The Newtown bee., 1889-11-08
Pohtatuck Bridge Voted.

The town meeting, Monday afternoon, was well attended, for there was much difference of opinion as to at!yisability of the proposed bridge over the Pohtsl- tuck. Those in favor felt that it was uot fair to have road end nowhere and that, if the other bridge over the stream near the Mantle mills should break down, there would be no convenient crossing. Those opposed fels that tle town was too much in debt already ro venture on the expeuse of adding to il by building the bridge and claimed that there was no such nrceSSiiy as required it. G. ". Bradley. aum C. w. Daytom were the principal spokessneIl for ilie bridge and II. l.. Wheeler and Edward Troy the chief opponents. c. F. I.illi~
 was chairhan of the meeting. which first heard this report of ihe survey made by D. $. Brinsmade of the Ousatnnic Water Co.,, Shelton, submitted by ScIectuian Glover:
 | Stone work l,lry w:liIy 22.sr1 cubic | feet at l5c, S2a5 .8 Earth work, including excavation, | 2joo cubic yards Dc, ti9, a5 Iron work (brid:scl estimated, -,1 u5
 Total, sHts, so | Add 10 per cent for contingencies. 4os tFs Grand total, sss2s 2e This estimate might be slightly reduced ly emitting side a'ls and making earth l,sauk~ but this would pI o5abIy have to be rip r7ppu,el and the ;lbutInent extended and would. ir Inv opinion, make Il less satisfactory jnl.. I iy |. feet long, resting on abutmcnts 2U feet high, l3 feet wide at the base aGl! i~ feet long.
 CIV. Dayton submitted a resoiu. ,,'l that the estimate be accepted and the bridge built, but withdrew in favor of Bradley, which were adopted after an animated discussion:
 Voted, That the report of the sclcctmcu from Engineer D. 5. BrinsInadc be accepted.
 Voted That the selcctmen be eInpowere,ltn build bridge at the site surveyed by D. S Brinsm:tie across Pohtatuck stream for ilr- least possible cost and tO borrow tli- money to pay for the
 Mr Bradley spoke in favor of rlie r. families shut in on Pohtatucil street. but Edward Troy thought S4000 too much to spend. lion N. N. Norlhrop said that tine other bridge at the Hook cost but SI200 and S44U0 was an cNtr;lvagaut out lay for this one. II. L.. Wheeler spoke at length against the bridge. The town can't afford the expense; the bridge i> not necessary, as the distance to he saved does not justify the outlay; only half a dozen men go from this street to the Rubber and there i~ now q good road from the Glen to NewtOwn: people com ing into the Hook would go to the stores and shops near the other bridge anvwav: there is no room for more houses on the street, but. if they would give up the highway bridge, Mir Wheeler imtiinated that foot bridge would bc built Jus tice Dayton maintained that 20 men went from Pohtatuck street to work in the Rubber and William Kirby spoke of property the Widow Carroll had for sale there, to show that there was still room for houses on the street.
 G. w. Bradley then threw the decid- ing argument into the meeting that. if the town did not vote to build the bridge. suit would be brought and the town would eventually have to meet the cost of the suit and then build the bridge af- ter all. Hon W. \. Northrop drew out Seleetman Glover to say that the esti- mates submitted by Engineer Brinsmadc were outside figures and much too high. though he denied that the work could be done for S1200. EX-Selectman Aaron Sanford was also called out, but said that, in approving the bridge, he sup posed that wooden bridge of small cost, not Sl000 iron bridge. was to bc built. Several overloaded citizens were decidedly too boistcrous for the good or der of the meeting.