The Minnesotian. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn. Territory) 1851-1852, 1852-04-17

During the hard rains of last June.
some of the wooden piers which support
ed the bridge that carries Jackson street
across the ravine at Fourth street, were
carried away, rendering it dangerous to
pass with loaded teams. Since then, the
Town Council have been engaged, by fits
and starts, in building new bridge. One
month few sticks of timber would be
hauled, then load or two of stone-then
rest of a quarter of a year-then the
timbers on the ground were hewed.-
Next, the Marshal " sailed round" and
told us the bridge was going up now
sure, without stopping. Some more tim
Der was cut across the river, and hauled to
the spot before the ice broke. This is
the last Of the bridge. The sound of the
hammer was not more mute at the rear
ing of So!omon's Temple, than it has been
in this neighborhood for the past month.
Meantime, the citizens at the upper end
Of town. not caring to let their property
depreciate i'll value by waiting for the
Town Council, have gone to work them
selves, improving their streets and land
ing. in that liberal manner which speaks
in the highest terms of their public spirit
and enterprise. We hear talk of like
commencement down this way, and hope
it will not PROBE talk, and nothing else -
The uptown people always were the
most enterprising in this respect, and
will abundanlly reap their reward, as
they should, in the increased value of
their properly, which every stroke OF the
pick-axe gives.
The above article was written and put
in type early in the week. Since then,
there has been considerable stir in regard
ITO improvement in this part of town. The
Marshal turned out on Thursday and
hauled few more sticks of timber for
The bridge. 1t is nov deemed advisable
by number of our enterprising citizens,
most interested, not to build new bridge,
but to repair the old one for temporary
purposes, with the view of eventually
grading Jackson street to level with
Fourth. This is the only true plan, and
must be adopted some time or other,
whether bridge be built or not. To
cross one street over another with bridge
thirty feet high, in the heart of city, as
IA permanent thing, is the extreme of folly
and absurdity. 1t is un-cily like, and will
not onl stand as monument of ridicule,
but will deprec;ate the value Of adjacent
property immensely. AMI after mature
reflection, we have come to tie conclu-
sion, that the building Of bridge now,
snch as the Council contemplate, will be
regarded as permanent arrangement,
whether it is so intended or not, and
property holders interested (and what one
of .them Is not in this part of town J
will suffer all the consequences. There
fore, we now hope the new bridge will
be abandoned.
Large quantities of ice remained block
ed in the river, between the boom-piers
above town and the falls. until Thursday
morning when it commenced moving. 1t
came down in large, heavy cakes, and of
sufficient firmness to cause gorge at the
head Of Raspberry Island, which lasted
six hours, when it was loosened bv a
strong south wind. No one had an idea
the ice had retained almost its original
strength with such tenacity. During the
afternoon it all cleared out, and this is the
last ice we shall see in the river this
spring. 1t is now seventeen days since
1t broke opposite the lower landing, St.
Paul. The river was never previously
known to be so long getting clear. n
great many pine logs went down with the
ice on Thursday, which, we understand,
mostly belong to Mr.. Baniil of Manomin
mouth of Rice Creek.
Mr.. J. r. Brown informs us. that du-
ring the breakup of the ice on Thursday
morning, considerable damage was done
TO the upper piers Of the Mississippi
boom. A number Of logs, we also learn,
escaped from the boom of Mr.. FulIer's
mill, upper landing, St. Paul. The water
mad risen some two feet in twenty -four
hours previous to the breakup, and the
rush OF ice from above and Ielow the falls
drove the ice between the fort and the
piers OF The Mississippi boom, upon the
piers with such force, that two of them
were crlls he'd to nipces and tba ,,,, -;