Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1867-03-28
vur zAyKsyiLLE BRIDGE.

THE ZANEsyILLE BRIDGE.
The bill passed by the State Senate to
authorize the Board Of Public Works to
purchase tho bridge at GAINESVILLE still
hangs fire In the House OF Representa-
tives, and we hope the members OF that
branch Of the Legislature win hesitate
long time before they pass 1t. Its passage
would certainly be q great outrage upon
everybody interested In that great thor
ughfarc--tiic National Road-who lives
outside OF GAINESVILLE and Its immediate
vicinity.
We print elsewhere the resolutions re-
fcrred by the Senate--while the bill was
pending In that body-to the Board Of
public Works, touching the value Of this
bridge to the National Road, and we ask
che members of the House TO give 1t their
careful attention.
The Board say this bridge Is nearly 80
years old, and in a very few years will
have to be rebuilt. Will the Legislature
vote TO give the Company that held that
bridge when the through travel on the
road made It valuable stock, $4,000 out
OF the tolls collected on the road from
focal travel, when the bridge is worn out
and will only last few years longer?-
And that, too when the Board of Public
Works informs them It will be necessary
70 raise the tolls on the whole road to do
80? Will the Legislature deliberately
vote an additional tax upon every man
who travels upon this road, from one end
N II TO the other, In order to pay for this
w0rn-out bridge2 orwhose benefit does
che Legislature propose to do this? The
Board Of Public Works say they "Are
unable To see any advantage that would
result to the road from the purchase OF
che bridge, nor, indeed, how its purchase
would increase the general travel on either
the East or the West end Of the road. !"
n, then, the purchase Of this bridge will
be no advantage to the road, and will not
increase It's travel, but does increase the
rite Of toll to every person who travels on
it, we cannot see that Its purchase would
or could be Of any benefit to any one, un-
less II Is the Bridge Company, who, we
have no doubt, would like to sell their
worn-out bridge before II falls down, and
10 the citizens Of GAINESVILLE and its i'm
mediate vicinity, who, probably, are very
anxious TO get rid Of paying toll for cross
Ing over Il. But would the Legislature
be justiflable In taxing the entire travel
Of this road for the benefit Of the Bridge
Company and the citizens Of Zanesville?
We think not. And we think the Leg
islature, with the same propriety, might
appropriate money to purchase the bridge
over the Ohio River at Bridgeport, and
make Il free bridge. This would be q
great convenience TO the people Of this
County, and would accommodate more
people than the purchase Of the GAINESVILLE
bridge would; but we do not think the
Legislature ought to compel the Board
Of Public Works TO purchase 1t.
five are not mistaken, ut the time the
National Road was ceded to the States
through which 1t passed, 1t was provided
IN the act ceding It that no more tolls
should be collected for travel on said road
sA0n Dcre necessdry to keep the road in
repair. II this Is true, then the passage
Of this bill is clearly in violation Of the
act OF Congress, and any effort to carry
Il out will prove failure.
In letter Of Col. Blair, the Resident
Engineer Of the National Road, to the
CHRONICLE, he says: "The law makes
"the road sustain itself, which gives him
"tthe Engineerl about 800, 600 TO keep III
"miles In repair-being about sll7 TO the
emile. This sum has not only to keep
"the road-bod In repair, but also IL COW
"ered bridges, 20 stone-arched bridges,
"apd 100 culverts. In wet season like
"the present the sum IL not sufficient TO
"repair as promptly as would be desir-
"ble."
II the sum Of tho tolls Is not sufficient
10 keep the road In repair when the whole
Of 10 is applied for that purpose, and the
road and bridges are constantly becoming
more worn and each year require more
sepAIrs as they get older, how can they
possibly be kept up at all, II you take, as
q proposed, about one-fourth Of the en-
tire tolls collected to pay for this bridge?
Instead Of taking So, 900 Of the tolls
collected on the National Road to pay for
free bridge for the people Of GAINESVILLE
-an act not contemplated in the Act
eedIngthe road-we think there would be
fAr more reason and justice In the passage
of an act granting $4,000 or $2o,O 900 for
the purpose Of meeting the increased ex-
pense Of keeping the road In repair, caus-
cd by the extraordinary freshets of the
past year. The Legislature, time and
again, has come TO the relief Of the lessees
Of the public works, when, by freshets or
other unusual causes, they have sustain
ed great damage; and we can see no rea-
son why the same generous policy should
nst be pursued toward this great inn
provement, when, under these constantly
repeated foods, II ls gradually going
down.
We hope the House OF Representatives
Will, In Justice TO itself and all who are
interested In the National Road, defeat
this schcme OF the GAINESVILLE Bridge Co.
90 profit themselves at the public ex-
pense; and will send home with fieas In