The daily banner. (Cambridge, Md.) 1897-2008, 1914-11-09
COL, DuPONl'5 FINE
GIFT TO DELAWARE
Wins Long Legal Fight to Build T"I
Million Dollar Highway.

! Not often is 1t necessary TOT
philanthropist to fight strenuou
legal battle in the courts and conducI
a vigorous campaign to overcom
public prejudice against his plan Il
give two million dollars to the State,
but that has been the novel expert
ence of General T. Coleman DUPONT,
of Delaware, who has finally cleared
the last obstacle out of the way Of
his scheme to build boulevard from
the Pennsylvania to the Maryland
line, pay for it out of his own pocket
and turn it over to the people. I'm
der a decision of the United States
Supreme Court just handed down the
General is now free to proceed with
the unique idea, which he first pro-
posed four years ago.
When he announced to the people
of Delaware that he desired to con-
struct fine modern highway hun
dred and ten miles long, stretching
directly through the heart of the
little Commonwealth and forming a
main artery for the transportation Of
the truck and other farm produce
which is the principal foundation OF
it's wealth, it was naturally supposed
that the generosity of the offer
would make instant appeal. But not
so. Curiously enough, an adverse
sentiment sprang up immediately,es-
pecially among farmers whose land
would have to be crossed, Some saw
an ulterior motive. an attempt to get
control of a valuable franchise un-
der guise of granting an improve
ment to the people. 1t was sugges-
ted that the General might want to
build a continuous string of tene-
ment houses from end to end of the
boulevard, overlooking the fact that
at many places it would have to pass
through swamps and wild woodlands
where tenements would remain ten
antless for years. Others thought
that it would give him too much
power. 1t was even advanced that to
permit a private person to conduct
such a great public work would be
detrimental to the dignity of the
State. Then, too, it was said that 1t
was prompted by vanity and love OF
self advertising, and intended to en-
phasize the wealth of the donor at
the expense of the taxpayers, who
could not be induced to assume the
burden. No opinion seemed too tan
tastical or ridiculous to voice as an
objection. General dupont Sas1
flooded with letters from an pl Of
the State, and eve zaltsid
many con srat6l lake1 s.otl11
temptuous, and a few threa&e6 8
But none of them disturbed his 3 od
nature or caused him to turn aside
from the project. ~
The first step was to have the Leg
islature pass the necessary legisla-
ton, which was accomplished with
out much difficulty, once the leaders
at Dover were made fully acquainted
with the plans. Then came the law
suits. The attack was made on ev-
cry possible ground, but especially on
the constitutionality of the law. This
question was threshed out in all the
courts of Delaware and up by slow
degrees through the United States
courts, until finally it resulted in the
victory of this week. The legality OF
the project has been sustained and
General DUPONT is expected to re-
new his active operations for the
actual construction of the road
where they were abruptly terminal
ed at the beginning of the litigation.
He means to superintend the work
himself. He has not been in the best
of health for sometime and has been
retired from active business. But he
believes the outdoor work will hene-
fit him and has been looking forward
with keenest pleasure to the exercise
which it will furnish him in the open.
He has had a special: automobile,
with sleeping quarters and kitchen
cite attachment, built for his use, SO
that he can camp right at the Ecene
of operations when they get out of
easy access to the towns. 1t is es-
timated that the work will result in
the expenditure of many thousands
of dollars weekly in wages and give
long and steady employment to some
three thousand men.