The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1890-02-27
TIE MAIN STREET BRIDGE


- ASlFt~ ~ SSAAN
New Kind Of Loan Proposed.
Yesterday morning Mayor seabright
appointed Messrs. w. A, Wilson, Julius
Pollock and W. II. l%Ialler, OF tho First
Branch, to act with Mcssrs. Oscar seeley,
A. O. Harrell and Charles Brandtass, OF
the Second Branch, who were appointed
at the regular meeting Of Council held
Tuesday night, as q conference commit.
tee In tho matter Of the proposed bridge
over the creek ut Main street. The un-
derstanding Is that while this committee
will lose no time In getting TO work on
the questions that have been referred 10
II, 1t will at the same timo give n careful
consideration 10 all tho points contained
therein, and when it makes Its report,
aim to make 1t ono that shall leave no
points about tho question in doubt.
The committee will probably report to
Council ut It's next regular meeting,
which will be held on Tuesday, March II.
The strong argument In favor Of u
modern steel bridge made by Mr.. Seeley
at last Tuesday nights meeting OF Coun.
Gil, combiued with the business.like
proposition for paying for it, submitted
by Mr.. Wilson, has served, judging from
tho talk heard about The city yesterday,
aud particularly in tho business por-
lions, to very eilectpnlly knock ont
the props from under the advocates OF
tho stone bridge idea. There still re.
main . lew, however, who cling to the
stone bridge, but 1t Is simply because
they refuse to be convinced that their
scheme Is a wildly %extravagaut and fool.
ish one, and It may be added, uu almost
impracticable one.
While nearly every one has been con.
verted to the steel bridge idea there arc
some who differ with Mr.. Wilson as to
the manner In which the bridge should
DO paid for, and included among those
who 80 differ are many good business
men whose judgment has always been
considered sound and practicable. Mr..
Wilson's plan, 1t will be remembered, ID
to have tho improvement paid for out Of
this years revenues. His resolution in.
ssruets the Finance Committee to set
aside S55, 900 in the annual appropriation
ordinance to be drafted for this yenr to
pay for the bridge. 1t was on the adop.
ton OF this resolution, when 1t camo up
in the Second Branch for q concurrence
in the action Of the First, that a con'
mittee Of conference was called for.
The plan proposed ny those who do
not favor paying for the Improvement
out Of this years revenues Is that q loan
Of 100000 be made, payable in six years,
$4,000 Of bonds to be redeemed each
year; the bonds to be five per cents and
not subject to city taxation. 1t is not
claimed that these bonds could be sold
at any premium, but it is claimed that
they would be readily taken up as five
per cents. The idea Of those who would
create II loan in order to pay for the
bridge is that there shall DO no inter.
ruption 10 the work OF street i'm.
provement, in the way OF brick
paving that has been going on for the
past six years. The bond plan OF pay.
ment is urged principally by those who
live in portions OF the city that have not
received Us much needed improvements
rs other portions have, aad who do not
want-to be cut OF without any work be.
ing done this year. One great objection
to the bond plan, aside from tn. objec.
ton that attaches to the necessity OF tho
city's debt, is the bother and worry o!
the election that would have to be held.
A surprising feature about the bridge
talk heard in the city yesterday was the
number Of former stone bridge advocates
who frankly confessed that previous to
learning from Mr.. Seeley's statements
and figures they had never thought Of Il
steel bridge being constructed in the
manner detailed by Mr.. Seeley; they
had never thought Of n steel bridge
other than Light, limsy, shaky aIair.