Newspaper Page Text
- .GRADY COUNTY PROGRESS—PAGE 7
LAW IS
DEFENSE OF BOM
For the benefit of the people
. of Grady county, and on account
of the unjust criticism the Boarl
of County Commissoners have
under-went in the last few
months, I desire in defense of
the Board, and through the kind
ness of our-papersof the County,
to have the law under which wc
have to be governed by in all
matters and management of the
county’s affairs, published, so as
every citizen of the county may
have and opportunity to read the
law, and thereby draw his own
conclusion.
, It is my desire to carry out the
jaw and I believe it is the desire
•of the entire Board to do so
If the law is wron? we can,t
help it, and I will be found at
- all times trying to transact the
affairs of the county according
to law.
Respectfully yours, •
J. J. Coppage
CODE 1910-ALTERNA-
TIVE ROAP LAW
No. .1—Article 2—Section 694,
County Authorities to lay out
roads:
The Commissioners-of Komis and Rev
enues, Ordinary, or such other officer
as has vhare of connty matters of each
county in this State, shall have the sole
right to lay out, open, clianue, or dis
continue public roads therein, and the
• sole management of the working of
■‘said roads; and said authorities shall
•have the authority to appoint a super-
„ intendent of public roads when neces
sary and also to appoint all overseers,
guards and officers that may be requir-
• ed to successfully carry out the provis
ions «»f this article, to prescribe tin
duties of said superintendent, guardr,
. officers, fix the term of office of the
• same, and to prescribe and pay said ap
pointees such salaries or wages as may
be deemed proper.
Section 695—Who subject to
road duty.
Each male citizen between' the age:
. of twenty-one and fifty years shall be
subject to road duty (except those who
are now exempt by law), and shall be
required, when notified or summoned,
. to work on the public roads of the coun
ty of his residence, for such length ol
time in each year as may be fixed, 01
to pay such comutation tax as may br
. ' fixed by said authorities: Provided th: t
no one shall be required to work foi
longer than ten days in any one year,
nor shall said comutation tax be fixed at
a sum that will amount to more tlinr.
fifty cents per diem for the number o
days work required.
Section 696—county tax for
road.
The commissioners or roads and reve
nues, or ordinary, as the case may be,
shall levy a tax additional to nowauth-
orized by law, of not more than- four
tenths of one per cent, on all taxabh
property of the county, and the fun<
raised by said taxation, together witl
the comutation tax heretofore provided
for, shall bo known as the “Public Road
Fund” of the county, and shall be usee
and expended for the purposes of pay
ing the salaries and wages, and fo
working, improving and repairing tlu
public roads as herein set forth.
Section 697—Provissions for
working.
Said authorities are authorized tc
work, improve and repair the public
roads, ns follows:
1st. They may work a chain-gang
(which said authorities are hereby em
powered to organize; said'gang to con
sist of the misdemeanor convicts of the
county, or or any other county of this
State that may be obtained without
cost or for hire) and those who do not
pay the comuitation tax: Provided, that
the convicts and those who do not pay
the said tax shall not be worked to
gether.
2nd. They may work free hired la
bor and those who do not pay the com
utation tax.
3rd. .They may have said roads work
ed, improved or repnired, by contract
ing for the same, in such manm r at
they may deem fit, with private parties,
or cosporations: Provided, that if the
work is done by contract, the conti ac
tors shall be required to employ the
hain-gang, if established, and the la
bor of those who do not pay the eomu-
tatlon tax, and to pay for the same.
4th They may employ or combine
my or all of said three above-mentioned
methods, or may use any other method
>v system that may be desired for ac
complishing the work necessary to ^ut
tnd keep the public roads in good coa
lition.
Section, 698.— Machinery, tools
ect.
Said authorities may purchase any
rod all machinery, implements, tools,
wagon- 1 , and stock necessary and re
quired for working said rouds, and may
ruild such houses or stockades, and pur
chase anything or article necessary and
useful in handling and working the
chain-gang.
Section, 699.-Fund, how spent.
Saili authorities shall expend said
public road fund in any manner they
may deem best for putting and keeping
the roads in thorough condition and
repair.
Section, 700.—Residents of ci
ties not affected.
The citizens of cities and towns shall
not be required to -work the public
roads outside of the c irporate lim t;,
nor to pay the comutation tax.
Section, 701.—Defaulters.
Any person who has failed or refused
to pay the comutation tax when de
manded by the officer appointed by the
authorities to make such demand, and
who shall, without a good excuse, fail
or refuse to appea.x at the time and
place appointed to work, when sum
moned or notified by the officer whose
duty it is to give said summons or notice
by the rules of the authorities having
charge of the public roads, or who shall
fail or refuse to do faithful work as or
dered by the officers in charge of the
work when he has appeared, shall be
fined not less than.one dollar nor more
than five dollars for each day he fails
to work, or bo imprisoned in [the com
mon jail at the discretion of the au
thorities trying the case, or be seten-
.■ed to work in the chain-gang for not
longer than ninety days. If the au
thorities trying the case impose a fine
upon the person convicted, it may be
with the alternative ofj other [punish
ment allowed by this section, in ease
said fine is not paid.
Section, 702.—Defaulters, by
whom tried.
One or more of the commissioners of
roads and revenues in counties having
commissioners, und the ordinaries in
the counties where the .ordinaries have
charge of county matters and public
roads under this Article, and the coun
ty judge in counties where said judge
las charge of county matters and pub
lic roads, are empowered to try all de
faulters, and said authorities shnll hold
court or courts for the trial of said de
faulters, at any time or.times, at any
place or places in the enunty that may
)e fixed by said authority: Provided,
that ten days notice be given of the
time and place, or times and places,*to
defaulters.
Section, 703.—Summoned
whom.
Defaulters shall be ' summoned for
trial by, or arrested by, such officer or
officers as the emmissioner or ordinary,
cr county judge may appoint, or by any
lawful constable of the county.
Section, 704.—Provision, when
jf force.
ThisArticleshall not go into effect in
my county in this state until it is rec-
emmended by the grand jury of said
county, said recomendation to be made
it any term of court, and the operation
>f this article shall be suspended in any
county of this stnte qpon a like rec-
immendation of the grand jury, made
it any term of court, after the lapse
if three years from the time this ar-
:iclc goes into effect.
South and Middle West Have
Suffered Most Heavily.
ST. LOUIS DEATH TOTAL 450
Groat Storm of 1396 Recalled by Pres-
ont Tornado—Property Loss of $8,-
000,000—Gulf States Ofton Swept.
Fire Causes Great Damage In Wako
of Wind—Rocont High Wind*.
DEAD AND INJURED IN GREAT
TORNADO.
Esti-
Known
mated
Dead.
Dead.
Injured.
Omaha .•
200
500
Yutan, Nob...
25
50
Other Nebraska
towns
35
150
Terre Haute.
...20
50
300
Council Bluffs,
la. 8
15
20
Woodbine, la.
... 6
10
25
Flat Spring..
.... 5
10
50
Chicago
••
150
Totals
345
1,245
New York.—Tornadoes and destruc
tive high winds have been of frequent
occurrence In the United States In the
Inst few years. Although these winds
are commonly called “cyclones,” scien
tists distinguish between the cyclone
and the tornado. The cyclone is a
widespread “low area storm" mdA liig
In an elliptical pnth. The tornado
drops with a single burst of violence.
Of these the most destructive to life
und property was the St. Louis torna
do. which took place on May 27. 1811(1.
Just before the time set for the na
tional Republican convention. The
by
NOTES FROM THE NEWS.
Twenty-seven qunll were found starv
ed to death tn n snowdrift at Hoknh.
Wls. They bnd dug their way into the
snow for warmth and were caught by
the freezing of n crust on top.
A Cnnarsie (N. Y.) hen Is the latest
entry In the freak egg contest She ts
owned by Hermnn Gager and named
Tootsie. Each egg laid by her Is plain
ly marked with a “T,” the initial of
her nnme.
Harriet Tubman Davis, born in slav
ery and who served as scout, nurse
and spy In the Union cause, is dend at
Auburn, N. Y., in u home she founded
for aged and indigent negroes. Escap
ing slavery, she was a runner for the
“underground rnllrond" before the war
and helped more tbnn 300 slaves to
Canada. At one time there was n
price of more than $50,000 on her head.
tlmiH of death Ucuilug torimducs hi tut-
United Stntes. Two of the most fatal
took plnee In Adntns. Miss., on May 5.
1840, when 317 persons were killed,
and on Juno 10. 1812, u storm killed
500. Ear|y In April, 1880, the lower
Missouri towns of Bnrry. Stone. Web
ster and Christian suffered life and
property loss. Almost a hundred per
sons were killed hud 000 Injured, and
81.000.000 worth of property was de
stroyed. Twenty-two. persons were
killed and seventy-two Injured on
April 25 of the same year In Noxubee
county. Miss. On May 28 forty wore
killed and elghty-thrce Injured In Kau-
nice und St. Mary rivers on a rampage
Town without lights und water famine
threatened. Highest water iu twenty
years,
Marlon lull.—Kivu hundred persons
forced to flee for their lives.
Ell wood. InU.—Three hundred per
sous hoyielesH.
St. Louis.—Ono person known to have
oben drowned and many families In the
western part of the city forced to leave
their homes by sudden rise of the Dos
Teres river.
Breda Ripple. Ind.—One thousand
feet of railroad track washed out.
Youngstown. O.—Fourteen thousand
tnon title by reason of the closing down
of mills and fnctorles. The flood Is tin-
worst that this city lias experienced In
many years.
At Delaware, twenty-five tulles north
of Columbus, from nineteen to fifty
are roportihl drowned as a result of
the flood. The town also Is Isolated,
with the exception of Intermittent tele-
grupli service. One part of the towu Is
cut off from the other because the river
channel runs practically through Its
center, thus handicapping rescue work.
At Middletown It ts reported tbnt fif
teen were drowned when n bridge
from which a crowd was watching the
flood was swept away. Several bodies
were recovered from ttie stream.
Cleveland. Akron. Toledo and Spring-
field also have scat out reports which
show that probably a total of sixteen
lost their lives.
Because of the proportions of the
flood- which washed out practically
every bridge of steam and electric
roads leading out of Columbus, nearly
nil train service was nimiilled. anil op
erations likely will be Indefinite for
several days. State troops at the or
der of Governor Cox patrol the streets
In the flooded sections, and scores of
automobiles are busy carrying the snf
ferlng to higher ground
@ 1913, by American Press Association.
WRECKAGE IN OMAHA.
damage to property tn St Louts and Its
vtctijtty amounted to close to $8,000,
000, und the loss of life was estimated
nt more than 450. The Injured man
bered twice that many.
During the two weeks preceding the
disaster of St. Louts the southern nml
western stntes had been visited by tor-
nadocs which demolished everything
in thetr path. On May 15 a storm
plowed Its way through northern Tex
as, killing 200 persons and damaging
$1,000,000 worth of property. On May
17 Kansas nud Kentucky were visited
with great property loss, although the
loss of life was small. Nearly every
house in La Fontaine. Kau., was de
stroyed on May 23, aud three days
later eleven persons were killed as n
result of a tornado at Cairo. XU.
In St Louis 720 street blocks were a
mass of rulus, and scarcely a building
in the path of the storm escaped in
jury. In East St Louis the devastn
tion was ns great as in St Louis prop
er. Fire added to the destruction, and
as the streets were littered with rub
bish the fire department was helpless.
The lire lbss alone was more than
$1,000,000. Tbo dend in St Louis num
bered 202 and seventy-four missing,
and in East St. Louis the dead nunr
heft'd 151.
There have been several other ylsita
0,000 Drowned by Floods
Throughout Middle West.
HALF MILLION HOMELESS.
Ohio, Indiana and Part of Pennsyl
vania Suffered Most Heavily In
Worst Disaster of Its Kind In His
tory-Work of Rescue Hampered by
Rising Waters.
Columbus. 0*.—While Daytqn, with
6.000 reported dead, suffered most from
the fluuds that swept Ohio. Itidiami
aud part of Pennsylvania, other cities
were severely stricken. At Peru. Ind..
it was said iu reports to Governor
Ralston that 500 or more lives had
been lost.
Columbus also suffered enormous
damage from the Hood. Railroad traf
fic was paralyzed. Fires raged for
many hours nud, for a time threatened
u considerable portion of the district.
Because of the flood firemen were un
able to respond to the appeals.
Conditions nt Indianapolis, Fort
Wayne. Kokomo und other places In
central Indiana were the worst in
many years. In every part of the state
there were reported disastrous inunda
tions. At Lafayette two spans of a
SCENE IS ONE OF THE FLOODED TOWNS.
Iiritlge went out. i no were reimneii
dead. West Lafayette, where Purdue
university Is sltliated was cut oil
when the levees .were broken by the
force of the waters of the Wabash riv
er. The river Is two tulles wide und
rising rapidly.
At Indianapolis thousands were driv
en from their homes, mid four deaths
Were said to have resulted from drown
ing. The pumping plant was forced to
suspend operations/ and the city is
without lire protection.
At Peru property damage of $500,0(10
was caused by the flood. It was re
ported. Lognnsport also was under wit
ter.
Governor Balaton received n frantic
appeal from Comtersvllle. Ind., for aid
for many sufferers there from the
flood. It was said that the White riv
er bail broken over Its banks and tltut.
there had ensued great loss of life.
The entire business district of Rush
villi* and part of the residence section
is under water. One person is report
ed drowned. The courthouse practical
ly was the only dry place In the city,
and It was crowded with refugees who
had been driven from their homes.
Cincinnati experienced it cloudburst
which started the Ohio river rising ra
pidly and flooded many of the streets
Families In the low lands below Mil
ford. O.. were warned In time and lied
to higher ground before the sweep of
waters reached that plnee.
A big dam a short distance north of
Akron. O., burst, and horsemen were
hurried through the valley in different
directions to warn the people of the
impending danger. Hundreds of farm
ers with their families fled to higher
ground.
The great bridge over the Miami riv
er at Middletown. O.. collapsed. Fif
teen persons were reported missing nt
that place. Several houses were seen
floating down the river, which wus a
raging torrent.
Sweeping up the Ohio valley from
the west, the third storm in ten days
devastated different sections between
Louisville and Cincinnati, in Ken
tucky and in extensive districts In Il
linois, southwestern Ohio and Indiana.
At Louisville the wind maintained n
velocity of sixty miles an hour.'
Several persons were reported killed
nt Mukundn. III., although the report
could not be confirmed. A freight train
was blown from the tracks of the Illi
nois Central railroad, and two of the
crew were Injured.
Other cities affected by the flood and
storm are:
Limn, O.—Flooded by the Ottawa
river. Ten miles of trains held up
there by a washout at Middle Point.
Springfield, O.—Mad river and Back
creek both out-of their hanks and sev
eral hundred houses flooded. Many
factories compelled to close.
Larnse. O.—Inundated. Many per
sons homeless and much suffering.
West Liberty, O.—Mud river overrun
ning lta hanks.
Fort Wayne, Ind.—St. Joseph, Man
nln county, Tex., und twenty killed tn
Pottawatomie county, In., on Juno 10
the same year.
On July 15. 1881, 247 buildings were
wrecked nt Now Ulm. Minn., and ou
Aag. 23 a cyclone swept fpom Savan
nah to Mlnnesotu, killing 400. In the
year 1882 more than 300 persons were
killed In various towns. At McAlestur,
Indian Territory, on May 10. 120 were
killed. Ou June 17 nt Grluuell. In., 100
persons were killed, 300 Injured und a
property loss of $1,000,000 sustained.
On June 24 that year at Emuietsbiirg
100 more were killed.
In 1883 the loss of life numbered
lilnety-three. Fifty-one lost their lives
in Mississippi on April 22. and on May
IS sixteen perished nt Racine, Wls. Iu
Dodge and Olmsteud counties.’ Minn.,
twenty-six were killed nud eighty in
jured on Aug. 21.
Ou Feb. 0. 1884, nn unparalleled se-'
rlcs of storms struck eight states si
multaneously. Illinois, Kentucky. Mis
sissippi, Georgia. Tennessee, Virginia,
North Carolina und South Carolina
were visited by more than sixty torna
does. Eight hundred persons lost their
lives. 2.000 were injured, and 10.000
buildings were destroyed. On Sept 0
of that year in eastern Mlnnesotu and
western Wisconsin seventy-five per
sons were killed and $4,000,000 worth
of property wus destroyed.
Coming down to recent times, eight
stntes were swept by u tornado on
April 24. 1908. which left a trail of
dead numbering moro than 300. Most
of the deaths occurred In the black
belts of Louisiana and Georgia, where
the wind destroyed tho cabins, burying
the occupants In the debris. In Loui
siana the dead numbered 88. and 350
were Injured; iu Mississippi 159 dead.
090 Injured; Alabama, 31 dead, 113 in
jured, and in Georgia 25 dead, 100 in
jured, or more than 300 in four stutes
On April 30, 1900, Tennessee experi
enced one of the worst tornadoes ever
known In that state. Sixty-two per
sons were killed, and the property loss
was almost $1,000,000. Five other
states were also visited on the same
day, but the loss of life was small.
On May 2, 1912, the village of Korn,
Olein., was wiped out and twenty-one
lives were lost. On June 15 Vilagony.
another small village In Oklahoma, was
wiped out and four were killed. The
following day the tornado tore its way
through Bates county and parts oC