The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1854-04-08
The Fridge Question.

Last week We gave what htte lniormaton
we were able to get, at quite late hour, in
relation 10 the bridge. The principal fea-
lures of the law, authorizing the towns to
take stock, was published.
Last Saturday evening a meeting of the
voter, of this town was held at the court
house to discuss the subject, and afford an
opportunity, TO those who wished tito learn
more fully the true nature Of the company,
its powers, how it was organized, ana what
were the rights Of the towns ,as stockholders,
as compared with the rights and powers of
individusl stockholders. But to the surprise
of many, but very small portion of our cit
liens interested themselves enough in the
10 alteRa tae, peeltt@Svt -. .,.y ~. ...,
last fifteen years, charter after charter has
= been granted; they have expired and again
been revived Companies have boon set on
foot and hatted out But never before has
interest, energy, zeal and stimulous enough
been aroused to breathe the genuine breatF
Of life into the pockets of . bridge -
ton And now nothing but tLe 'f',"'
uands Of necessity, have c"' ,co I'm ~, w
corporation whose s"'' , ''''o '.'n7 :. u
control 'E IN u ,usa Id dollars. At the last
,rh;.,,, '"e .scislature the old charter,
has -Spired, was revived, and five new
: 'rPor ators added. The old corporators
ere Geo. +. Walker, J. o, Glover, Bronson
! Murray, j. V. \. Hoes, and Joel W, Arm,
: strong. Those added by the late act of the
Legislature, are II. F. Eames, Vim. Richard,
, son, David, Strawn, Wm. Reddick and Alison
Woodruff.
Present directors arc, David Strawn, VIM
/, Richardso, Alison Woodruff, J. Q. Glover
and VIM. Rcddicl. Officers, Vim. Reddck
/ President, II. F. Eamcs Treas, Henry Hurl
but Secretary
Under the direction of this board, book:
have been opened aud about Sl2, 600 subscri
, bed by Individuals, $4,000 by the town o.
Ottawa and $4,000 by tn town of South OF
: tawa. We are informed by one ofthe dircc
tors that two installments of ten per cent
, each are called for.
The company have already made arrange
ments for procuring the mat rials, and they
say that the work is to be carried forward as
iistas possible. The bridge is to begin at
the foot of La Sale street and extend to the
second table on the South bluff, where the
road is to turn to the right and follow up the
rayine.
At a meeting on Saturday, it was stated by
Mr.. Rcddick, that the towns were to have no
control, whatever of the bridge. The whole
power is vested in the Directors, to be elect
cd by the individual subscribers. Previous
to the meeting we believe few, if any, besides
the private stockholders and corporators
were aware of this. 1t was very naturally
supposed, that all the stockholders, public or
private, would be placed on an equality
But to look at the matter more closely it is
evident that no man, or set of men, would be
willing to invest their money in bridge of
this kind, to be controlled by persons, ma
tjority ofwhom had but small tax TO pay,
and for whose interest it would be to make
the bridge free bridge, and thus vote into
nonenity the property of individual stock
holders Nor would they be willing to allow
their money to be controlled by popular
vote. Whereas, as it is, the private subscri-
bers have to manage the interest of the town
in the same manner rs their own and if ono
is managed well the other must be- Besides
this, the private subscribers will be more in
terested than any body else in the town SUBJ
scriptlon, on account ofthe large amount of
property which they hold
All the towns want is the bridge, and all
that is asked of them is to lend their credit.
If the public wish make speculation of the
improvement, they alone ought to buildit.-