The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1903-06-02

its general presentments for the March
term, 1894 took strong ground and adj
vanced conclusive arguments for the
reinstatement of the Ogeechee canal.
The presentments showed that the
canal if rebuilt on the specifications of
County Engineer Blandford, would
drain every swamp abutting on it, with
the single and comparatively unim-
portant exception of Harden's Swamp;
and they exhibit, in great detail, the
manifold advantages which would fol-
low the proposed Improvement.
Shortly before these presentments
were made, committee consisting of
Mr.. Charles F. Prendergast, foreman;
and Mr.. Martin Cooley, chairman of
the Drainage Committee of the grand
jury; Mr.. William Kehoe, representing
the County Commissioners, and Maj.
Blandford, county engineer, called
upon Mr.. II. M. Conner, then receiver
OF the Savannah and Western Railroad,
Cat that time the owner of the Ogee-
chez canal,) and sought to interest him
in the suggested rehabilitation of that
waterway. Mr. Conner was so much
impressed by the possibilities of the
plan that he agreed, for his company,
to do all the masonry work necessary
for the new locks, and to supply the
latter, provided that the county author
tiles would undertake the requisite
dredging The scheme failed at that
time because of the opposition 1t en-
countered in the Board of County Com
missioners; but the idea has always
seemed to me to be most valuable
and feasible one, and l still hope to see
it carried out to a successful conclu-
sion.
Not only would such a re-established
canal drain a very large and rich part
of Chatham county, but it would, by
redeeming a great eXpanse of land now
practically worthless, open up virgin
soil for truck farming, add materially
to the taxable property of the county.
and afford, to the products of the re-
claimed acres, the cheapest and most
convenient transportation to the
wharves of the various steamship COM
Danies in Savannah.
To any one familiar with the extent
and Importance of the trucking inter-
ests centred in Norfolk and Charleston,
the meager development of similar in
terests around Savannah can hardly
fail to be surprising. Savannah's great
er distance from the Northern mar
kets, compared with Norfolk, is par
TALLY if not wholly balanced by the
milder climate enjoyed by the former,
and by the consequent earlier matur-
lly OF ITullS anu NGScNdDieS III our
neighborhood; while Sayannah's SUI
periority over Charleston in the vital
matter of transportation is too mani
fest TO justify argument
II the canal is filled up, large por-
ton of Chatham county. fun OF great
latent possibilities for producing
wealth and employing labor, will be
permanently condemned and abandon
ed; improve the canal by cleaning and
deepening II. and you will at once;
First Protect the public health by
draining an area dangerous in its pres
ent condition.
Second. Make available for profta-
Bile farming thousands Of acres OF the
richest sort Of land, now wholly un-
tenantable except by snakes and Sill
gators.
Third. Add materially 10 the taxable
values Of the county, and thus more
widely distribute the burdens now
borne.
Fourth. Materially augment the reye-
nues ~ our steamship Zines, BY Dr0yid-