The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1904-04-03

part of their force constantly required
/ to keep open the lower part OF Cuyler
swamp canal, and threatened suit
by DR.. Pritchard for $4,000 alleged
damages to his property by digging
the canal through it.
AS a solution of this problem Com
missioners Estill and Dorsett proposed
the purchase of the Pritchard lands
Considerable opposition to this was
manifested in the board, but after
much discussion it was finally decid-
ed upon by a bare majority of one,
and in September of that year, by the
payment of $4,000, the Pritchard plan
tation, of about 1,400 acres, was deed
ed to the county. This is the origin
! of the County Poor Farm" as it was
then called, though the purchase was
made not so much for the purpose of
establishing a poor farm as a means
| for protecting and perfecting the
county drainage.
The Meridian Roads Origin.
In the early part of 1889 the County
! Commissioners had a typographical
| survey of the county lands and of
| Cuyler swamp waters shed made and a
revised system of drainage for that
; swamp was projected At the same
| time the Meridian road and some other
! roads through the county lands were
| pAOJGCNCQ. OWLIAS " lAlC Sllldll lOANO
! of convicts at the command of the
; commissioners and the constant and
urgent demands for drainage work
| nearer the city nothing was done to-
| ward carrying out these plans until
| May or June 1892, when work on the
J canal and some road work was be-
| gun.
: An editorial in the Morning News
| of June % of that year. under the
| of iona nf Made -
explains what the commissioners had
in contemplation then and is so APP
| plicable to the project now taken up
| by the Chamber of Commerce that it
| will bear reprinting, as 1t reads almost
| like a prophecy. The article, in part,
| says:
"One thing that Savannah and Chat
| ham county needs is a firSt-class pub
lie road. Savannah has many attrac-
tions-as many, perhaps, as any other
city of the same class in the county
but she is lacking in good public
roads to the different parts of the
| county. One first-class public road,
| however, would lead to the building of
others, and after one was built 1t would
not be long before others would be.
| "The County Commissioners are now
| thinking very favorably of the prop
osition to complete what is known as
| the Meridian road. This road is
projected on a line due south from the
| City Exchange, beginning at or near
the junction of Anderson street and
| the Savannah, Florida and Western
Railway track, and running almost
| through the center of the tract of
land of 1900 acres that is owned by
the county. The road is already part
ly built through that land.
Plan of Roads.
From the proper points of diverg-
ence roads could easily be built from
this road to Isle of Hope, Beaulieu,
| Montgomery, Bethesda, Pembroke
| Bonabella and other places on the
salts. The main line and it's branches
would open up the land adjacent to
/ them and make it highly desirable
for farming purposes. Indeed, such
a system of good highways would be
of the greatest benefit to Savannah
1t would certainly contribute greatly
to her prosperity.
I'm establishing this system of roads
advantage would be taken of all avail.
able existing roads. When completed
it would give the people of Savannah
a superb pleasure drive, and would
besides, be of the greatest help to the
| farmers of that section of the county
penetrated by the roads in getting Their
products to market. 1t would also
| greatly increase the value of the tract
of land owned by the county.
There is a matter in this connec-
ton that has as yet received no at
tention, but which should have great
| deal. 1t is the DISABILITY of setting
aside 800 or 400 acres of the county
| tract of land for a public park for the
benefit not only of the present popu-
| lation of Savannah, but also, and more
especially. for the pleasure of the very
| large population that Savannah is GER
tain to have within the next fifteen
or twenty years.
eff such a park should be made and
| improved and a good roadway con-
| structed to 1t. in very little while 1t
| would become a popular resort. The
park project is certainly a good one
and should be carefully considered in
connection with the Meridian road
! project. The spirit of improvement
| has taken hold of the people of Chat
ham county, and gradually the face
of the whole county will be charged"
Building of the Meridian Road.
The Meridian road was graded
! through the county lands-some two
miles-and a greater part of the rest
| of the right of way along it's line of
| projection was secured without cost. A
| tract for the park was also surveyed
| and presented to the city. Why these
projects were not further developed
would be more suitable for another
| article.
One thing is certain, no better selec-
| ton for a speedway in this county
as suggested by Mr.. Foster to the
| Chamber of Commerce-can be made
than along the line of the Meridian
road southwark from where the City
and Suburban recrosses Waters road.
April 2, 1904.
Observer.