Milford chronicle., 1911-11-24
GEORGETOWN.

If there is person in the common
wealth of Delaware that has conceived
the idea that the boulevard which Gen
T. Coleman dupont has now started to
construct, from the southern extremity oi
Sussex county to the northern boundary
of the State, not only as a monument to
himself but which, when completed, will
be given to the State, is farce and land
grab game on the part Of the donor, let
that one pay a visit to old Sussex and see
what is being done. No sooner will the
one having such an idea, after looking at
the construction work now being carried
on a short distance from this town change
their mind and say that this is the most
gigantic undertaking and the most phil
anthropic move that has ever been made
by any one man for the best interests OF
the masses of any State in this country.
Only those who are directly concerned
and in touch with the thousands of de-
tails can grasp and realize what tremel :
dous undertaking it lie to construct such q
highway as it is the purpose OF this great
benefactor to give to the State OF Della
ware at q cost which will in all likelihood
exceed the two million dollar mark. The
ordinary laynan has not the mental ca
pacity to picture the undertaking, and to
those who have not been here and viewed
the workings but have merely read about
it the movement, in q tgurative sense
almost assumes the proportions OF myth
About the headquarters everyone is on
the move, and while to q casual observer
many things are done which appear use
less, nevertheless all go to help solve the
many details which have to be worked
out before the construction work from
one end OF the State to the other can be
started. With the minor details out OF
the way, actual work Of laying the stone
on the highway is going on, and is being
pushed with energy. While as rapid
progress is not being made as no doubt
could be, 1t is ouly due to the tact that
labor IN this county, which it is the de-
sire of Mr.. DUPONT to employ first IN
preference to foreign labor, ls very scarce.
Notwithstanding his unwilingness to
briug foreign laborers here Mr.. DUPONT
has found It necessary to do so or almost
be compelled to abandon the work for the
time being. Now that the farmers are
about through harvesting their crops, 1t
is argued that more help will be available
and that greater advances will be made
on the construction, providing that the
weather does not become too severe.
Gangs of men are at work grading from
here to Selbyville and it Is understood
that this work will be completed and
operations Of placing the stone commenc-
ed
From the Laurel-Seaiord road at point
lust out OF the corporate limits OF this
town, for distance of two miles south IN
the direction of Selbyville, as far as the
Sussex county almshouse, the road has
been graded and nearly the entire dis
tance has been placed in condition for the .
layers of building material. For about
three fOurths of a mile from what is
known as the Jimtown road, which lies
a few PAGES at the south of the LAUREL
Seaford road, the work of placing stone
on the highway has been started and the
entire distance, with the exception of g
rror1s hoe vnnoTvraI Eha ErsN
composed OF a mixture of stone about the
size of hen egg and cement. Tie road
proper is Aft wide and is in the center
of the two hundred feet survey. 1t is
understood that on either side the roads
for teams will be constructed, and that
being built now is speedway. II is said
that this fourteen foot road will be COLI
structed fret. The spread of stone now
being placed is four or five inches thick.
and it is said the depth will range from
six inches to enc foot. This will depend
on the kind of soil For instance, if
piece of land is encountered where there
does not seem to be a solid bed, the ma
terial will be placed about a foot thick so
that heavy loads will not break through.
In some places the abutments are twenty !
eight feet, while in others, where the
right OF way has not been secured, they
are only about twenty Near the aims /
house the road has been graded twenty
feet wide. Within a distance of about
two miles four cHlverts have been placed .
under the roadbed so as to dram the road I
On both sides bitches have been cut which .
lead to bitches Of the county. All along
the stretch from the Laurel Seaford road
to the slmshouse, small cutters have been
cut from the roadbed through the abut- .
ments so that the water can be run into I
the bitches adjacent, thereby making the
fourteen feet where the stone is being
placed dry
To haul the stone and other building
strings of teams are kept
busy, while two large and powerful
engines, similar to threshing engines, are
kept constantly running between this
town, carrying two and three large cars
probably holding twenty tons of stone.
This week there has been about one hun
dred men to work on the construction
part, while there are probably this many
more hauling the materials. The county
roads along the two-mile stretch, which .
make into the Highway are being re-
paired at Mr.. DuPont's expense in order
that better time can be made in hauling
the road building materials from here,
TO where the gange are at work On the