The Birmingham age-herald., 1913-06-24
SCOUTS ENCOUNTER ROUGH
ROADS IN SUMTER COUNTY
Travel Through Seven Counties of State Direction of Mis-
sssippi Making Brief Stops at Principal Towns-Dallas
Roads in Good Condition and Citizens Enthu-
siastic Over Good Roads.
BY j.. $. BETTY

The plan of working eonvicts ON the
roads of the county was begun two
years ago and today Dallas county has
a number of highways which will do
credit to any section of the United
States.
The scouting party stopped at De-
mopolis for lunch and Immediately
upon the arrival of the touring car in
that city a large number of promi-
nent citizens of that place called at
the hotel TO extend a welcome to the
pathfinders. Among those who called
upon Engineer Keller were Judge e. J..
Gilbert of the Marengo law and equity
court; Col. N G. Winn, C. C. Clay,
Judge w. T. Herbert, J. B. Wilson,
county commissioner, and others. Ev-
cry one expressed deep interest in the
tour which Engineer Keller is making
through the state and every assurance
was given that Marengo is not lacking
in enthusiasm on the question of good
roads,
In the northern section of the coun-
ty the people are most enthusiastic
and as proof of their interest that par
ticular section has a number of good
roads Marengo county pays particular
attention to dragging her roads. As a
result a number of highways through
out the county have been greatly i'm
proved. The road leading into Demop-
oils is particularly good.
1t was learned that the county Is
preparing TO vote on bond issue for
the purpose of building a system of
roads and citizens of Demopolis de-
clare that the issue will carry. The
amount of the bond issue to be voted
on is 100000
In Perry county, through which the
highway touring car passed for dis
tance of about 10 miles, bond issue
of $1,000 was recently authorized, and
it was learned that "a number of fine
highways will be constructed in that
county.
The scouting party today also passed
through a narrow strip of Hale county
and they We're told that this county
is in the midst of a good roads cam
paign, having floated bond Issue of
500, 900.
BY far the poorest road Travelled over
today by the highway scouting party
was the Demopolis-L Livingston highway.
Engineer Keller had planned to push on
tonight to Meridian but he learned at
Demopolis that he would have to make
the trip by way of Livingston and con-
sequently he pushed on to that city as
soon as he crossed the Tombigbee river
into Sumter county. Upon arriving in
Livingston Engineer Keller and his
party We're met by Judge of Probate
P. b. Jarman and Road Commissioner
r. G. Ennis. both of whom escorted
the scouting party to York.
According to Judge Jarman, Sumter
county is interested in the question of
building good roads and an effort will
be- made to enlist the support of Cit
izens of the county in a good roads
campaign According to the observation
of the highway party today, Sumter
county is very backward in road
building.
Diversity of crops was a feature of
the days trip which impressed the
highway SCOUTS. In Autauga county
fine crorps of cotton were observed by
the pathfinders and this staple was
much in evidence in Dallas county
along the road leading into Selma. Be-
yond Selma. however, the party had an
opportunity to observe the hay and al
falfa lands which have enriched the
northwestern corner of that county.