Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1919-04-02
THOUSANDS AT
BIG BARBECUE
HEAR GOSPEL
OFPAVEDROADS
Losses on Hauling of Cotton Along
SIS Per Bale Now, Reynolds
Shows

BARBECUE GROUNDS, Flint River
Bridge, April 2.4The new Flint river
bridge, constructed jointly by Sumter
and Dooly counties was formally open
ed here today by the commissioners
of the two counties with one of the
biggest barbecues ever seen in Geor-
gia. Thousands of people were here
from half a dozen counties, and near
ly every road leading to the bridge
was congested with cars and vehicles
from early morning. The weather
was ideal, being sunshiny and dry,
with fine roads everywhere, although
early in the day there was chill in
the air.A
1t was a great, jolly throng, enjoy
ing the first real jollification since the
beginning of the war, and it was a
remarkable demonstration of the good
feeling existing between the conting-
| uous counties of this section. Al
though it was primarily a Sumter
Dooly celebration, many were pres
ent from Crisp, Lee, Macon and other
counties.
At the usual hour the barbecue din
neg ass&s sawed Baskets. had been
brought by nearly everyone, and the
well-roasted carcasses of nearly 100
pigs furnished the principal feature
of the outdoor menu.
A number of speeches were heard
from the platform in the grove espec-
tally erected for the occasion, among
the speakers. being congressman Chas.
r. Crisp ands Frank T. Reynolds, the
secretary of the Georgia State Auto
mobile association.
Mr.. Reynolds, who is one of the big
gest permanent roads boosters in Geor-
gia. his organization being the prime
mover in the project in the state, made
one of the greatest paved highway
speeches ever heard in this section,
and he was listened to intently. What
! he said appeared to "go home" for he
presented facts and figures that proved
conclusively that anything but perma-
nent roads was waste and foolishness.
In Sumter county you raise more
than $4,000 bales of cotton a year."
said he. THE government by ex-
aminations and Investigations and cal
culations, has found that you lose SIS
frome every bale of cotton you pro-
duoe because of bad roads. This
means that dirt roads cost Sumter
county $125,00O per year. 1t is
simple matter to see that this vast
amount will pay interest, and create
sinking fund on your bonds for per-
manent roads, besides providing for
their maintenance. In other words,
permanent highways will actually not
cost you one cent of money, for your
saving in cotton alone will more than
pay for them.
Another thing. The government
has proved that permanent highways
add $4,000 per mile to the saleable
value of all of the lands they touch.
This means that the tax returns alone
| on the increase valuable of the land
in your county along these roads will
more than pay the interest on these
highway bonds"
Touching the states plan for
$4O,O00,00O highway project, Mr. Rey-
nols stated that there appeared to be
no doubt that it would go through at
the coming session of the legisla-
ture. "And when it does" he said,
"every county seat in Georgia will be
connected up by the permanent road
| ways. And there is one feature of this
program that will interest the South
east section of Sumter county espec-
tally: The plans contemplate the
building of bridge across Flint river
at Huguenin ferry on the road from
Americus and Leslie to Cordele. This
bridge is certain to be built and the
road paved all the way between these
points whether the people want it er
not, because it is part OF the state