The Birmingham age-herald., 1915-09-08
APPEAL ID PEOPLE ID PROTECT SIGNS
 PLACED ON ROADS Elaborate System Installed by Board of Revenue Fast Being Spoiled BLADES BEING
 BATTERED OFF County Engineer Urges People te Prevent Needless Devastation.
 Markings Along Roads Have
 Attracted Commentator

George H. Clark, county engineer, has issued an appeal to the citizens of Jeffer- son county which should be of interest
 to every resident of the county. MT. Clark declares that vandals are fast spoil
 ing the sign posts placed at all cross
 roads in Jefferson county for the guidance
 of travellers. The work was done system
 atically by the board of revenue and 1t is
 a source of keen regret to Mir. Clark to
 find that thoughtless and malicious peo-
 pie are destroying the signs.
 MT. Clark's appeal to the people fol-
 lowsi
 "To the Citizens of Jefferson County
 An Appeal: Jefferson county has num-
 berless road intersections and oross-roads
 corners, imperatively demanding sign posts telling where these roads go. for the information of everybody attemptins to travel them.
 Tn response to the urgent need for these sign posts, the board of revenue re- gently sent Mr. John House all over Jef- ferson county to collect the necessary data for lettering these road signs. equip
 ping him with the standard odometer used by the United States government, so that
 he could measure accurately all distances to principal points on our extensive road system, and thus place this valuable in- formation also on the sign blades. Widest Commentator
 No one piece of road work which had been carried out here in recent years has met with such universal commendation as thls new system just started by the pres ent board of revenue to clearly mark the network of roads which everywhere cross and recross in reaching the numerous mining camps and active points of de- velopment in the district
 Tn order that the work should be per manently as we'll as competently done a heavy cast iron post has been used, set l in concrete base, to which is solidly at tached heavy cast iron sign blades painted white, and suitably lettered. Tt Is inconceivable that such work as this should not be Appreciated as 1t i) | assisted and cared for and protected by the travelling public in every possible way Touring parties en route from Ashe- vile, N. C., to Florida points have gone out of their way to express their appre- ciation and commendation of these sign posts, and have stated that even over the l celebrated Lincoln highway itself they have nowhere else. north or south. east or west. on the roads they have exten- | sively travelled, met with such clear | cut and valuable system of clearly intel | llRlDle rOau 1nIOrTlaUOn dS they louHs | here in Jefferson county.
 l Yet since the work of setting these post in place was commenced. only aDou one month ago, over 10 per cent of these | signs have had their sign blads battered I off and broken by somebody. the solit | character of the post making 1t necessary almost to use a sledgehammer in order tt | accomplish this work of defacement ant destruction. Nevertheless. 1t has beer done, and presumably will continue to bt done, unless public sentiment throughout the county can be sufficiently aroused tC guard them, and to ascertain and prop erly punish whoever 1t Is that Is responsi ble for such malicious mischief. represent | ing already heavy loss to the county il money and time expended, and now to b. again expended for repairs, else a stop page of this important and valuable worl must result.
 People Must Protest
 "The protection of the sign posts mus 1 in the main lie with residents along tn,
 roads, but it is earnestly desired and re l quested by the board of revenue tha every man travelling the roads of thu l county and every good citizen of Jeffer l son county constitute himself committe, l of one to assist the county in apprehend ing and properly punishing this vandalism | by whomsoever 1t is being done. otherwise l the placing of the remainder of thes' 1 signs. being thereby largely wasted, mus
 be discontinued as economically an impos l sible system to maintain Respectfully, l GEORGE w. CLARK, | "County Engineer"