Chap. 342.—An ACT declaring Difficult creek, in Halifax county, to be a high-
way.

Approved February 16, 1901.

1. Be it enacted by the general assembly of Virginia, That Difficult
ereek, from Clay’s mill to Allen’s mill. in the county of Talifax, shall
be considered. and is, hereby declared to be a highway, and shall be
subject to all the provisions of law in reference to public highways now
in force and applicable thereto, except as hereinafier provided.

2. It shall be the duty of the owners of the land lving and bordering
on each bank of the said creek above designated as a highway, to keep
the said creek lying within or bordering on their lands, and the banks
thereof properly cleared out and free from all obstructions, except where
authorized by law; and where the said creek is the line between different
land owners, the owners on each side shall keep their banks and the bor-
dering creck to the middle of the stream, properly cleared and free from
such obstructions.

3. The county court of Halifax shall, from time to time, appoint one
or more overseers of the said creek, w ho shall hold office for two years
from the date of their qualification. unless sooner removed for cause by
said court. The said overseer or overseers shall be charged with the duty
of inspecting the said creck above designated as a highway during the
months of April and October of cach year, and at such other times as
obsiructions in the said ereek or on the banks thereof may be reported to
him or them. Tf the said owner or owners shal] fail or refuse to clear
out such obstructions in the said creck, or on the banks thereof, the said
oversecr or overseers shall at once proceed to cause the said obstructions
to be removed, and report the cost to the board of supervisors of the
county, who, if they approve of the amount of the bill rendered for the
removal of said obstructions, shall order the treasurer of the county to
pay the same, and shall, at the same time, levy a tax on the said land
owner or owners sufficient to defray all the expenses incident to the
removal of the said obstructions, including the cost of collecting the
same, and the said tax shall have the same lien and be collected by the
treasurer of the county as other taxes assesscd by the said board. But
if the said land owner or owners shall furnish the said overseer or over-
seers with lahor to remove the said obstructions they shall have proper
credit therefor.

4. The hoard of supervisors of Halifax county shall allow each of the
said supervisors the sum of one dollar and fifty cents for each day he
may he necessarily employed in discharging the duties imposed upon him
hy this act, to be paid out of the county treasury.

5. This act shall be in force from its passage.