Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1873-02-11
Mrs Hannah Specht, Proorietress of
Specht's Ferry to the People
of Grant County:

AT tho last meeting of your Coun-
~ Iard, a petition was presented
TO them, signed by certain citIzeus
Of Potosl and vicinity, representing
hat my ferry across the Mississippi,
at Potosi, is run at "uncertaiu hours
during the day, sometimes keeping
passengers waiting az the ferry lanu-
ing two or three hours ;" that my
employees frequently charge pass-
engers for crossing, higher than th,
license rates" and that my licensed
rates "are so high that they are
@urdens0me }" aud asking that m,
ferry license be revoked, or that
be required TO run said ferry al
stated intervals during certaiu
number of hours each day, and
reduced rates of ferrlage.' THIS PEE
Lition was referred TO the Commit
Tee on Roads, Bridges ana Ferries,
who, without any notice TO me or
my agents, reported and recommend
ed the adoption of resolution re
dacing the terriage rates of my fer
~, upon an average about one-thlrd
and also requiring me 70 run ny fer.
ry boat "once every h1ur and back, be-
tween sunrise ana sunset"
AT the same meeting Of the Board
Henry B Coons OF PJtosi presented
a petition asking for license t.
Keep and run ferry across Grant
river At or near the Potosi ware
house, and the same committee rec
commended the granting of this petl.
tlon, fixing the rates of ferri1ge TO
be charged Oy Mr.. Coons, at upon
an average Of about one-thrd the
amount OF my original ferriage rates
which report the board adopted and
attempted 10 grant such license TO Mr.
Coous. Had | been notified of the
presentation Of the petition relating
TO my ferry, | could readily have
shown the lncorrectnoss OF the rep
reservations therein made
The facts are that | nave, by N.Y.
- 1t and agents, ever studiuusly en-
deavored to accommodate he public
crossing at my ferry, to the utmost
of my ability, Consistent with the
safety OF my patrons, and have Of
ten run after dark aud as late as ten
and eleven O'Clock at night. for that
purpose, although my license speci-
fled no time tor running, and my
regular rates OF ferriage bave been
from fifteen to t,centy fve per cen;
Tess than the rates OF terrlsge fixed
by my license from Grant County,
Wis land from forty to Sirty per cent
less than the rates of ferrlage fixed
ny my license from Dubuque County,
Iowa.
Besides this, ever since the bridge
across Grant river at the Potori
warehouse became impossible.
have maintained at that place, free
ferry for all persons crossing the
Mississippi at my ferry. I desire al
ways to comply with the
requirements OF the constituted az,
Lhorities, in relation to my ferry,
but running "UDce every hour and
back, and giving passengers rea-
sonable time TO drive on and off the
boat, is an absolute imposs,bilily.
the distance being too grea for the
time. The state of the river, wealth
er and cleaning Of engine boiler fire.
quently Interfere with the regularity
OF making trips, and besides thu
laws of Wisconsin only empower
the CIunty Board to direct
what and how many hours each DAY
such person" he person licensed)
"shall attend his Terry"
| shall endeavor to comply with
the requirements of the County
Board OF Grant County, as far as /
can, but they must excuse me from
performing impossibilities.
The attempt to grant license 10
Mr.. Coons to k ep a ferry across
Grant river at the POtosi warehouse
seems to me to have been hasty, and
without due consideration. as The
rates fixed for such ferry added 10
the reduced rates fixed for my ferry
are generally from fUe to t,centy c, D is
more than | have been in the habit
ofcnarging for crossing both streams.
Certainly, il the ferrisge rates have
heretofore been 30 high that they
have been ''burdensome," making
the people pay more will not re.
move the burden. | think this nc
ton of the Board must have been
without due cousidera ion, becanse
| am advised that the requirements
of the law as to the granting ofterry
licenses were not complied with il
the case Of Nc C0ons.
propose hereafter, as heretofore.
to keep and run free ferry across
CIR Mt river during low water. AT the
Potosi warehouse, for the accommo-
datlon of all persons crossing b
Mississippi river at my ferry, but
no others
N t having had an opportunity OF
presenting these facts TO the County
Board in session. take this method
of presenting them now, as we'll TO
the Board as to the people OF Grant
county, and | leave il to all interest
cd, TO infer the motives actuatirg
those who have been chiefly instru-
meutal in procuring the action had |
IN this matter. And rs concerns |
justice ana fair play that both sides
may be beard | resp fully request
that all County B,a,ds Of G AM
county, will in the future, give me
notice Of any contemplated or sought
for action of their honorable body.
10 relation to my ferry
HANNAH SPEcHr.
sPeehts Parry Feb 18th 1873.