New Ulm weekly review. [volume] (New Ulm, Minn.) 1878-1892, 1891-10-14
SHOULD THE BRIDGES BE BUILT
Public Opinion as Measured by the Views
Of Leading Business Men. II
Without Exception All Say the Bridges
Would Help the Town. j

WOulu nelp Gne lOWu'
Do the people of New Ulm want to
build more bridges? That is question
which is bubbling to the surface now,
and those who favor an affirmative an
swer have already commenced work in
earnest. AS first step they presented
a petition to the council at their meet
ing on Tuesday evening, asking that
money be appropriated for building
two iron brid dyes across the Minnesota,
one at the present CORTLAND crossing
and the other near Beussmann's old fer
~. The petition is signed by nearly
all of our taxpayers, and the following
interview Tvs will show how strong the de-
mand is for action on the part of the
council, and how urgent the reasons for
carrying out the proposition set forth in
the petition:
c. W. H. Heideman: 1t took great
many years of agitation by the business
men before we secured our present iron
bridge, and, since the wisdom of the
council in building the bird &c is now
conceded by every man, woman and
child and even the kickers, it ought not
to be considered new or great venture
for the city to build two more. The ne
cessity for better approaches to our city
exists now as it always did. 1t is bust
ness matter, and do not see how the
city can afford to hesitate any longer.
T. Crone: 1t is a good move. Lots
of trade that now goes to Fairfax will
be transferred to our merchants by
the shortening of the road to New Ulm
through the building of a bridge at the
old Beussmann ferry, and think the
same would be true if a bridge would
he built at the CORTLAND crossing. A
town never suffers from having good
roads leading to it from all sections or
by making access easy through numer-
Gus bridges,
Chas. Silverson, of the Eagle Mill
Co.: While personally I can see no
benefits that are to come to the Eagle
mill from the building of either of those
Bird ges, there is no doubt buS what the
city would be be better of if they had
them.
G. A. Ottomeyer: You may talk all
you want to to the contrary, but New
Ulm is dependent upon the farmers,
and we want to solicit their trade in
every way possible. The bridge that
was built several years ago IN spite of
bitter opposition has been worth ten
times as much to US as il cost, nor do
l hesitate to say that the proposed
bridges will be likewise beneficial. And
we must remember too, that if we want
to keep the trade of the farmers who
come here now, we must accommodate
them. Give them good roads and
bridges that will shorten the distance
to town, and they will not only keep on
coming, but they will come often. Fur
thermore, the mere fact that the farm
ers themselves ask for the bridges is
reason enough why we should help
them along, and I am glad to see that
initial steps are being taken in the mat
ter. The project is one of the best for
the city's welfare that has thus far come
up for consideration.
G. L. Roos, manager of the New Uln
Roller Mill: Yes sir, I am for the build
ing of those bridges. It will mean the
borrowing of money by the city, to be
sure, but the outlay would be warrant
ed by the benefits that will accrue to
our town and its business interests. The
time has come now, believe, when we
should do something in this direction.
Andrew j. EcEstein: The bridges
are not absolutely necessary, of course,
but they would fully repay the outlay.
The more con7eniences we offer the
farmers, the more we are going to get
out of them. Frequent visits from those
who come already, and occasional Wis
its from perfect strangers is what we
want to encourage, and the only way
to do it is by making it easy for them
to reach US; for while they might prefer
to trade in a large town, they will not
do so if compelled to 60 out of their
way. .-.
A. W.. Bingham: Situated as New
Ulm is and dependent upon the sur
rounding agricultural country, every
bridge is worth more to us than new
railroad. That's a broad statement to
make, perhaps, but is is fact never
theless, and it would be a good thing
for the town if the bridges in question
were built.
Albert Behnke: The CORTLAND bridge
should be built, because in course Of
time II will cost more RI ororoto ond