The Russellville Democrat., 1891-09-24
A Hint to the Wise.

A Hint to the Wise.
 Editor DEMoCRAT:--Soon the coun- tvs leyying court will be in session ard before it will come question that we feel needs some discussion that an intelligent and satisfactory conclusion may be reached. It will be remembered by your readers that something oyer year ago the ques
 tion of bridging the Illinois bayou at or near Jones ford was agitated and discussed pro and con. From the beginning there was quite di vergence of opinion in regard to it. some wanting to continue to wade the creeks few years longer, while others with broader spirit of i'm provement earnestly advocated the building of bridges. The sentiment of the county was clearly shown in last October's Quorum court, when after discussion an overwhelming majority of the justices present vot- ed levy of mills tor bridge pur- poses. The Hon. County Judge, as was his prerogatiye and following the lawinrelation to building bridges, appointed three worthy citizens of our county to view out a suitable To
 cation for said bridge. But little leaven had leavened the whole lump, and perfect bridge building mama had come upon us. From the first talk it was tacitly understood and agreed that the Illinois bayou, flow ing through the central part of the county, demanded and should have first attention. But different local
 ties on sad stream and also on Piney and Point Remove put In such urgent claims that It was impossible to satisfy all with one bridge. In view of some propositions and repre- sentations made by some bridge building companies and in response to urgent and earnest solicitations of different localities the bridge com
 missioners reported at the July term of County Court locations for five bridges-three across the Illinois bayou, one across Piney and one across Point Remove. When the commissioners filed their report they closed their labors and since then bridge building seems to have ceased. It seems to us that in one way we have made haste too fast and just now the serious part of the question is staring us in the face and calls for consideration Bridge contractors were lmpertinent enough to want to know something about the county's financial condition before
 bidding on the contracts. They learned that they would be paid in county warrants whose value with a county indebtedness of less than $2000 was only about 75 cents on the dollar in view of possible de- preclatlon on account of a probable issue of $35,000 to build bridges. Then to meet this depreciation in value they made bids that were so high that the coun
 ty judge could not do otherwise than reject them. So after our first great stride in walking and running we come back to the beginning point to crawl once more. Now, then, gentle. men Of the Quorum court, the his- tory is told, and the writer~hereof as one of the members of your hoaor- able body, begs leave to make few suggestions for your careful consid- eration until Oct. 5. From the mill levy made by the Quorum court there was collected and is now to the credit of the bridge fund s5,309, or. This is enough to build one bridge and why should this not be built at the earliest possible moment at point where it IS needed most? We do not doubt but what the spirit of improvement and county pride will still continue the bridge levy and if so we can at once let cash contract to build two bridges. Then let the future provide for itself, and as the county IS able and willing build bridge at every place needed. Then we wiil put a stop to the cry of scrip depreciation, bad credit, scrip corners and money sharks, and proceed on sound financial basis. This is not written in spirit oi criticism of any one and we wish to emphatically state that we are un. conditionaily in favor Of more bridges than the five the commis. sioners located, but we want them in homeopathic doses as we are able to stand them. Give us gentlemen ol the Quorum court good bridges as we are able to pay for them and your children shall rise up and call yon blessed. With an annual tax