Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1875-12-24
The New Bridge Mt Otterville--Some
Pertinent Inquiries Relating
Thereto.

ED. BULLETIN--SIR:-Ith has now been
over four months since the bridge span
ming the creek at Otterville, in this county,
fell, of its own weight. A committee of
the Board of Supervisors of Buchanan
county, few days after the bridge fell,
entered INTO a contract with Mr.. David
Armstrong, of Independence, to build
good solid anutments, and with an iron
bridge company to replace the old wooden
structure with an iron bridge. The old
bridge fell August 4th, 1875, and one of
the committee informed me that they had
given the contract to Mr.. D. Armstrong to
build the abutments, and placed him I'M
der bonds of one thousand dollars to have
his contract completed October 1st, 1875,
and that the iron was to be in place, and
the bridge completed October 10th, 1875
Did Mr.. Armstrong complete his contract
at the above named date? No, sir, he did
not. He did not commence laying the
stone until on or near September 10Th,
1875, and did not complete his part of the
work until November 18th, 1875, or near
that date. one and half month after it
should have been completed, as per the i'll
formation l received from one of the
committee. And, rs l understand, the
committee has accepted the work, and MIR.
Armstrong. trust, has received his pay
for his labor. how about the bonds? l
have no doubt but that the committee can
explain how 1t is. If the contractor did
actually enter into bonds with the COM
mittee, and then took his own time to do
the work, and the committee accepted the
work, and Cancelled the bonds, if they had
been forfeited, the voters of Buchanan
county would like to know it; if that was
the case, the bond arrangement was a
huge farce. The iron has now been lying
on the bank of Otter Creek for nearly two
weeks, and, as l understand, the bridge
company are putting up othe, bridges i'll
the county that was contracted for utter
the Otterville bridge was contracted. The
road leading through Otterville to indie
pendence is travelled as much, if not more,
than any other road leading to 1ndepen-
dence. The crossing at Otter Creek is
very bad at this time of the year, in fact,
almost impossible at certain times. When
the mills are running the water is from
two to three feet deep, and is very dis
agreeable for teams at this time of the
year to ford There is no doubt, in my
mind, but what Independence has lost in
trade hundreds of dollars through the
non completion of the bridge. Two
weeks ago there was not one day in the
week, except Sunday, but what some team
was down in the creek, on the Ice, and had
to be helped out, or get out the best way
they could. l have seen horse Zone of
team with heavy load of whcar lying
in the creek, on the ice, with the water
running entirely over him Except his head
and neck) for several minutes, until he
was helped out of the water, and this on
one of the most bitter cold days we have
had this winter. There has been an i'm
mense sight of fault finding land it seems
with reason) because parties could not get
to Independence with heavy loads with
out running the risk of injury to their
teams in trying to cross Otter Creek. If
1t had not been for the gentlemanly act of
Mr. Weiser, part owner of the Otterville
Mills, in putting bridge across his tlume,
and letting parties cross on his dam, it
would have been almost impossible at
times for loaded teams to get acrsss Otter
Creek. Mr.. Weiser needed his plank to
finish his dam (he has been putting In u
new dam this fall and winter), but has let
them remain In order to accommodate the
general public, and has to run the risk of
the weather being favorable SO he can use
them when the bridge is completef. Such
gentlemanly act is sure of its reward,
sooner or later, as the travelling public are
quick to appreciate disinterested act OF
that kind. But at the same time, there
are great many strangers and Others