The Hattiesburg news. (Hattiesburg, Miss.) 1908-1917, 1914-07-08
READY TO START
WORK OF DRAINING
G0RDON'S CREEK
COMMISSIONING AND NewMAN
LUMBER CO. HAVE REACHED
FINAL AGREEMENT.
CITY WILL Spend $500;
NEWMAN COMPANY $4,000
J>oo11 Is No Provision n CaWrof 10. T.
Expected to Remedy unsanitary Cen
dition.

The city commissioner. the county
board Of supervisors and Lamar Hen.
nington. attorney for the Newman
Lumber Company. yesterday went
down to the mouth of Gordon's creek
to investigate the proposition of OPEN
ing new channel for the creek around
the Newman milldam and direct into
the river.
The commissioners wanted the as
sistance of the county in constructing
the ditch which will let tie water d.
rect into the river. ]. P. Pace, presi-
dent of the board of supervisors, today
said that the board has no authority
for spending the county's funds for
that purpose and that the board could
not assist the city.
The Newman Lumber Company.
through Mr.. Remington, has offered To
furnish all the lumber necessary in
carrying out the project, including the
piles and pile driver. The Noum6&
company will build the nnw.1or
their mill pond and will s. \
ply of water from the river instead OF
! from the creek.
| The city commissioners are not dis
mayed by the refusal of the co-opera-
tion of the county in digging the canal.
They said this morning that the canal
is to be dug. The details are not yet
completed but the canal will be start {
ed at an early date. That has been
definitely settled There will be a
meeting again today between the COM
missiorers- an ta9l2 ,dthe Newman Lumber
Company representatives to discuss
the matter further q
The commissioners have been assLr-
ed of the cooperation of the lumber
company, not only in supplying the
lumber but in any other way that they
may De neeoed. "A
viii Cost City $500.
The cost of digging the canal has
been estimated by the city engineer.
]. H. Putnam, at about $500. The cost
of building a new dam by the lumber
company and establishing a new water
supply has been estimated by their en-
gineer at about $4,000.
1t is not because of a matter of dol
lars and cents, it is claimed by the
lumber company, that they object to
digging the ditch. They do not care
to assume the responsibility for the
damage suits which may grow out of
the opening up of new channel.
The agitation which HAS resulted in
the move to open up the end of Gordon
creek began with the publication of
news story in The News several weeks
ago, which called attention to the TN
sanitary condition at the head OF Cor
don creek where the Normal college
sewage was emptied The agitation
has followed the course of the stream
and has caused a strict enforcement
of the sanitary laws forbidding sewage
being poured into the creek as it passes
through the city. 1t now proposes to
open up free channel for the stream
so as to abate the nuisance of stagnant
pools which have formed because the
lower end of the stream has been dam
med up and IA feet taken away from
the normal slope.
1t has been claimed that the respor,ss
sibility for opening up the creek
entirely with the lumber company, but
d. q. Sullivan, city attorney, today de-
clined to give an opinion on that point.
Don't Want to Walt.
The city commission takes the posi-
tion that 1t would be better for the
health of the community to dig the
canal now even at the cost OF $500 "a
than to waste ten years in litigation
trying to fix the responsibility.
The attorney for the lumber conpenx
maintains that the company y boun| 8
by no legal responsibility but 4 WIN
to cooperate with the city q ~ #
possible toward brinsine 49,
desired end. =