Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1917-05-24

General dupont, Governor Town
send and other members Of the party
got into waiting automobiles and we're
whisked away over the twenty-mile
stretch Of unbroken highway, mostly
built OF concrete, from Georgetown
to Selbyville and return. A large
number OF Sussex countians in auto
mobiles accompanied the party on the
inspection trip. At many towns en-
thusiastic greeting was given to Gov
ernor Townsend. General DUPONT and
the others in the distinguished party.
Among some of those invited by
General dupont to attend the inspec-
ton. the formal presentation and the
luncheon in Georgetown afterwards
we're:
Governor Townsend, General du-
Pont. Chief Justice James Pennewill,
Judge VIM. II. Boycc. Judge Henry G..
Conrad. r. II. Richards. Josiah Marvel.
Chas. Warner. Colonel George A. FL
lott. A. j Whitney. superintendent
OF the T., B. and w. Railroad, former
Congressman Thomas w Miller, Judge
William S. Prickett. William F. Met.
ten. County Engineer James Wilson,
City Engineer r. NJ. Hopes, Jr.. DR..
Harrison w. Howell, T. Allen Hilles.
General J. p. Wickersham, Of Will
mington; L. NJ Boomer. New York
City; i. L. Durham New York CITY;
Frank II. Hitchcock. New York City;
the Rev. Dr. John Wesley Hill, New
York City; Frank Williams, State
Engineer. OF New York; n. Eltinge
Breed. Albany, n. Y; w. n. Barnard
of Wilmington: Henry Tatnall. Vice
President Pennsylvania Railroad: S.
Frank Butler, Engineer Of the Port
land Cement Association, New York
City; members of the Governors
Staff. Thomas w. Simmons. Secretary
of State OF Maryland; Senator Orlan-
do Harrison, Berlin, Nd; T. VI. Pur-
nell. Snow Hill. Md; John w Station
Snow Hill. Nd; II. F. Harmonson
Berlin. Md; H. G. Shirley. Chief En-
gineer Of the State Roads Commission
OF Maryland; former Governor S s.
Pennewill. Greenwood. Del. General
A. r. Benson, Dover; Charles w Gull
len. Georgetown; Charles S. Richards.
Georgetown; c. NJ. Upham. George
town: Secretary OF State Everett c.
Johnson. Joseph +. Holland. Milford;
y.
William ] Swain, State Treasurer;
Senator o. A. Newton. Bridgeville;
General George II. Hall, Milford; for
mer Congressman Hiram r. Burton.
Lewes: +. w. Holloway. Melville;
General A. P. Corbit, Odessa; w.
Hart Scott. Kent County Engineer;
G. II. Claudy, Washington d. c.;
Philip L. Cannon, Bridgeville; W. r.
McCabe, Selbyville; former Lieut.
Governor Colen Ferguson. Blackbird;
former Congressman w. o. Hofecker.
Smyrna; c. ID. Buck; c. NJ. Bates. OF
Wilmington, and Samuel Knopf
Georgetown, assistant engineer on the
DUPONT road.
The concrete roadway presented TO
the State today, and TO be maintained
hereafter by the State Highway De-
partment. is fourteen feet wide. and n
flanked on each side by a dirt road.
with cutters. retaining walls, etc. the
entire width bong thirty to forty
feet. The roadway is on the 200
feet wide right Of way. the remainder
being retained by the Coleman du-
Pont Road Corporation for future de-
velopment. General DUPONT has Of
fered TO turr. It over 10 the State tenn
porarily for use as garden or demon
stration farm plots.
General duPOnts Speech.
General DUPONT. in presenting the
road to Governor Townsend. said:
Some few years ago ! offered 10
build and turn over to the State Of
DelaYare, without cost 10 the State
a good road from the Maryland line
e. .sesrr f.n
necessary legislation was passed 10
enable me to do this. The Legisla-
ture of 1911 passed an act authoriz-
ing the building Of the road
Survey was made and work on
the road commenced when it was
stopped by litigation, the question OF
the legality OF the act under which
the road was being built being dis
puted.
This I have twice taken TO the su-
preme Court OF our land. Once I
won by default. but having no express
sion OF opinion from the court It was
necessary to again take case to the
Supreme Court of the United States,
where it is row pending. ! would not
give. nor could the State afford to ac-
cept, road TO which the very title
was in doubt. hence the delay that
has. | am sorry 10 say. put Delaware
behind most States on good roads,
when this place should. and could,
have been az the head Of the list.
Under The act which au horized
the building OF the road. ii was to be
turned over TO the State in sections
of ten miles or more, when completed,
in manner satisfactory to the COM
mission created by that law, and in
compliance with the provisions OF the
act Of the Assembly of 1911. hereby.
on behalf of the Coleman dupont
Road, hand to you. Governor Town
send, a deed to the road from the
Maryland line. near Selbyville. to a
point near Georgetown. distance OF
about twenty miles"
Governor Townsend Accepts.
Governor Townsend. in accepting
the road on behalf OF the State said:
Il shall take but a moment. AS
chief executive Of the State. in accept
ing this gift permit me to say a word
OF appreciation. ! feel I represent
we'll the citizens OF Sussex counts
when ! say that no one thing since the
building OF the railroad has done so
much for the development of this