Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1891-08-20


bridge grievance as follows;
The people of New Castle county (the |
qx-payersl will soon dcmand-through |
he press-that the Levy Court take some
ction relative to Augustine bridge.
II Is a grievance that is not very we'll
understood and it is only proper that the
taxpayers of Wilmington and New
CASTLE county generally should be more
thoroughly informed ugon the enormitv
of this incubus which for years like a
leech has bled the county treasury until
rs reported the total sum expended
upon this relatively useless structure
has reached the immense total OF over
ISL 900.
It is emphatically asserted that the
bridge and roadway of which it forms
the link is of use only TO some five or
ysix families who occupy farms south Of
1t and even these families could be
equally well served by contiguous
roadway which exists and is kept in
good order by the county and which
treads in almost a parallel course TO the
one for which (only too obviously the
disgraceful lob" Of maintaining the
ramshacSle old structure called
Augustine bridge forms the excuse.
As the facts go Augustine bridge has
more of political than a physical or
commercial reason for existence.
THE BRIDGE A LAUGHING STOCK.
For years 1t has been the laughing
stock of the whole country side. But
this is for two reasons-first on account
OF its perennial frailty and secondly for
the political uses that the annual repairs
and the appropriation therefor thar the
cunningly put to.
The money was fruitful source for
garnering the votes of the people in the
neighborhood and additionally Of popu-
larizing the Levy Court official who had
charge Of the matter and of securing
himself IN his position by squeezing as
big an annual appropriation for his
hundred as could decently be made.
A POLITICAL JOB.
In fact Augustine bridge is one of the
biggest political jobs that New Castle
county is saddled with. The bridge
Is not needed. This is the opinion Of
the vast majority of citizens of the
hundred where it is located.
Under any circumstances the choice
OF its location is absurdly bad and full
of fault. This is the opinion of United
States engineer with whom a repre-
sentative of the EVERY EVENING held
conference upon that subject while
standing on Augustine bridge two
weeks ago.
But the main point is that the repair
and building appropriations totalling
over $4,000 should never have been
taken from the public purse in order to
benefit some two score of private indi-
viduals at the expense of the county.
1t is simply as it stands now, or tries to
stand, nugget for votes, and stand
ing temptation to the politician to work
it for all it is worth.
USED BY FEW FAMILIES ONLY.
Augustine bridge is a wooden struc-
ture about half a mile in length which
accommodates, it is stated, some half a
dozen farmers by allowing them to get
their mail from Port Penn. To accom-
plish this annual appropriations have
been made by the Levy Court which in
some years have aggregated $4,000.
The bridge at present is dangerous
for heavy wagons 10 pass over. At the
northern end of it the reporter discov-
cred the following notice posted up:
The long bridge over ST. Augustine's
creek, south of Port Penn, is unsafe for
heavy travel, especially for traction and
other steam wagons ana loaded farm
wagons. JOHN w. .JoLLs,
Levy Courtman for ST. Georges hundred.
For period of six months, SO the re-
porter was informed by resident of
the neighborhood, the bridge was in
such shaky condition that il could not
stand having ton of coal drawn across
it.
From his position at the end of the
bridge looking north the reporter found
the south end of the bridge sagged
down on one side several inches from
the proper plane. The piers underneath
had given away. Most of the bridge
piers are loose and rotten. They
wobble to and fro with the tide making
grooming accompaniment to the musical
swaying in the wind of the neighhoring
forest of tall green bull rushes and flags.
This is the delectahle Old structure
that has drained the county treasury OF
$4,000 cash.
Worse than that the reporter dis
covered gang Of yeomen at work re-
placing what seemed 10 be the sound
solid planks with what is known as
"bull pine boards. These were Of tile
poorest, toughest kind, ragged and
dotted with knot holes, and Of Il reddish
soft texture. The boards that the re-
porter saw taken out were in many in.
stances far superior to the substitutes.
The only trouble with them, as far as
he could ascertain, was that they were
not secured They showed spdces be.
tween and by their movement rs the
horses hoofs touched them caused the
animal memerdary fright and hesitancy
Residents often ask the question win
gets the timber that is yearly taken
from the bridge ~ This query is asked
with sly nudge of the elbows for the
reply is not expected.
Augustine bridge has to Be re-.
paired every year. Every year
an appropriation is expected to
be asked for. As stated it was
faulty located from the first. Il Is
open to direct damage and assaults dur
ing winter from the storms and aceu.
mutations Of ice that heap up against il
and have the easiest access from bay
1t is standing danger TO vehicles
which do not use it in the winter Iii d
general public sense it is useless and
should never have been built,
THE M'poNoUGH ROAD ENOUGH
There is a good road from McDononFh
u Port Penn which readily serves all
the purposes Of the immediate nejghhor.
hood and beyond that again is the State
road running parallel to it.
Augustine bridge spans two wide
estuaries through which there is 4 tidal
flow and which In winter time carry d
rough, boisterous volume IF water
Either approaches Of the bridge are On
low marsh land. If the Levy Court still
nrppDge In the fgCp ne m blt6 cf,n1ap4po.