The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-02-26


eases among the prisoners. and only
four colored men and four colored
women are in the hospital, none or
| them seriously i'll. The sanitary con-
dition of the Jail appears to be good in
all respects. The buildings are COM
| fortably heated and the officers In
charge of both the Jail and the Court
House appear to be faithful III the dis
charge of their duties.
Roads and Bridges.
The committee appointed to investi-
| gate these have gone carefully over
most of the roads of the county, visit
| ing in their tour the convict camps.
They report some of the county roads
in fine order. but they also report por-
| tions of many Of the roads in bad or
der and needing special attention. We
therefore desire to call the attention of
the honorable commissioners of Chat
ham county to the condition of the
Ogeechee road between the second and
third mile posts, and between the
eighth and ninth mile posts.
TO the MOntieth road, as far as Sa-
lem Church.
To the Pine Barren road and the
bridges thereon. This road is a very
important one, and should be generally
improved and made wider, as the farm
ers of Bulloch, Tattnall, Bryan and
Liberty counties use it to market their
produce to the city.
Portions of the White Bluff and Buck
halter and Guerard road need attention,
while the Causton's Bluff road is in bad
order, though not much used.
The Augusta road is in good order up
to Montieth, but in some places be-
You'd that is nearly impossible on ac-
count of recent repairs having been
made. IA kzs<
Portions of the Skidaway, Middle
Ground, Dutchtown, Telfair and Dean
Forrest roads need attention. Com
plete details can be seen in the re-
port of the special committee.
While thus calling attention to the
needs of the county concerning these
particular roads we cannot refrain
from most highly commencing the pol
icy of the County Commissioners in
continuing the road paving improve
ments, which are of so very great
value to every resident of the county
and every property holder along them.
Their value is not measured by their
cost. They are invaluable and we
want more of them.
We respectfully suggest to the Coun-
ty Commissioners that the names of
the old and well known roads of the
county, which, have been changed be
restored and that these designations,
which have been matters of common
main as formerly.
We believe, however, that it will be
matter of pleasure to the public at
large to see all new roads named in
honor of the members of the present
efficient Board of County Commission
ers who have done so much to i'm
prove them.
Drainage and COnvicts.
The drainage system of the coun-
ty as a whole is very good, excepting
the Minis canal, which some times
overflows the low lands.
The convict camp and the county
farm under E. McDonough has six
ty-four male negro convicts and forty
eight female negroes, and two whites
total 113, ten of whom are on the sick
list. The general sanitary arrange
ments of the building and the sur
roundings are all to be commended
The food is excellent and is nearly all
raised on the farm.
Camp No. 2 in charge of Capt.
Davis, is composed of ninety-seven ne
gro convicts, two of whom are sick.
The camp is in good condition with
some minor exceptions.
Camp No. 3, in charge of Capt. w.
j. Shuman, has forty-two negro men,
all of whom are well. The sleeping
quarters are not as clean as in the
OLhcI CdIlpS the OuLSlu6
tiers, and other matters around the
camp seem to be in good condition.
Camp No. 4, in charge of Capt. De-
Lodge, is in good order in all respects.
There are twenty nine negro con-
victs here, two of whom are sick.
County Offices, Books, Vouchers, Etc.
Our special committee examined the
books and records in the offices of the
county treasurer, tax collector, tax
receiver, clerk of the Superior Court,
clerk of the Ordinary, sheriff and the
County Commissioners and found them
all correct and in good order.
The subject of securing a more COM
plete and efficient system of tax re-
turns has occupied our careful at
tention. Our committee had a special
conference with his Honor, Geo. T.
Cam, in regard to a plan formulated
by him for a better system. We be-
lieve that this system could be adopt
ed with very little cost and would
not only be a great convenience to the
| public, but would be invaluable to
many county officers in the discharge
of their respective duties. We heart
| lily commend this plan and earnestly
recommend its adoption.
1t is a plan for having all realty re-
corded in a special book. which should
be at once brought down to date and
thereafter any OF Oh
| property should be noted. This rec
ord should show the present owners
+ of the property, giving proper descrip-
| ton and reference to old record books
so that all titles could be readily trac-
| ed. A complete and detailed state
ment of this plan has been most kind
ly formulated by Judge Cam and is
attached TO these presentments as d
part of our recommendation.
Education, schools and school
Houses.
The grand jury of the last term of
this court, through it's Committee on
Schools, made thorough examination
| of the schools, both in the city and
| in the county and our committee did
not deem it necessary to again go
through the entire work. The Cattle
dral, Chatham, Nos. / and 2, the Thir-
ty-eighth, Anderson, Massie and Bar
nard schools, and Gwinnett Colored
School, together with the Chatham
kindergarten were visited. All of the
school buildings are in excellent con-
dition except the Barnard Street. This
building is unfit for use as a school.
The Board of Education now has the
matter of improvement of the Barnard
Street School in hand, and will as
| soon as practicable provide a building
the equal of the other modern, and
well equipped school buildings in the
city,
We earnestly recommend that the
| County Commissioners provide the
Board of Education in the next budget
| sufficient funds to carry out this much