The Savannah morning news., 1903-03-05
THEY WANT ROAD
EVIDENCE BEFORE COMMISSION
ERs INDICATES THAT CITIZENS
FAVOR NEW WEST END ROUTE.
PRESIDENT BALDWIN EXPLAINS
STREET RAILWAYS POSITION.

~---N-~N---~-
Board VIII Declare Proposed
West End Route of Public Utility.
Damages VIII BE Assessed Later.
Factory Board Especially Inade-
quate and Dangerous.
The County Commissioners held a
meeting yesterday afternoon to deter
mine whether the proposed West End
route will be of public utility. All of
the evidence was introduced, and the
commissioners now have the matter
under Amusement. There is little doubt,
from the character of the testimony ad-
duced, that the board will hold that
the proposed Improvements will be of
public benefit, and will order the land
to be condemned.
The commissioners met at 4 o'clock,
the hearing lasting over four hours.
All of the members of the board were
present, besides many witnesses and
spectators, an array of counsel and
several stenographers. At the conclu-
sion of the hearing the commissioners
took a recess to meet again at the call
of the chairman. 1t is probable that
this meeting will be held this week,
as both the county and the street rail-
way, as well as other parties at inter-
est, are anxious for the work to be-
gin.
More Claims for Damages.
Two more claims for damages were
filed yesterday. William Exley, along
the eastern boundary of whose land
the proposed road will run, submits that
he will be damaged $1,000, the strip to
be taken by the county being "a feet
wide and LOO feet long. w. o. Broadly,
who owns 3.S acres in close proximity
to the junction of the Louisville and
the Augusta roads, claims that he will
be dana ged $500 by the DETECTION of
the Augusta road, since this will pre-
vent all junction with the Louisville
road by connecting it with the Water
works road.
Mr.. George j. Baldwin, president of
the Savannah Electric Company ex-
planned to the board the position of
the street railway in the matter. This
he said was to correct the impression
that the railway company had begun
the movement for the construction of
the new line. On the contrary, he
said, the property owners and citizens
had importuned them to open the
new route, and had even gone so far
as to threaten them If they did not.
The movement to build the new roads,
he said, was fostered entirely by the
property owners and manufacturing
interests in that locality.
street Railways Position.
There are about 5000 to $500 people
in that community who have been per-
sistent in their efforts to secure the
electric line" said Mr.. Baldwin. when
representatives came to see me on the
matter / told them, after weighing the
matter thoroughly, that it wouldn't pay
to construct the line which they pro-
posed. Finally the property owners
made an offer to furnish the right of
way and help pay for the construction
of the road So we decided, if possible
to build.
"At that time we did not contem-
plate a public road. But they would
have it, and finally told the railroad
that they would only assist in the
building of the line on condition that
we assisted them in obtaining the pub
lie road. The demand for both the
railway and the public road has been
great. On all sides l have heard words
of commentator of the plan proposed.
Mr.. Fletcher Exley himself told me
that he was anxious for the new road
to be opened"
AS Mr.. Exley claims the largest
amount of damages as the result of
the opening of the proposed route, this
statement by him is of special sig
nifieance.
Factory Road Too Narrow.
HE had always represented to me
that he wanted the road, and when l
afterwards learned that he wanted
In,, 7 ,Ixr,, al
All of the manufacturers want the
road. The present thoroughfare, Fac
tory road is entirely inadequate, and
one travels at his peril who uses it.
Mr.. Smart was the first gentleman to
approach me. l was afterwards APP
preached by Mr.. Pierpont. Subsequent
ly, meeting was held in my office,
at which twelve, 1 think, of the prop
erty owners were represented. They
were unanimously in favor of a street
| railway and a public road"
Every witness examined said unhes-
| itatingly that the grade crossing should
| be abolished. On that question there
was no diversity of opinion. The OBJ
| jectors submitted that the proposed
subway could be made at the same
| place that the present crossing is.
| Though the question of damages was
| impertinent at the hearing, il was
| touched upon. There seemed no doubt
| of the fact that the removal of the
| crossing to point 5000 feet nearer the
| city. would damage the property of
Mrs. kirkland and Mr.. Moorehouse,
and that the widening of the Factory
| road would depreciate the value of a
| strip of Mr.. EXley's land. How much
| it would increase the value of the re-
naming portion of his land was not
| touched on.
| ''Perfcctly ScandaIOus" Road.
Mr.. George w. Owens, who appeared
| for the Southern Cotton Oil Company.
testified that the Factory road was per-
| fectly scandalous. He said that the oil
| company employs about 400 hands, and
| that the proposed improvements would
! be of vast benefit. AS matter now
stands, he said, the road was a dam
gerous one TO travel on, and totally
inadequate to properly accommodate
| the large amount of traffic over it.
/ Mr.. c. H. Dorset thought that
the widening of the road would
! be of benefit. He did not think
enough.
! thought the proposed road a public Inn
/ provement, and the widening of
the Factory road a public neces-
sity. The tenor of other testimony was
| the same.
The DIRECTORS introduced several wit
nesses to show that there were plenty
| of roads in the locality, and that the
new roads were unnecessary, but most
Of them before leaving the witness
stand admitted that the Factory road
aN