236 LAWS RELATING TO AGRICULTURE. 



that a majority of the resident land owners along and adjacent to the 

 line of the road, whose lots and lands will be assessed for the purchase 

 of the same, shall petition the county commissioners for an assessment, 

 as provided in section forty-eight hundred and sixty-nine. 



SEC. 4868. [Company may accept proposal.] The officers of 

 such company may, after obtaining the written consent of the owners of a 

 majority of the stock of the company, accept the proposition of the 

 commissioners for the purchase of the road, or any part thereof, situ- 

 ate in the county; and such acceptance shall be binding upon the 

 company for the space of six months succeeding the date thereof. 



SEC. 4869. [Petition of land-owners for purchase.] After the 

 filing of such acceptance with the commissioners, the resident land- 

 owners along and adjacent to the line of the road, whose lots and lands 

 will be assessed for the purchase of the same, may petition the county 

 commissioners of the county through which the road or any part 

 thereof runs, for the purchase of the road at the appraised value, that 

 the bonds of the county be issued to such company according to its 

 acceptance, and that a sum sufficient to pay the amount with which they 

 will be charged, together with the interest, may be assessed upon the 

 lots and lands which would be benefited by the conversion of the road 

 into a free road, within no greater distance than two miles thereof. 



SEC. 4870. [County to pay for bridges.] The cash value of the 

 bridges and culverts which have been built by the company, as appraised 

 by the appraisers, shall be paid by the county commissioners out of the 

 bridge fund of the county, less any amount they may have theretofore 

 appropriated. 



SEC. 4871. [How assessments made.] In ascertaining w r hat lots 

 and lands are benefited, and to what extent each piece shall be assessed 

 for the purchase, and whether a majority of the owners thereof have 

 petitioned therefor, the county commissioners, auditor, and treasurer 

 shall have the same power and authority provided in chapter eight, 

 and be governed in the assessment and collection of taxes to pay for 

 the road so purchased, and in all other respects, so far as the same may 

 be applicable, by the provisions of that chapter. 



SEC. 4872. [How put in proper condition and kept in repair.] 



After the purchase of any such road by the commissioners it shall im- 

 mediately become a free road, to be kept in repair as provided in chapter 

 ten ; but if the county commissioners are of opinion that such road is 

 not in repair and condition equal to free turnpikes in the vicinity thereof, 

 they are authorized, at their discretion, to assess on the lands taxed for 

 the purchase thereof an amount which will, in their judgment, put it 

 in repair equal to the free turnpikes ; such assessment shall be made 

 upon the lands taxed for the conversion of the toll road into a free 

 road, and in the same proportion, be placed upon the same special 

 duplicate, and collected at the same time and in the same manner as 

 the taxes for the purchase of the toll road are collected, and when col- 

 lected be applied by the county commissioners in the repair of the road, 

 and for no other purpose. 



SEC. 4873. [Fees of officers and others.] The officers and other 

 persons who perform service under this chapter shall be allowed the 

 same fees as they are allowed for like services in other cases, and may 

 be paid out of the fund created by this chapter, or out of any funds in 

 the county treasury not otherwise appropriated. 



