Democratic Northwest. [volume] (Napoleon, Ohio) 1869-1894, 1882-02-23
The Snowman Bridge.

IN. NournN EsT.-Tho question of changing the
Turkeyioo, bridge, known a. the Snowman bridge.
b. the canal culy,t several rods above thr proseit
location, d-seryos serious attention and examina-
ti0n by the commissioners themselves hefore
thought be entertained of such removal and erection
of q new ruad along said canal bank. There bias
diversity Of opinion with reference the merits and
economy Of the proposed change, your cofrcspond-
ent,a tax payer has t to go the grounds and
make a thoroagh, informal survey Of the psrni-,s
and find the facts a. follows: At the present looa
tion I Rnd heavy stone abutments and grading COM
pe;ed ready for and an iron bridge on the ground
In readiness for completion with bUi little addition
Af cost to the county, and the only hindrAnce to have
it ready for use in a short time is the r'pair
Of the south abutment which has cracked
from the prc>sur, OF new embankment dlled within
the walls, the foundation not having moved stt-
tied In the least a. could be observed. This @but-
ment can be repaired at a nominal cost only por-
tion Of ii will necessarily he taken down and reAid
without disturbing the foundation. These ahutmcnts
are also ascertalned to he three feet higher than
the orduai wooden bridges aud eighteen inches
higher than the last bridge which never molest'
ed with ice or flood, and stood and rotted and fell
down OF natural decay.
Hence it will be observed that the new bridge viii
be raised above all danger OF recurrence of the past
OF ice and food, which has been the strong point
urged for removal. Let us sec. liza wooden bridge
has withsto0d all the ice aud floods of the past and
never removed or disturbed, aud only went down
/ from it- own natural rotteaness, what cause have
We to fear that an iron bridge capable of Withstand
ing much more aud eighteen inches higher, will even
lie disturbed. This lisa question for philosophiaa
minds. judging the future by the past which is on
duty in makiug calculations and should decide thi,
without involving this grieyousy taxed count!
thousands o. dollars in debt by building mev
road. new abatments new enbankments in ancthc
place not called for by the interests of the people
Let economy and the true interests Of the people h
our watchwOrd in theiuture. On the one hand thu
expense is nearly completed and the bridge soul
ready for the peoples On the other hand We ar
to throw away the money already expended, reneV
the job at much greater expense than the first il
putting in new ahutments and long and hrav
filling without disturbing the canal embankment
and could see no convenient place of getting tn
dirt for this immense filing across the bottom. lie
the people wh0 have signed petition for this re
moval examine the facts and their OWE interest
and every one will scratch their names from the pc
tiOn. And, furthermore, the road where 1t now il
on the bank of the creek, is always good and but
few rods farther to travel than it woGld be If thi
expensive change be madc and wher" the road nov
runs along the canal bank lower than the water i
the canal there il constant seeping out of the ban
and makes bad and muddy road to travel; the fal
ther from the canal bank the drier and better tn
road Let it be remembered that it is safe to Ii
, well enough alone and to begin to practice ocOrcm
and work for the best interest of the people.
TAX PAYER.