-AH Petit
lions Referred to Committee OE
Roads and Bridges for RepOrt-No
Possibility of All the Roads Being
Built This Year.
At yesterdays meeting of the Board
of County Commissioners the board
had enough petitions 10 build and sur
face public roads presented for its fav-
orabIe consideration to require, in the
event of all the petitions being grant
ed, an outlay of $4,000 at least. and
probably of a much larger sum. Every
section of the county seems to have
been aroused TO the value apd great
advantage of good roads.
Only three members of the board
were present at the meeting, Commits
sioners Vetsburg, Paulsen and Wylly.
Chairman Lathrop is on a visit North
and Vie Chairman Moore has for
some days been confined to his bed
with an attack of acute indigestion.
Commissioner Vetsburg was the pre-
siding officer We terday.
The estimate of $4,000 for the sew
eral works of road building the board
was asked to undertake does not at all
consider the petitions to build roads
that have previously been on file and
which are now in the hands
of committees and in process
of investigation. The estimate,
which was made by Supt.
Chaplin, is an exceedingly conserva-
tive one and the strong probability
is that to build the roads and the
necessary bridges that would be re-
quired to make them available would
increase the estimate by so per cent.
The Road to Wilmington.
Probably the most important work
of road construction asked for is the
proposed highway across Wilmington
and Whitmarsh islands, which is to
terminate at a point almost opposite
the Casino at Thunderbolt. The idea
of the promoters of the enterprise is
TO establish a ferry at that point,
which viii thus permit them easy ac-
cess to the island of Wilmington, even
in weather which would now render
such trip almost impossible.
Like the other petitions of similar
character the petition of the Whining
ton residents was referred to the Com
mittee on Roads and Bridges for in
vestigation and report.
Another petition came from the resi-
dents of Coffee Bluff, asking that the
county surface the existing public road
from the Smile post on the White
is about four miles long. The petition
recites that the use of the present road
is exceedingly hard on stock and that
the improvement would mean much
for that section of the county.
want Road TO Monteith.
Lamar Keller and other residents of
the Eighth district petitioned the COM
misisoners to regrade and pave with
gravel the Monteith road, which leads
from the station of that name on the
Augusta road to near the Effingham
county line. 1t Is four miles long
The petitioners informed the commits
sioners that a sufficient quantity of
gravel to pave the proposed road could
be obtained from point almost inn
mediately adjoining the right of way
and that the cost of construction would
thus be reduced materially.
petition to surface the unpaved
part of the Middle Ground road was al
so received and read at the meeting
of the commissioners. The petitioners
call attention to the fact that there
is no paved public road penetrating the
section of the county just south of
the city-that the only road by which
they can at present conveniently reach
the city is the White Bluff road, on
which toll is charged. They ask that
the Middle Ground road be surfaced
with either shell or gravel to the Buck
halter road, distance of about three
miles.
ALI of these petitions were referred
to the Committee on Grads and
Bridges for report There is no
possibility that all of the roads
asked for viii be built during the pres
ent year and but little probability that
they Will he built for two years to
come. The county simply has not funds
with which to accomplish so extensive
a work Of public improvement. though
1t would probably be admitted that in
itself and the absence of this sordid
financial consideration every road sug-
gested would be of great value.
Thanks From Tybeeites.
The commissioners received a letter
from the residents and property own
ers of Tybee, expressing their thanks
for what has recently been done by
the county forces to improve the SAM
t2ry condition of the island. The letter
was numerously signed and conveyed
the earnest approval of the property
owners of the commissioners wise
and conscientious administration of
the county's convict labor"
A. f. Seckinger, a guard at one of
the county camps, petitioned the board
for the return of $40. which had been
deducted from his salary on account
of the escape of four conVicts from
camps of which he had command.
Three of the men escaped in 1889 and
the fourth only last month. The petit
ton, which was filed by Twggs &
Oliver, was referred 10 the Committee
on Changing.
Capt. John r. Dillon formerly tax
receiver of the county, filed with the
board petition to have cancelled his
bonds given for the faithful perform
ance of the duties of that office. The
petition was referred to the county at
torney.
The recently constructed BeauIieu
road was formally declared a public
road by the order of the commissioners
1t is rather usual for such a declara-
tion to precede the building of the road.
but in this case the exigencies of the
situation forced the cart before the
horse.
During the month of June the coun-
~ forces surfaced with shell 7,745 linear
feet of roadway dug $500 feet of new
bitches and slushed 142,70O feet of old