Wood River times. [volume] (Hailey, Idaho) 1882-1915, 1890-03-25
A CLEVER SCHEME.
ATTEMPT TO BUY THE SECOND
STREET BRIDGE.

SSnSu 10 Enr1cn THOSE VINO Are ~
she Ring.
San Frsncisco Chronicie.I
The magnificent bridge erected in
| 1870 at the intersection Of Second
and Harrison streets is in danger, not
Of falling down, hut of dropping into
the hands OF political jobb-rs. A
resolution was quietly brought up for
passage before the Board of Super.
vi.ors some time ago authorizing its
sale and removal. The. claim WAS
made that the bridge WAS worthless,
and moreover useless to the residents
Of Rncon Hill, at whose expense it
was erected, and should therefore be
removed.
Soon after the introduction Of the
resolution George Taylor, notorious
Buckley lamb and exSetgesnt at
Arms of the State Senate, deposited
5000 in the Office Of the Street Su.
perin,ende"t, that sum representing
his bid for the bridge. With u keen
eye for the public benefit the Street
Committee WAS about to accept Fay.
lor's bid, when All unexpected protest
against the sale of the bridge was
filed. II WAS claimed that the resolu-
ton authorizing the sale was not
passed to print as required by law,
and moreover the bridge could not b-
sold without The assent Of the Ma>or.
The Street Committee referred the
resolution to the City and County At.
torney. That, Jealous official replied
that the Board had ample power e.
sell the b.ijg4 IL it~er- clearly shown
That It's condition WAS unsafe TO >th+
travelling public. Taylor, who ap-
pears to have been the only bidder
for the bridge, succeeded in convinc-
ing the committee that the bridge
ws+ unsafe, and the committee decid.
ed to recon mend ITS sale to him for
$500.
When the resolution came up for
action ut the meeting of the Board
of Supervisors on Monday evening
stirring protest against the sale and
removal Of the bridge WAS read. Tho
protest WAS signed 10y Louis Garnt tt,
James b. Roberts, a. Is. Forbes, A..
Corley, Henr, F. All,H, Charles Mel,
son, Mary E. Farnsworth, Emma
Hare. John Hooper and many other =,
and in it the Board WAS requested to
indefinitely postMne the sale. The
protest referred 10 the action Of he
Street Superintendent some time Ego
a." .hhng plans for the repair Of the
bridge, and stated that, the Board
having failed TO take action in the
matter, the inference was plain tia,
it was thelint+ntion Of the. Board OF
Supervisors to permanently close the
street. sin that event." said the
professionals, 1--WE b'g to- p mind your
honorable Board that it has been de-
c'd-d by the courts time and again
that n public highway once open. d
and dedicated to public use canno,
hr CT sed, aid TO do 20 will suhjec,
thu city to a liability for damages o
those whose property may be- injured
by such action" The Bosrd was fur
Their r. minded that If the bridge
should be removed the protesting
prop .rtv.own. RS would he conp-ll
to enforce their l-yx! righ!s Tor dam
ages caused by such ,-moyal
The protest WAS s": ported Ivy Su
pervisors Ellert AMI Wright, both O
whom insisted tina, the property own
e,s should b. heard before the sale OF
the bridge was authorized. SUPER
visor Bingham, chairman Of the Stree
Committee, opposed this action, b .'
apparently to his disgust the matte
was ref.rr d back to tie con mi,,ee.
The proposed .ale of the bridge
ms to be n hug ] b, d. >ig".d 10
line the pockets ci Fayhr ana oth' Rs
VINO are interested vi h him IN tie
rs 'heme. The bridge is composed If
wooh and iron. and rests ON two huge
xhu'm-n,s Of granite, more than forty
feet in height each. 1t is eighty two
feet square and eos, originally f91, eco.
It. is estimated that the Prani,e, as it
now stands il" the sbu'mrn,., could
tbe sold for $4,000 and that the ,r'
aud timber in the bridge would bring
*5UOO more. The low figure Of $500
Of red by, Taylor, and the. secrecy
win which ,he Proposed sale has been
conducted, indicate that the Street
Commirse and Favlor are working
tremendously together in All enter
prise which promises rich results.
The Ri"con Hill pr perry owners
are on the alert, how yer, and they
intimate that ,levA VI, IL make strong
fight to keep the bridge in the place
it has occupied 20 many years. They
asser, thai it can be- repaired ut an
expense of $4,000. These repairs
nave hem ~ elected 'or two wears.
~ IL WAS nYO,O>eA IN grade THO hin tn