The new dominion. [volume] (Morgantown, W. Va.) 1876-1904, 1889-01-05
The Other Side Of the Bridge
fi0ux


To the Editor of the NEW DOMINION.
The Directors of the Suspension
Bridge Company, believing the pub
lie are likely TO be misled by the
series of newspaper articles that
have appeared during the last six
months relative to free bridge
and the proposed purchase by the
county authorities or others of the
bridge with a view to its being made
free, or to greatly reduce the tolls,
deem it proper to say that no propo-
sitions to buy or sell have ever been
presented to or discussed by the Di-
recters, and the publications in the
papers are without warrant or au
thority from the Directors or others
empowered to speak for the Bridge
Company. On the other hand, if the
company were willing to sell, there
Is no one, county court, town council
or private parties, prepared, or max
ing any effort to prepare, to buy it.
All the discussion is mere talk.
Annual tolls are as low as is CON
sistent with the payment of current
expenses and the keeping of the
property in repair. Only two fami-
lies have ever been asked to pay as
much as $25 a year, and their tolls
at trip rates would have amounted
to over 5000 each. Three others
have been charged Sl5, and not more
than a half dozen have been charged
from $40 to $12.50, while less than
two-score have been charged as much
as So n year. In many instances
these figures include large families,
teams and general hauling, and con
stitute only one-fifth to one-tenth the
trip rates, or discounts of so to 80
per cent.
The Directors have endeavored TO
manage the bridge on business prin
ciples. 1t should be self-supporting
and pay 6 per cent. on the money
invested. In 81 years it has never
paid dollar of dividends to stock
holders. 1t is now meeting all its
current expenses and interest charges
and providing for repairs and preser-
walton of the property, notwith-
standing the efforts to embarrass it.
1t has not, and will not go begging
through the town and over the coun-
ty for quarters and half dollars,
mendicant fashion, to help it main
tain precarious existence, or to
crafty the obstinacy or spleen of
three or four persons. When it
ceases to be selfsupporting or UNI
profitable it will extort no more
money from its stock holders, but
after paying off its bonds, held by
widows, orphans and other investors,
guaranteed by its officers or stock
holders, it will be allowed to fall into
decay and disuse. But that day is
not likely soon to come in an enlight-
ened, progressive community like
this. Not until our people are ready
to return to flint locks, tallow dips,
and a stone in the mill sack to bal
anee the grist, will any but the
smallest number prefer a flat-boat
or skifr, and muddy and steep banks,
even if nominally free, to the use of
the bridge at fair tolls in crossing
the river.
Nearly half of those who have
most loudly complained have never
called at the bridge Office to see at
what price they could get their year
ly tolls, but have accepted the allie
cations of interested and hostile par
ties who had no knowledge on the
subject. If occasionally there seem
ed to be disparities between ther
given to neighbors, they were either
the errols to which all are liable, or
only apparent and not real. The of
Gcers have always endeavored to be
fair and impartial, and have willing
ly corrected any errors when satisfied
they existed.
OF necessity the bridge is open at
all hours for the use of every person
willing to pay the trip rates, but it
can hardly be expected that the
company should give reduced rates,
for the winter only, to those who
patronize the water line during the
pleasant weather of the rest Of the
year and only resort to the bridge
when compelled to do so. But all
persons desiring fair yearly rates
can get them by paying for year,
not by paying for the winter only.
! WEST MoRGANTowN BRIDGE Co.
December 81, 1888.