The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1877-03-29

would be 4 great saving 10 the PeO-
pie and benefit to the public in
general. contend that bridges and
culvcrts built with stone, and built
as they ought to be and should be
built, are the most durable Of any, as
has been proved to be tho fact, as /
know. Ihave seen bridges that were
built of stone 700 years ago, and are as
good to-day, to all appearances, as
when first built. Suppose Mason
county had such bridges built, which
can be done with the material she
has, it would be a lasting benefit to
her tax payers.
/ refer, also, to the abutments that
were built to the bridge at Arbuckle,
near Point Pleasant, here the Com
missioners also contracted this work
to party that had slept one night
with stone mason, aroused himself
from his slumbers and was under the
impression that he had learned the
trade, and finally disgracod the pro
fession, for when the work was done
according to his ideas, (Which ought
never to have been received, but it
was) and he got his pay (Which new
er should have been allowed0 in a
very short time after the bridge fell
down and had to be rebuilt at the
expense of the people. I refer also
to the stone piers that were built at
Salt Creek. The contractor that
learned his trade in one night, built
the stone work for that bridge also.
One pier fell down ard had to be re
built at the expense of the tax pay
ors. There are 4 great many jobs,
too numerous to mention, done in
that way in Mason county, to meet
the approval of the people. | will,
however, refer to the bridge built at
Three Mile Creek. One of the Com
missioncrs was in favor Of . stone
bridge substantially built, of the
stone placed there by nature, and de
sired to have a plan and estimate of
cost to build the same, which was
$4,000 to complete the whole. The
other Commissioners thinking they
would economize, had a plan in their
heads To build a wooden bridge, rest.
ing on stone piers, and supposed that
the cost would not exceed $1,000
Unfortunately the Commissioners
contracted for the building of the
bridge by piccc-mcal, and when com
pleted cost over $1,000, and wooden
structure, at that,
also desire to give some answers
to questions asked by honest bridge
builders. They say, am afraid you
cannot get or obtain sufficient
foundation for stone bridge with
an arch. Ianswer that any practi-
cal man in tho profession, who un-
derstands his business thoroughly,
where nature has not made the Ioun-
dation sufficient, can make it so at
but little cost. Theorist say, am
afraid that the stone that We have is
too soft to build stone bridges and to
turn arches with. Ianswer that we
are blessed with one quality of stone,
if selected by one who understands
his profession, to build bridges more
extensive than is required in Mason
county. ] refer them to the Chesa-
pcake and Ohio Railroad, and see
the bridges and stone arches thai are
built across the different creeks over
which it passes. There you will find
bridges with arches built Of the com
mon course sand stone. Plenty Of
the same kind can be found in our
own county; but we have superior.
stone, and particularly in the vicin-
ity of Point Pleasant, Many Of the
foolish ideas originate from the fact
that all the botched jobs that have
been done in the county, was the
fault of the stone or the foundation,
are not putting the saddle on the
right horse, as | have shown that
bridges arc built on the c. & o. Il, r.
with stone and archcd over and con.
structed so that they will stand the
pressure of locomotives Weighing
from 10 to 90 tuns aud drawing hca
Wy freight trains, at the rate of 20.
miles an hour and if those bridges
resist the pressure of such weights,
we ought not to be afraid TO build
such bridges on our public highways
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