The Birmingham age-herald., 1923-11-25


 his brother Adelbert. is staying. to pay for the construction of the extra mileage, the provision of an in adequate ferry or costly bridge at Gainesville, whereas the ferry is all ready provided by public subscrip- tion at Epes-but the taxpayers have got to keep up forever the main tenance of the unnecessary detour cost which everyone knows is greater than the original cost of con struction."
 S. Anderson, mayor of Epes, de- clared that the Boligee- Epes road was to be improved and maintained, no matter whether the federal aid highway went by way of Gainesville
 ",rhe travelling public de hands it." said Mir Anderson. The way the business Iouses of Birmingham, Meridian and other cities have come in with us in making this ferry pos sible shows to what extent our route is popular. ours is the only feasible ferry approach. You can cross the river at a 52-foot stage at Epes, and at S5-foot stage the ferry at Gaines vile is useless. Our latest infor- nation is that Nfr. Rogers hopes to have a bridge constructed at Gaines ville It will take a million dollars
 
 as a bridge at Epes would be-"
 Among the Birmingham firms which have subscribed to the fund for the establishment of the ferry at E. are: Goodall- Brown Dry Goods company. Perfect.ol Mattress and Spring company, J. K. Orr Shoe com pany, Thorp Hat company, Moore and Handley Hardware company and others, 1t was announced.
 r-t,a racult of tho Rplipaa m IT. at ing was the authorization of resolu- tions which set forth in no unce" tain terms u @ feeling of the people in the matter with instructions that copies be sent to congressmen and senators in Washington, seeking federal government action toward securing a re-survcy of the routes in question. The motion was made and carried that a strong delegation rep resenttng the communities interested go to Monts mery and register for nal protest with sthe state highway commiss en- Boligee men appointed on this committee were William Harsh, J. O. Hayes, Henry Bouchelle and w D. Johnston.
 Resolutions Oppose.
 The resolutions drafted are as fol- lows:
 whereas. The Alab ma State Highway commission has approved the construt tion of & fede. aid high way between the towns 0 Eutaw, in Greene county, and Livingston, in Sumter county, which is proposed to be routed via the towns of Clinton, Mount Hebron, Gainesville and thence to Livingston, and
 Whereas. The road imp; vement in Alabama, as indorsed by voters who approve the of bpp1e fo,s Y,rt. .,1oea ..ol1c for the constr etion of such road ways bet yeen su-I county sites via the most direct and feasible routes" and
 Whereas, A survey of roads in the counties of Greene and Sumter by a reputable engineer shows that a far more direct and more feasible route between the towns of Eutaw and Livingston would be the shorter route via the towns of Boligee and Epes, and
 ''Whereas, A new and adequate ferry is now being placed in operation at the Tombigbee river crossing at Epes, on said route, whi Il was made possible by public subscription by citizens of Eolgee lGpes, Livingston, Birmingham, Nashville. York. Meri- dian and other towns and cities, and
 Whereas, The liver crossing on the proposed route via Gainesville is un- satisfactory and adequate ferry fa- cilities or bridge f. cilities can be pro- vided there only at excessive cost to the taxpayers and
 Whereas, It was the estimate of the engineer hereinDefore referred to that the proposed route via Gaines vile would cost the taxpayers ap- proXimately one hundred and ninety six thousand dollars more than the route by Bolige'. and
 ~t,. rfTl.
 Rogers chairman of the Alabama state highwa:- commission, is at Gainesville, on the proposed routo. and he is the owner of approximately l2,O00 acres of other property in said vicinity; be it
 Resolved. By the citizens of Boli- gee, Ala, in mass meeting assembled, that we hereby publicly protest 10 the state highway commission of Alabama, against the authorization o. the con tract for the construction of said highway between IIutaw snd Living ston via Gainesvi'.,, and be it
 Resolved, That O. les of this reso- lution be sent to the Alabama con gresmen and senators in Washing ton, who are interested. to ,ther with all other good citizens. in ny at tempted useless expenditure of the public funds"
 Thanks Age-iierald.
 The meeting went on record as ex- pressing gratitude to The Birming- ham Age-Herald for it's interest In a matter on which, it has said, it las been impossible to secure any kind of official attention, much less official action. The Age-Herald's representative was conducted over the entire stretch of road between Eutaw and Livingston. t3 miles of which, as wa9 said above are in perfect condition, for it was possible tc make 45 niles an houi over them in a heavy car.
 Bolget men who sienified their endorsement of the mass meeting proceedings by registering. were as follows:
 W. J Hester Dr. D. II. Trice, J. NJ Jackson, M G. Bouchelle, H. T. Kirkland, Jr., James T. McAlpine. S J, Surch. J. o. Hays, F. VI. Johnston. Penry T. Bouchelle. L. s. Stallings. ! McKeen Gould, ST, l.. Fl. Dearman, A. B. l'emeville. A. J. McAlpine, w. D. Johnson, Jr., x. B. McAlpine. l. W. McAlpine, J. F. Demeville, J. Mckee Gould, Jr., A. J. Dearman. G. s. Wat son, J. T. Greene, H. c. Johnson. Dr. s l.. Thetford. Mrs. Helen Van Hoose Thetsord. D. H. Byrd. J. O. Temple, Mirse Stevens, Pick lcAlpine, c. P Mirse Stevens. Pick Lyles. H. N. Me Alpine. Mrs, Bessie McIemore Hester, FranIe McAlpine, G. P. BruEh. G. Det Seals, H. T, Kirkland, ST, J. F McGee.
 Epes citizens added tlielr voice in the following: