The Tiffin weekly tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1859-1868, 1867-06-20
For the Tribune.
FROM THE COUNTY COMMISSIONERS,

TlFFIs, June 10, 1867.
MEssRs. EDIToRs--ln your paper issued
May 23rd, we find an anonymous commu-
ncation written by some one headed "Mel-
more" which does injustice to the County
Commissioners. The writer APPEARS to have
been ashamed to put his name to his commu
nication. He says that the best informed
citizens say that the old bridge would have
lasted for five years yet; il so why did the
citizens OF Melmore and vicinity request the
Commissioners 10 build a new bridge, if the
old one was so safe7 Now the fact is this
the attention OF the Commissioners was called
to that bridge year before they undertook
to build It, by DR.. A. Benham, Middleton,
Wright and others, but he says nobody knows
who petitioned for a new bridge. Now the
condition Of that good bridge, was Just this
the freshet with the ice in the spring of
&c, knocked at least, fully one-third of the
stone pier out from under the bridge and in-
jured both abutments, they being built partly
Of wood, which was rotten and unsafe. Mr..
l.. Breiz who purchased the old bridge Gays
he found IL In worse condition than he
thought it at first to he, and says that he did
not consider it safe to drive over with heav,
Dads.
Our friend further says, that the stone work
was first let for $500. This is the only state.
ment in our friend'5 communication that Is
true. He says that its dmentons grew to
1850. Some how or other he does not
know, so we will enlighten him little on
the subject. II was sold TO Joseph Rhodes
for $500 as he states. Mr.. Rhodes was to
sign the contract the next day, but when the
time came he would not sign il, stating that
he had made a mistake in his calculation, of
one-hundred perch of stone, therefore he
could not afford to do it for $500. Then IL
was put np again and sold TO Lewis Teal of
Titfin, for 81 200 not $l,260 as stated by our
anonymous friend. As for the woodwork
that was let to Mr. Dittenhafer, our friend is
under a big mistake there; he says it cost
$4,000. The woodwork will cost less than
81 500, "a big difference He further says
that the filing up OF the abutments will cost
$500. This is another exagention. The
work ought not to cost over $500 at the most
In running the whole our friend has made
mistake Of at least 81 $50
We would further say TO our friend that the
next time he finds fault with the Commission
ers, he had better inform himself, SO that he
can write the truth and not censure men
wrongiully when they are but doing or ut
least trying to do their duty.
AS for the bridge not being built last fall,
the fault was in the bad weather Had Il
been good so that the workmen could have
worked, the bridge would have been built;
but as we are not possessed OF fore knowledge,
more than other men, we do not think we are
accountable for the hindrance that bad wealth
er makes. We know the disadvantages the
our citizens labor under at MelmOre, on ac-
count Of the bridge being away, but we did
the best we could for them under the eircum-
stances.
SAMUEL GRELLE, Commis-
7. W. WATSON. sioners.
By request. of the County Commissioners,
we give place 70 the above Communication
not because we deem il conclusive in the mat
ter, but because we are in favor Of fair play
aud free discussion. We will say that TIE
communication referred to, was not annony-
nous" as is set forth, for II was written by
the local editor Of our paper, who in a recent
visit to Melmore, was put in possession OF the
facts therein stated, and by oitizens as truth
fnl aud reliable as the names given in the a
bove communication. We have been inform
ed since, by reliable citizens, that our state
ments were not wide of the mark. The cost
of grading, was simply estimated. flour in
formants were too high, might not the Com
missioners be partial to the opposite extreme9
There is truly wide difference in the cost OF
tbs wood york, If the statement above Is
true. 1t is but natural that the Commission
ers should attempt to justify their action, for
il appears to need explanation In several in
stances.