The record-union., 1891-07-14
DECAYING BRIDGES.
Two of the County's Structures are to
be Repaired.
New Towers for Folsom's Suspension
Bridge County Jail Chain
Gang Abolished.

The members of the Board of Super
visors assembled at the Hall of Records
yesterday as Board of Equalization, but
as several matters came before them
which was in the nature of county bust
ness, they convened in the capacity of
Supervisors. Mr.. Greer presided and all
of the members except Mr.. Black were
present.
Mr.. Jenkins, Chairman Of the Commit
tee on Roads and Bridges, reported that
he and Supervisor Bates had, in accord
ance with the instructions of the board,
examined the long bent-bridge at Nc
Connells and had found that it needed
many repairs. The trusses and bents
were giving way, and unless they were
repaired soon there was danger of a col
lapse.
The matter was referred to Mr.. Jenkins
with power to act.
FoLsoM'S SUSPENSION BRIDGE.
While the board was on the subject of
| bridges, Chairman Greer took occasion to
remind the members that they had been
| officially notified that the suspension
| bridge across the American River Just
above Folsom was in shaky condition.
! Expert George b. Dean had informed
them that the towers We're rotten, and
| there was danger of collapse at any mo-
! ment. Mr.. Greer had Deans report read,
and then proceeded to state that the mat
ter could not be overlooked any longer.
/ The people Of Folsom had rights that
/ should be respected. They were com
! PEELED to use the bridge in question every
day, and they above all others should
know what its condition was. They had
asked that it be repaired, and the expert
employed by the board had backed up
| their request in his report. Mr.. Greer
said that Folsom was in his district and
he demanded that justice be given it.
| There was vast traffic over this bridge,
and if it should fall in the results would
! be disastrous.
| Supervisor Bates seemed to be of the
opinion that the bridge would hold to-
! gether for while yet.
Several residents of Folsom were pres
ent, and they put in a word here and
! there to help Mr.. Greer out.
THE REPAIRS ORDERED.
! Supervisor Miller said he agreed with
! Mr.. Greer that the bridge needed fixing
! up, and said he would vote for repairing
it. Mr.. Black, who had in the mean
time arrived, moved that bids for repair
| ing the bridge be advertised for, and Mr..
Miller seconded the notion Bates was
the only one who voted in the negative
The repairs will probably cost S., 600.
License Collector Doian appeared be-
fore the board and said great many
saloon keepers in the county evidently
did not understand the new license ordi-
nance, as they had failed to send in their
petitions and bonds. Mr.. Dolan knew of
no better way ofinducing the parties to
''get a move on than to jog their MEM
ory with newspaper notice. The Col
lector was authorized to advertise.
NEEDS sPRINKLING.
Z. TulIer, the Road Overseer of District
| 105, called attention to the fact that the
J-street road, from Thirty-frst street to
the old sugar-beet factory, needed sprink-
ling. Last year the gravel haulers had
contributed toward the expense, but this
! year nothing could be counted on from
that quarter. The Overseer was ap-
! pointed sprinkler, at salary of $50 per
month from the county, and the privi-
! lege Of retaining such contributions as he
might be able to secure from residents
along the road.
ABoLIsHING THE CHAIN-GANG.
Then there was a Iull for a few mo-
ments in the board. But it was only the
usual lull before the storm. Suddenly
| Mr.. Bates arose in his place and moved
that the County Jail chain-gang be abol-
ished on and after the 1st of August
The motion was wholly unexpected to
the outsiders, but the other members of
the board evidently knew all about it and
. were SA lJtCblllS II. ne IldILCT mas Deen
| a hobby of Mr.. Bates for some time. He
has maintained that the chain-gang was
an expensive luxury for the county; that
it accomplished nothing, and did not
even pay for the extra meals furnished
the prisoners, much less the salaries of
the two deputies required to watch the
men.
The motion was carried by a unani-
nous vote of the board.
Road OYerSeer Finnie of District No, s
called the attention of the board to the fact
that there was another bridge in the county
that needed repairs. This was the Nc
Cracker wire bridge near the Slough
House, on the Jackson road. He said
new mud-sill would have to be put in
and various other improvements made
There was not money enough in his dis
! trict or he would have gone ahead with
the repairs himself.
After some discussion the board in
structed expert Dean to inspect the bridge
and report at future meeting.