Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-08-14
Free Bridges.
To the Tobacco Leaf.Chronicle.l

To the Tobacco Leaf-Chronlcle.l
AS the question of the city's sub
scription to one third Of the cost of
building the "free bridge has been
disposed of, / think it proper to call
the attention of the citizens of Clarks-
vile to the condition of things as
they existed at the close of the war.
The upper bridge across Red river
had been burned, during the warand
after peace had been restored there
was great anxiety on the part OF
both the people Of the city and of
those who came to town by the Rus
sellville pike to have the bridge re-
built. Neither the city nor the
county was in condition to do any
thing towards it as they were both
largely in debt, with four years ac-
crued interest on their bonds unpaid.
The Turnpike Company had no
money. It's road-bed was greatly out
of repair by the four years. use when
no tolls were collected. But it had
its road-bed and its franchise as a
basis of credit and was out of debt.
In order to raise the means with
which to rebuild the bridge the Leg
islature passed an act in November,
1865, authorizing the GAINESVILLE and
Russellville Turnpike Company TO
issue its 6 per cent. bonds to the
amount of $4,000, to mature in
twenty years, and provided that the
proceeds should be applied to the
building of said bridge. The bonds
were sold on the market and brought
only 65 cents on the dollar. The
fund thus raised was used in building
of the bridge, but the amount realized
proved inadequate, so in March, 1867,
the Legislature authorized an addi-
tionaI issue of So 600 for the same pur-
pose. These were likewise sold at
the same price and proceeds 50 used,
thus making the cost of the bridge in
actual cash $l6,2G0 This did not in
clude the cost of the stone work, as il
was not destroyed when the bridge
was burned. BY the terms of the Act
of the Legislature the tolls collected
were pledged to the payment of the
interest and principal of the bonds
issued, and every dollar collected over
and above the expenses and repairs
was so used until January, 1888,
when the first dividend was declared.
Now | want to tell the public just
how much the stockholders of the
road have received during the last
thirty years on their investment.
Just Seventeen per cent, or a little over
one half of one per cent. per annum
Why, one of your contributors who
signed G. N. M. to his article, whose
mouth seemed to be watering for a
free bridge, seems to think that the
stockholders in the turnpikes were
take grinders" | wish he would
take a subscription list and see how
much stock could be raised in Clarks
vile to invest in a turnpike, and let
him get men who have had some eX
perience in the matter to head the
list, such as Walter Drane, b w.
Macrae, S. B Seat, d. N. Kennedy
or Col. House. But before he starts
let me suggest to him to carry along
another subscription, say to "Tele-
phone Company to the MOON" He
might persuade them to take stock in
the latter by telling them what
knowledge they could gain by talk
ing to the imam in the mOOn," but ]
am sure he would fail in the former,
as one writer sud, somehow men
dislike to pay toll" Yes, even good
men do / believe more than paying
taxes. There are only two ways by
which turnpikes and bridges can be
built, one by private enterprise, the
other by public funds raised by taxa
ton. The man who invests his
money in building bridges or turn
pixies for the use of the public has a
right to expect the public to pay a
price for its use. If the
public prefer to pay for the use by
way of taxation rather than toll, il
would be right for the public to buy
rom the private individual and
make it free. II. G. MERRITT.
Beersheba Springs. Aug, II. 1891.