Daily globe. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1878-1884, 1878-03-09
THE FORT SMELLING BRIDGE.

a memorial 20 congress JOr As0 IN. We
Matter.
The chamber of commerce, some time
ago, appointed special committee on the
subject of the Fort Smelling bridge. The
committee consisted of j. w. McClung,
chairman, JAS. Smith, Jr., E. F. Drake, VIM.
Rhodes and VIM. Dawson. In accordance
Herewith the following memorial has been
prepared:
To the Hon. Senate and House of Represen-
tatives of the United States
We are instructed by the chamber Of COM
merce of the city of Saint Paul, to bring to
your attention the necessity of constructing
bridge at Fort Smelling as a matter of economy
to the general government.
We enclose official statements showing that in
time of profound peace it cost the government
about $500 per year. and during the late war
81, 800 per month, actual expenses to pay fer
rage for the want of bridge at this point
The government has therefore paid nearly
100000 for ferriage and is still paying ferriage,
with the liability to pay 100000 more when
ever another war may occur.
The government is still in its infancy, having
barely passed its first centennial. If it lives
the usual age of a we'll regulated nation, it is
safe to say that it must still need its forts for
many more wars unless it is
an exception to the general rule
governing nations. We cannot expect, there
fore, that we can yet afford to beat our swords
into ploughshares and our spears into pruning
hooks and hold our forts peace establish
ments, with no further necessity for repeating
the suicidal extravaganza and folly of paying
81, 500 per month for the privilege of reaching
and using our own property.
We shall have other wars, and now in time of
peace we should be prepared for war by COM
pleting Fort Smelling; for it is not a complete
fort without the means of reaching it, any more
than it would be if it lacked roof, or doors, or
windows, or any other condition necessary to
enable the United States to use it without ask
ing the privilege of an individual who owns its
only approach.
The estimates of the cost Of erecting an iron
bridge at Fort Smelling have varied from $780,
600 to 100000.
The city of st. Paul is interested in erecting
free bridge at this point, and
would be willing to join the
government and share reasonable
portion Of the expense. On behalf of said city
therefore, the chamber Of commerce ask Con-
gress to make an appropriation at least equal to
one-half the maximum estimate above stated for
the purpose Of erecting free bridge at Fort
Smelling, to be kept in repair by the city with
out expense to the government.
The United States own a large tract of land
at and near the fort which would be largely en-
HANGED in value by the erection of bridge in
wiling travel from $4,000 people living in St.
Paul and Minneapolis. and the hundreds of
thousands of strangers who visit the attractive
Minnehaha Falls in the immediate vicinity.
Enough of these lands might be sold after
this Improvement to reimburse the government
fully for the cost of the BRIDGE and leave the
fort and its grounds ample for all uses of the
government and unimpaired in value, thus
exchanging what is now useless andunproduc-
tive possession for valuable improvement,
saving in actual cost about $500 per year in
time of peace, and $4,000 per year in time of
war.
Such an exchange of the unproductive land
for productive improvement, would not only
pay the government in actual income every
month in the year, and thus stop the leaks,
where enough money has been lost within a few
years to build bridge, but it would so en-.
nance the value of the remaining land that its
| sale would result in gains which would alone
go far towards paying for the bridge.
As time is important, we ask that this mat
ter be Immediately considered on it's merits
and that such appropriation may be made at
to your honorable bodies may seem proper and
expedient. J. W. MCCLUNa,
| Chairman Special Committee.