Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-05-28
DOUGHERTY ROADS
WILL BE IMPROVED

ALBANY, Ca, May 24.-The good
roads movement in Dougherty county be-
gan years ago, long before there were
any automobiles in this part of the coun-
try to emphasize the need for great pub
lie highway.
The meaning of good roads is different
in different localities. If you should ask
a south Georgia man to explain what
his idea of a good road was, he would
describe a road free from the long
stretches of sand, which come half way
up to the hub of a buggy wheel The
north Georgia man would picture a road
free from hills and gullies. while the man
from some other locality would picture a
road which was not made impossible by
mud for several months of the year.
1t was with an idea of eliminating the
disagrelable sand beds which first started
the good roads movement in Dougherty
county AS far back as 1894 Dougherty
county began working her convicts on her
roads. The first step was to remove the
sand and FIREPLACE 1t with packed and
rolled clay, grading the roadbed so as to
shed water. Every important roadway In
the county has been worked over in this
way, and there are few counties in the
state which show better roads than those
which lead out from Albany to all parts
Of the county.
BEGINNING OF WORK.
This work was inaugurated by the late
John r. Whitehead, for many years prior
to his recent sudden and untimely death,
chairman of the commissioners Of roads
and revenues of this county. Mr.. White
head was good roads enthusiast, and he
gradually impaired his enthusiasm to 9TH
ers until practically every man In the
county today is an advocate Of good
roads. 1t Is largely due to the Judgment
q
Dougherty county is so far ahead of her
neighboring counties in improved road
ways and that the work begun years ago
is being extended and carried forward
today on a larger and more permanent
scale.
The clay roads have been great i'm
provements over the heavy sand roads
which they replaced, but progressive
county like Dougherty needed more per-
manent roadbeds than could be made OF
clay. Three years ago the county authori-
ties began experimenting with limestone
rock as q road building material The re-
suits have been most satisfactory, and
last year a bond issue of $4,000 was au-
thorized for the purchase of up-to-date
road building machinery huge rock
crusher and a heavy roller, propelled by
gasoline, were bought and the county
built its first macadam road.
a macadam road from the Lee county
line on the north to the Mitchell county
line on the south. only a few miles OF
the stretch remaining to be built. The
road has recently been treated with an
application of road oil which made II
dustless, and II is one of the finest pieces
of improved roadway in the state.
The work of road building. so we'll be-
gun by the county commissioners under
the Craftsmanship of Mr.. Whitehead, is
being continued with renewed enthusiasm
under the direction of the new chair
man, Mr.. n. F. Tiff. IT was Mr.. Tiff
who suggested the building of a great
public highway from Atlanta to Albany
and on to Jacksonville by securing the
cooperation of the county authorities
along the route. In order to bring this
matter properly before attention of the
counties at interest. a meeting of the
commissioners of the counties along the
route, together with officials from all
counties in southwest Georgia have been
invited to meet in Albany June s.
The object of this meeting is two-fold.
It is for the purpose of outlining a plan
for the proposed highway and for taking
up with vigor the proposed autmobile
race from Albany TO Atlanta. The plan
of having a race from this city to At
lanta was suggested by Mayor H. A.