Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1891-07-14
FREE BRIDGES.
The Chinese Walls Around the
City Must oG Down.
The Committee Meeting at Capt. Cobb's
Office Last Night-The Petition
From the Commercial
Club.

The committees from the several
wards Of the city appointed at the
last meeting of the Commercial Club
on the free bridge question met at
Capt. Cobb's Office last night for the
purpose OF organizing for the work.
All the wards were represented and
the situation was discussed at length.
Capt. Gracey called the meeting to
order and read the following petition,
which is addressed to the aldermen
from the various wards and 10 the
mayor of Clarksville
The subject Of free bridges and
roads leading to GAINESVILLE has been
much discussed within the past few
years by our people, and we do not
think there is much division of opin-
ion on it but on the contrary our peo-
pie are practically unanimous in favor
ing free roads, and are disposed to re-
move as far as possible the "Chinese
Walln that is around our town, and
relieve the town and its friends from
the necessity of paying taxes to come
in and go out. We realize the fact the
city nor the county at present is able
to remove the barriers from all the
roads leading to GAINESVILLE, but we
find in the proposition now before
your Board the beginning of the end
of taXpaying for the privilege of trav-
cling public highways to and from our
tnun At nnGt of mt nXnap1inn
So, 300 we can have free bridge cross
ing Red river just east of West Fork,
the county paying a like sum, and in
dividuals of the town and country also
raising sum equal to that contrib
uted by the city. The County Court
has been quite liberal in giving one
third the cost, inasmuch as the road
runs through only two country dis
tricts out of twenty-one. and the town
is afforded magnificent opportunity
to obtain free thOroughfare to sec
tons of Kentucky as we'll as this
county at cost to the city heretofore
never contemplated. The people OF
GAINESVILLE and surrounding country
pay taxes in the way of tolls at least
$25, 000 per annum, and it does seem
that we should not lose this opportu-
nifty to reduce this burden of taxation.
The inhabitants of GAINESVILLE alone
will save this amount ($3, 300, in tolls
in few years by the erection of this
bridge, to say nothing of the vast good
least one free bridge for the present
The city will have three years to pay
this sum, and we are satisfied it can be
saved from the "Odds and endsn OF
taxes, and if the city desires, it cau
pay it the first year from proceeds OF
the lower bridge across Red river
At any rate, we are sure it can be paid
without increasing taxation one cent
We therefore appeal to you, and your
Honorable Board, to accept the propo
sition and relieve the town, at least tC
this extent, from the effects of the
heavy burden of toll taxation all
nually taken from our people, and
those who support our town.
Each ward committee is supplied
with copy of this petition and will
go to work at once securing the sigma.
lures of the voters who look with
favor upon the free bridge question.
1t was recommended at the meet
ing last night that each committee
obtain list of the qualified voters in
their respective wards so that every
one Of them can be seen. These lists
can be gathered from the last regis
tratiOn books.
The committees went to work this
morning, and before Friday night il
is hoped that every voter in the city
will have been seen. While building
the bridge across Red river above the
mouth of West Fork will not free the
others, it will, as some one said at the
meeting, act as a wedge to drive
them all out. The people who dc
their trading in GAINESVILLE have
been paying toll 50 long to come tC
the city that it has become almost q
second nature with them, and when
one free bridge is built the good
objects will be visible, and a stronger
effort will be made to free all of them
This is a live question and is one that
has come to stay. Toll-gates and pay
bridges must go. At least this was
the verdict rendered at the meeting
last night, and the Commercial Clut
is going to work to that end with q
will, and success will come sooner OF
later. 1t is only matter of time.
The committees will work with the
petitions from now until Friday
night, when meeting will be held
at Capt. Cobb's Office for the purpose
of comparing notes and Of learning
how the work is progressing. Each
committeeman is expected at this
meeting.