The Penn's Grove record., 1916-10-20
WON ALL STONE ROAD
From Penns Grove to Woods
town To Be The Best

All members were present excepting
Messrs. May and Robinson. The desk
formerly occupied by John G. Borton, Of
Pilesgrove, who was killed on October
Bird, was draped in black
The Woodstown Borough Council and
Pilesgrove Township Committee having
elected ]. Gilbert Borton, Freebooter, to
succeed his father, took his seat.
Resolutions of respect to the merits
and memory of John G.. Borton were
read and unanimously adopted. They
appear elsewhere.
Mr.. Griscom reported that the Finance
Committee went to Trenton, and had a
conference with Col. Stevens relative to
the apportionment of money for road
repairs in Salem county, and that he had
agreed to give the full amount prev
iously allotted-$30,00O.
Mr.. Griscom, for the Committee on
Supplies for the county Jail, reported
twenty three prisoners in the Jail, at a
cost of maintenance of $99.31, or an
average of ID 9-10 cents. In the road
camp ten pris oners, at a cost of $140.23,
or an average of 35 IA cents.
A resolution was passed authorizing
the County Collector and Director to
borrow $1,000 from the Salem National
Bank on a demand note at five per cent.
Considerable discussion was had over
the question of revising the plans for
the rebuilding of the two spans of the
Penns Neck bridge to permit the Salem
and Penns Grove Traction Company to
run their cars over the bridge, this be-
ing made necessary by the high bids of
some, $4,000 made by contractors on
the first plans.
Engineer Wilson advised the Board
that new plans be prepared dividing the
work into two or three contracts, and
that the reconstruction of the bridge
could probably be done for some $55.00O
with some additional $3.50 to Mr.. Will
son for preparing the plans.
The Traction Company wanted to
eliminate a sidewalk ON the bridge, but
the Board was unanimous in demanding
the sidewalk be added to the bridge
when it is built. The Board approved
the revised proposition, and authorized
Mr.. Wilson to prepare the revised plans.
A letter was received and read from
State Commissioner Meeker suggesting
that both sections of the Penns Grove
"OOuSlOhH IOdu DG UuIlL VI StOut Will
a bituminous top and at least a six-inch
stone base and Is feet in width. He gave
his reasons for the change, saying that
this road would eventually have a great
deal of heavy travel and would require
more stability than a dirt road which
would not stand up under the strain and
which would require constant attention
and cost. The present plan of the Free
holders had been to build it part way of
stone and the portion from Sharptown
into Woodstown of gravel.
Judge Waddington, representing the
.Woodstown Chamber of Commerce, de-
clared it would be a mistake not to
build this road of stone, and with the
large travel that is likely to go over this
road to Atlantic City, he was of the
opinion that the stone road would be
much the cheapest proposition for the
county. He said a good road here would
probably divert a large mount of pro-
duce to Woodstown for shipment, and
also the road would help the farmers in
hauling produce to Penns Grove, where
a good market had been developed. The
excessive cost of repairs on a gravel
road, he believed, would more than off
set the extra cost for building a stone
road. He gave instances in Gloucester
county to prove the statements he made.
Thomas e. Hunt and Mayor Gun
bingham, of Penns Grove, also advo-
Gated the building of a stone road, as did
Mr.. A. d. Snelbaker, president of the
Woodstown Chamber of Commerce; and
Rev. George w. Yard, Benjamin Patter-
son, Mr.. George M. Andrews and Mr..
W. d. Clayton, of the same body.
Engineer Keasbey called attention to
the cost of a stone road, which would
be about $4,000 a mile for an eighteen
feet wide road. and two feet shoulders,
OF about 100000 for the road, which is
quite in excess of the cost of gravel. OF
this the State would pay forty per cent
Mr.. Burk said a gravel road in his
township had proven a disappointment,
and he moved that the Penns Grove
Woodstown road be constructed of stone
the entire distance, which was unani-
mously approved by the Board, and the
Woodstown boosters evidenced their APP
probation by hearty applause.
A letter was read from Col. Stevens,
of the State Road Department, stating
that the department would approve
plans for widening the bridge at Sharp
town when the new road is constructed
from Penns Grove to Woodstown. With
the greatly increased travel over this
road, he thought the bridge ought to be
widened.
Director Gray named CARL and Heron
as auditors for the November meeting.
The Board ordered a survey of the
third section of the Penns Grove-Malaga
road, extending from the Pilesgrove line
to the railroad crossing in Woodstown,
a distance of about three miles, the road
to be built of gravel or other suitable
material.
A petition was presented from the
township committee of Alloway, asking
the Board to accept the road from Bal
linger's Mill to Aldine, a distance of
three-quarters of a mile, and to main
tain the same as a county road, the
township committee agreeing to pay
$3.50 toward the cost of improving the
road.