The Austin weekly statesman. (Austin, Tex.) 1883-1898, 1889-04-11
Protest Against Barton Creek
Bridge.
To the Editor of the Statesman.

To the Editor of the Statesman.
The effort that has been made to inter
est the board of trade in the proposed
bridge across Barton creek and to get the
board to urge its building on the county
commissioners compels me to an equally
determined effort to let the people of the
city and county know something of the
true inwardness of the movement.
In the first place, it is not true, as was
stated before the board, that those citizens
who protested to the commissioners
against the Barton creek bridge, asked to
have bridge built across the Colorado at
Magills ford. On the contrary, it was
specifically stated and reiterated that
those people who 1t was pretended would
be benefited by the Barton bridge, and
who were protesting against it did not ask
for bridge across the Colorado, but only
asked that the commissioners would not
expend thousands of dollars of the
county's money in building bridge,
which, while it was ostensibly for their
benefit, as fact, was of no material good
to them or to any other considerable
number of people. Located as the bridge
was proposed to be, on cross-road, and
one that would require an immense sum
of money to make it paesable and to keep
it 80, and at such place as heightened the
road to Austin instead of
shortening il, and across creek
which for eleven months of the year is al
most dry, and is never up for more than
eight or ten hours at time, the wonder
is, not that conservative citizens should
protect against it, but any man, no mat
ter how great a service his own interests
might receive by its building, should be
so blind to the public good as to insist in
the face of opposition on any such wild
extravaganza,
Building the bridge across Barton,
will add greatly to the value of the lands
belonging to one or two individuals, but
it will be of no general good, will increase
the county debt, burden the county with
another almost naturally impossible road,
and indefinitely postpone the building of
a bridge across the Colorado at Magils
ford, and the vast benefit of the last
presume no man will deny.
Let the board of trade examine both
sides of this question before they urge
any action on the commissioners. They
will find that the very people from whom
the philanthropists profess to be working
the Barton creek bridge. Can THE
STATESMAN explain the singularity of Cap
tain Walsh's position? Your article puts
him as appearing before the board
by the advice and consent of the county
commissioners and wishing the board to
urge upon the commissioners the advisa-
bility of constructing the bridge. Why
should the commissioners urge the board
20 urge the commissioners?
The people living west of the Colorado
river, and for whose benefit this bridge is
supposed to be, and who do not want it,
have at their own expense and by the la
Dor of their own hands, made crossing
across Barton creek, compelled, thereto
by the very generous act of Captain Walsh
in closing up the old crossing as soon as
the commissioners declined to build the
bridge. By this crossing just as many
people will reach Austin during eleven and
one-half months of the year as will ever
if it is built.
/. 1t is pretended that a bridge across Bar
ton will enable good road to be made
to Oatmanville. Yes By making it
some five miles longer and building
another bridge higher up on Barton for
it must be crossed again. The fact is, and
it may as well be known now, some of
our most worthy citizens have cedar
brakes, and they with the land owner on
Barton, think the county might as we'll
contribute few thousand to helping
them get their cedar and land to market,
as to let it lie idle in the county treasury.
we, OF the western part of the county,
don't so much mind this helping worthy
men to become rich, but we do mind hav-
ing it given them and then having it said
1t is done for our good. Respectfully,
s. j. KIRK.