Delta chief., 1884-02-20

THE NEW BRIDGE.
4 Surface Creek Ranchman's Views on
Its Location.


To the Edi tor of THE CHIEF:
SURFACE CREEK, February Is, lSS4-The
question of bridge has at last been settled,
and the wishes of the people set at naught.
Economy has been the war cry of the County
Commissioners, and let us see what it all
amounts to. 4 bridge at the site selected
will, in the first place cost fully $500 more to
build than If built at Bakers Ford. The
necessary grading will cost $500 more, all
promises, talk and brag to the contrary not
withstanding. All this money might have
been saved. As it is, the people who sub
scribed both money and work for bridge at
Bakers will not pay 4 penny. Now let US
see what the advocates of the site selected
will do. No doubt they will keep their word.
and perhaps the county will get Il bridge
for nothing, and have something left over.
Our neighboring county is rich. the upper end
of the county Is making wonderful strides to-
ward prosperity, aud the denizens of the
Hoop Snake" country have very large in
terests at stake. Philanthropy seems to be
the order of the day, and such acts and mo-
tivcs should be carefully nurtured. mans
iuhumanity to man makes countless thous-
ands mourn 80 don't let US raise any such
crop.
The purchase Of the apology for a bridge at
Tue WI II anbthtF bFlIllAnl piece hl ttUlD-
my. The owners haven't the cheek 10 give it
a value, they only say lit cost Us much,
and We have sold for one-third the cost
Evidently they built the bridge from purely
philanthrupic motive, and as We said before,
such motives must be nurtured. 1t is well TO
establish 4 precedent for our future office
holders to follow, or in other words, men who
make it u business TO speculate in new coun-
ties must be protected, matter how bad
their Judgment, their for the good of the
public" must be recognized.
We would like TO ask the Commissioners
about the bridge they propose building over
the North Fork. at Wude's. Does that bridge
benefit the greatest number of peopleg Won't
those who live, let Us say, opposite Hntch-
kiss have to drive about fifteen miles out of
their way IN cross itg Have they any right
to take the private property tthe br.dge be
longing TO Mr. llotchkissl of a citizen aud
make him throw it open for a public high
wayy
This is not Venice in the day Of the Doges.
Our Commissioners can hardly take II upon
themselves TO do Star Chamber work Just
yet, nor organize a Spanish lnquisition. The
MoD,rosc .HcsscHgcr IN its editorial columns
Tor this week saws: The way people talk
figure in the election OF our next county "it-
Ger, in isSi." We pity Montruse ii they
have TO wait 50 long. We have an election
here next November.
Another equally bright performance oi the
Commissioners, and one which If it accom-
plishcs its ends will be very economical Is to
have a road viewed across the adobe hills for
the benefit of Surface Creek and Forkei
Tongue people. We do not say that a road
through that country cannot Ice built. but We
do say that il will cost nearly as much money
a. bridge would at Bakers in the first place.
and considerable more TO keep 1t ia repair
than a bridge and in wet weather il viii he
nearly impossible for teams no matter how
much money is spent on 1t.
One Of the Commissioners facctiously re-
marked, "Do your buying in dry weather. =
il is common talk now. and query To the
price he sold or sells at. Had he made the
above remark about six weeks ago some one
of Us might have offered him n nickel for his
help. l, il too bad that we have such dull,
stupid lot of mprtals up this way, and we
only hope that the next time things viii be
made little palmer; in the meantime we ask
forgiveness and promise most anything tor
the future. The people will give him credit.
however. for thing, he finally did have
the courage to get of the fence, no matter II
he did break his political neck by doing.
One thing we have omitted to call the at
tention of the North Fork people TO, viz:
They assert that they pay more taxes than
all the balBnc, OF the county. consequently
ought to have the most to say in the cNpend-
iturc Of the county moneys. For the sake of
peace we will allow this to be 50, though we
know 1t To he false. Now let US see how
much more they will subscribe toward build.
ing bridge where they want il than we poor
beggars did to have it at Bakers.
Yours truly,
ONE OF THE BEGGAHs.