The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1879-10-30
A EA.THsUL PUBLIC SERVANT
ViNDICATED.

that Coulty Engineer Barnes, the present
candidate Tor County Surveyor, has been
engaged in some crookedness in building
and repairing bridges for the county, with
IN the last SIX months that he has built and
repaired bridges and drawn double the &C.
tusl cost OF the same from the county, and
made overcharges for services in superin-
tending them.
The truth or talsity of these charges
should be known to the voters Of the county,
and as impartial journalists, We deem it
our duty to give statement of facts as we
get them from the county officials.
1t has been the custom of the County
Board TO anticipate the collection of the
tax levied tor the Bridge Fund. by making
contracts and appropriations for bridges
payable upon the collection OF each half
yearly tsx-havipg the work done while
the tax is being collected. Fer the last
tive years the Board was restricted by law
TO yearly levy OF one half mill for all pur-
poses OF road expenses and damsge for
right of way, and for building and re-
pairing of bridges, netting but the small
lsum Of three thousand dollars each year, to
keep 5000 worth CT bridges in passable
condition, and build the new bridges &C
tually necessary. IL will be readily seen
that there could be no accumulation of
money in the bridge fund, but rather an
actual wearing out OF bridges, for want of
sufficient funds to keep them in repair.
rne last Legislature passed law for biding
the County Board from making any
appropriations or contracts unless the
money was in the Treasury. This left an
interim OF time between the first day of
April, when the law took effect, and the
10Th OF December, in which the County
Board could not make any contract or sp-
propriate a single dollar to repair bridges.
In the meantime some old bridges became
impossible from decay, and others ab-o-
lutely dangerous. The travel on the
Lawrence road was stopped by the break
ing down OF a bridge at Reno. The bridges
between the city and the penitentiary over
Five and Seven Mile creeks became dan
gerous, also on The east De Soto road over
the Seven and Nine mile creeks, and other
lpIates In the county.
The pressure of the public was 30 great
on the County Board and Auditor for the
needed repairs, that they deemed it neces-
sary TO devise some means by which they
could be done. They could take no official
action under the law, az they had not a
dollar in the Treasury. They called on the
County Engineer and requested him to do
it on his individual account, and resent
, the bills in January, 1850, when there
would be money in the II. asnry. The Eo-
gineer told them that he could possible
hnc men to contract informally to do the
work and wait until January for the ap-
preparation and money. To this the Au-
ditor objected, "a no contractor could be
, found TO do the work and wait till Jsnu-
u ~ for his pay without great profit u Il q
Sork. Bu. the Auditor made this the
only conditions under which the work
might be done and paid for. That the
Engineer buy all the material, hire and
pay the men, superintend the work and
, bring in itemized bills for all expendi-
lures, certified to by the parties furnish
ing the materials, snd:: certified receipts I, 7
the money advanced to pay the laborers,
, giving no profits or even interest on the
money advanced.
Under these conditions the repairs have
been made in ibis county since the lat
day OF June, and no bill has been present.
ed or allowed, nor can any bill be allowed
: until January meeting. The Engineer
will then settle and receive from the coun-
ty only the actual amount of money ad-
vanced by him.
Under this arrangement the following
bridses have heen built
Bridge On O'Ksue road, trestle forty feet
long.
Bridge on Lawrence road, trestIe girder
fifty four feet span.
B-idge on E Deso.o road, trestle girder
thirty iset span.
Bridge on Riley Rosd at Esston west
approach, thirty ie-t SPAN
| EEPAIRED.
Bridge over FIVE mile, Kansas CITY road
new floor and braces.
Biidge on Seven Mile, Kansa. City road,
half floor and j1ist-.
Bridge on Seven Mile, Z. Desoto road, re-
pairs to flor.
Bridge On Nine Mile, E. Desoio road, re-
pairs to floor &c.
Bridge at Burneys on Lawrence road
new truss rods and floor.
Bridge at Hurd'5 farm on Lawrer ce read
new floor, ioist and rail.
Bridge at Hayden bridge in Reno, new
truss rods.
Bridge at Salt Creek at Zimmerman's
new chord plates.
Bridge at Kelsey Creek new truss rods,
The whole expenses a. allowed him by
the Board and Auditor for services, horse
hire and other expenses Of Off 5e have been
since January 1878.