Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1908-05-30
Public Roads


Public roads are a public nee
essity, and should be one of the chief
concerns of all our people. The
common highway for the common peo-
pie, is the common problem of all
citizens, upon the wisdom of each in
dividual county solving this problem
Alright depends much. Whatever
may have been our virtues in tNe
past, we certainly have not been Gull
ty of building good roads. We viii
not be satisfied in the futu"a with
less than the best of roada our
means and best thoughts caL con-
struct. With splendidly graded roads
the people will become more pros
porous, more cOntented to remain at
their homes in the country. The
transportation of children to larger
school centers (Which we have tried
as an experiment in a small way in
our county, will become a reality;
the values of our farm lands, and all
our property will multiply; distances
will be diminished; mail and parcels
will be delivered at the front doors
willingly by our National Govern
ment; our country people will take
an especial pride in their homes and
in their school houses, and with
the beautiful and better homes, will
grow up a better and happier peo-
pie, and the neglected places in our
rural communities will be built up
and cared for, and with every pros
pect pleasing, we will have a land
as fair as Eden, which fingers as
garden spot in the memory of man.
To this end we recommend:
l. That Sumter County at the next
apportionment of the felony convicts
by the State, accept it's share, which
we are informed would be about
tWenty-three, and put them to work
on our public roads.
2. That the County continue to
work all misdemeanOr convicts on
the roads as it is at present doing
). We respectfully request that
the County Commissioners of Roads
and Revenues begin their work with
Amerlcus as a center, and from her
corporate limits first build we'll grad
ed, substantial roads in the directions
of greatest travel-Americus being
hub of a wheel whose spokes shall
continue to grow from year to year.
to greater lengths, until at last these
we'll graded and splendidIy built
highways shall reach the rfemOtest
part Of our County.
4. That our County Commissioners
be directed to have prepared a map
of this County, which shall ac-
curately locate all streams, all public
roads and railroads; all school
houses, all churches and important
settlements; all land lots with their
numbers and lines, and such Other
facts as should properly be indi-
Gated on County map. We do not
believe that this problem can be ap-
preached intelligently by our Com
missiOners without such information
as a map of this character would af-
ford
We understand that our National
Government is soon to prepare 8
soil map of Sumter County, and that
in doing this, the Government sur
Veyors will gather much information
which would save expense and be OF
service to any surveyor our Commits
siOners may see proper to employ.
We would therefore suggest thai
our Commissioners ascertain wheth.
er or not this work has been off
cially authorized by the Nationa
Government before they undertake
their work of preparing the map
1t is matter of common know
ledge to all of your people that the
negro, who comprise a large part O
our population, almost without al
exception, own and carry with then
at all times and everywhere, a deadly
weapon.
We, therefore, recommend to oug
representative in the Legislature tha
they seek to have enacted such law.
as will make it so expensive for any
person to own such weapons, that al
least our worthless, criminal ele
ment, which comes largely from tht
negro race, will scarcely be willing t.
have such a luxury We believe tha
such a bond, or such a tax should b
required for the ownership of a deadl.
weapon as to make it's ownership
well-nigh prohibitive.
This body also suggests that tho
Act creating our Board of County
Commissioners of Roads and Revenue
be so amended at the next meeting @
our General Assembly as to preven
all Of it's members from going out
office at any one time. We sugges
that three be elected one time an
two the next time; the election fO
County commissioners being held al
ways at the same time our represen
tatives to the General Assembly are
elected. AS five new Commissioner
have already been elected for a perioc
of four years by the people, we woulC
suggest that the term of two of the
five be extended two years; thest
two to be selected from the five b.
lot, and then provision be made tC
elect alternately three and two ever,
two years.
We beg to say We find our schools
in good condition, with an enrolment
of 1860 white children; we find ar
average attendance of SAT. This We
believe is far above the usual aver.
age attendance.
We are glad to note that our Coun-
ty Board of Education now have deed!
to twenty-five school houses, which
they value at 8,000.00-this denotes
progress. We desire to congratulate
Sumter school district upon having
voted a local tax, and we trust thai
their example may be speedily fol
lowed by many other Districts il
the County. We believe the State
has gone far enough, and that The
best results will be accomplished, anC
the best education be acquired wher