Smyrna times., 1917-10-03
GEN; DUPONT OFFERS TO
BUILD MODERN HIGHWAY
AGREES TO ABANDON HIS BOULE-
WARD SCHEME FROM MILFORD
Will Build at Cost of 100000 a
Road 70 Miles in Length From Mil
ford to Wilmington


made an offer to the State Highway |
Commission, to build for the State at |
his own expense a modern highway |
from Milford to Wilmington. His
offer, if accepted, means that he
would build for the State in manner
and over a route the State Highway
Commission shall prescribe, a road
that would cost anywhere from 81,
900, 900 to $2,O0O, 900, without one
cent of cost to the State. Geneal
DUPONT offers to abandon the DUPONT
boulevard project from Milford north
ward and to build approximately
seventy miles of State highway from
Milford to Wilmington. the only pro-
Viso he attaches tn his magnificent
offer being that the State Highway
Commission first shall complete the
construction of the DUPONT boulevard
from the Appenzellar farm, about
four miles south of Milford, to Mil
ford along the route az surveyed and
according to the plans filed by the
boulevard corporation. The DUPONT
boulevard has been built distance of
twenty miles from Selbyville to north
of Georgetown and turned over to the
State and work is now under way
from north of Georgetown toward Mil
ford. The owner of the Appenzellar
farm refused to grant right of way
through his property, and litigation
over the attempt of the boulevard
corporation to condemn path is now
pending in the Supreme Court of the
United States. The boulevard cor
poration also has acquired nearly the
entire right of way from the Ap-
penzellar farm to Milford, so that the
principal obstacle to completion of
the boulevard across the entire width
of Sussex county-a distance of 81
miles-is the Appenzellar farm.
The State Highway Commission
has authority to condemn land for
highway purposes. General DUPONT
asks first of all that the Highway
Commission complete the dupont
Boulevard from the Appenzellar farm
to Milford. in accord with the origi
nal plan of the boulevard corporation,
and then agree to have constructed,
as the next road under its jurisdic.
tion, State highway from Milford
to Wilmington.
Offers TO Pay the Entire Expense
''In case the Highway Department
shall so agree, as it's first work, to
continue the said highway from the
northern boundary of the said Ap-
penzellar farm to Wilmington, in the
manner herinabove prescribed, here
by personally offer to pay the entire
cost of constructing snch highway,
including the cost of all new rights of
way that it may be necessary to ac-
quire, but excluding the cost of a
new bridge, if one should be found
necessary, across the Delaware and
Chesapeake Canal. The reason for
excluding such bridge is that under
the Canal Company's charter the COM
pany itself is bound to build same.
''It is expressly understood that,
in case said offers are accepted al
details of the continuation of the
highway from or near Milford to the
city of Wilmington. including route,
width, character of construction, etc.
are to be determined by the State
Highway Department in accordance
with the law creating it.
''Should this be accepted l will
tender my resignation as a member oi
the State Highway Department 60 tina
my presence in tn department shal
not embarrass any member, in th'
exercise of his independent judg
ment.
Governor John G. Townsend, Jr.
Josiah Marvel, Walter o. Hoffecke
and Joseph E. Holland are the othe
members of the Highway Commission
and they referred the offer of Genera
DUPONT to Attorney General David j
Reinhardt for an opinion as to whethe
there are any legal obstacles to tn
acceptance of the offer.
Based on estimates for road con
struction recently submitted to tn
Levy Court, General DUPONT offers
build, at bis own personal expense
for the State highway that will COZ
in round figures two million dollars
This estimate is based on the col
struction Of an entire new road b.
3 tween Wilmington and Milford.
is exclusive of what he has spent al
is spending on the dupont Boulevar'
10 Miles From Milford to WilmingtC
The Levy Court of New Cast
County recently awarded contracts Fl
the Lincoln highway to be constructs
of Warrenite on concrete base at mo
than $50, 900 mile for a highw'
18 feet wide The bid for a sol