The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1868-03-28

that Mr. WALKER terms the bridges
built during his administration as
costly" affairs? And now this bridge,
ta5ice built by Democratic skill, with
the taxes Of the people, is again IN
safe for travel, and our Republican
Board is required either to repair it at
great expense or rebuild this sub
stantial and permanent" structure,
which Mr. WALKER would have the
people believe was such a worthy
monument to Democratic County en-
terprise.
But the best illustration of Demo-
cratic economy and skill in the matter
OF public improvements is to be found
in the Franklin Avenue bridge over
Pigeon Greek. This bridge was com
menced about the year 1858, and was
estimated by the Democratic engi-
neer, Chen one of the County officials,
and now on the City Ticket with his
old associate, Mr.. WALKER,) to cost
$28. 900. It was considered by every
body who, at that day, claimed to
know anything about practical bridge
building, to be an extravagant esti-
mate; hut happy would it have
been for the taxpayers of 1858
and 1889, if even this large
estimate had proved correct.
Old citizens, and very many who we're
young, will wildly remember the
Frank lin. Avenue Bridge controversy
of 1859, which created so much ex-
element in this county, and which,
next to the exposition of the Town
ship and County official corrup-
ton of that and the next year,
did more than anything else to lead
the people to drive the Democratic
ofice-holders from power in Wander
burgh County. The original design
of the bridge, the manner in which it
was built, the sliding into the creek
Of one Of the heavy abutments, the
changes in the plan, the transfer of
contracts, the Temonstrance of citizens
without regard to party for its exam
ination by an experienced engineer,
the contemptuous rejection of the pc
tition by Mr.. WALKER and the Dem
ocratic COmmissioners-all these and
many other incidents Of the cOntro-
versy are fresh in the minds Of the citi-
zens Of Evansville of 1859. The bridge
proved one vast NAV into which was
gulped the peoples taxes with amaz-
ing avidity. No wonder that Mr..
WALKER remembers the costly and !
useful bridges built when we talk /
about the high taxes; and yet IN view
of his candidacy for an Office requir- /
ing a man of good judgment in public /
improvements, his illusions to the |
Franklin Avenue bridge was most |
unfortunate for him. As stated, the I
original estimate for its construction,
$4,000, was so great as to startle the
people in those days. And yet
the total cost of the structure, with
all the engineering patchwork and re-
building Of abutments, &C., amounted
to over Fifty thousand Dollars "a
gold. The cost of a Democratic bridge
over Pigeon Creek, to which Mr..
WALKER points with so much pride,
in our present currency, Seventy Five
Thousand Dollars What amazing
skill and economy How anxious
will the people of this city be, when
they learn these facts, to entrust its
improvements to the ex-Auditor Of
Vanderburgh. County!
In looking over the newspaper con
troversy on the subject, in 1859, we
find comparison between the cost
aud extent of the Pigeon Greek bridge
and the E. G. G. Railroad bridge over
White River. This latter bridge was
six hundred and sixty feet long, with
four spans Of one hundred and forty
feet in the clear, four piers and
two abutments thirty-four feet
in height; aud it appears from Card
published from Judge HALL. the
President of the Road, that the cost,
the superstructure, roofing,
&c, was s25, '3G5 15-just half Of the
cost of the comparatively pigmy af-
fair over Pigeon Greek
The foregoing sketches of Demo
cratic bridge building while Mr.
WALKER was managing County
affairs, illustrates what may be ex-
2 L. L 4. L L 2 !