Eureka daily sentinel. [volume] (Eureka, Nev.) 1871-1887, 1883-06-15

heas0n Why IL Would be Imex pc
dent 10 Build lust Now.
The County Commissioners having been
petitioned to build a bridge over the Hum
boldt River at Gerald, the immediate OBJ
ject Of which is to provide a means Of
shipping the ores produced in Stafford
District, took the matter under advise
ment, and two Of the Board, Messrs. Smith
and Trofatter, made a trip down the road
to look at the country and to determine by
looking into the situation whether the
necessity Of q bridge is such as to warrant
the county in constructing it Immediately.
1t seems that they have dropped the mat
ter for the present; at any rate, they have
not taken action in the premises thus far.
We would like to see our neighbors on the
Humboldt have the bridge they ask for,
but it seems that the building Of it should
not be commenced just now. Our reasons
for this view Of the question are these: In
the first place the water in the river is at
this time high and the current strong,
which would make the work very difficult
and very costly. In fact, to build q bridge
across the Humboldt while the river is in
its present swollen state is not q good bus
mess proposition. In the second place, by
the middle Of July or before that time, the
river will have subsidized to such an extent
that it can be crossed in teams, thus af-
fording a fair means Of transportation for
any quantity OF ore for which a bridge
might be needed. Those who are lam
iliar with the stages Of the Hum
boldt at Gerald say that when it has
shrunk in July it will not rise high
enough again so as to be impossible for
teams for eight or nine months afterwards.
During all this time, say from July Is OF
1883 to March Is of 1884, the bridge petit
toned for may be dispensed with without
serious hindrance to the transportation oil
freight or persons. In the meanwhile the
camp at Stafford will have an opportunity
to prove to the people Of the county at
large that it is an important ore producer,
and that the building Of . bridge ct Gerald
will be q proper and wise measure for the
convenience and benefit OF the general pub
lie, while it will afford also an easy outlet
for the product OF the mines which now
promise Q magnificent yield Of the precious
metals. In the third place, 1t should not
be overlooked that the citizens who COM
pose the bulk OF the population Of Eureka
County are already heavily taxed and who,
paying almost the entire tax that the
building Of the bridge would make neces'
sary, would derive but little immediate
benefit from the mining industry at SAT
ford. We are satisfied that the develop
ments at Stafford warrant the greatest ex-
pectations, and that before the time comes
when the proposed bridge will be needed,
the importance of the camp to the whole
county will be recognized. Then there
will be no hesitation to do one Of two
things: either the county will pay the
whole or part OF the expenses Of construct.
ing the needed bridge, or else allow private
persons to build a toll bridge instead. For
the present, it seems to Us, it will be just
as we'll for the people Of Stafford. and
generally much more satisfactory, if the
bridge problem be allowed to work itseli