Baxter Springs news. [volume] (Baxter Springs, Kan.) 1882-1919, 1892-09-24
THE BRIDGE MUDDLE.

Last Saturday was agreed upon by
the commissioners Of Cherokee county
to look over the new Baxter bridges
and to talk over the matter with the city
officers. Mr.. Jackson and Capt. Nc
Grcgor were present. aud Mayor Frb-
lev and Councilmen Polstcr and Tuck
or represented the city. Commission
or Armstrong was absent; also Coun-
cilmen Cooper and McFadden. The
$500 appropriation voted on by the
county commissioners al their July
meeting and afterwards rcconSidered
was discussed.
Now that the people of this city
may fairly understand the situation.
we will go back TO the big flood that
occurred on the night OF the 29lh of
May, which swept out all the bridges
along Spring branch except the one
on the street leading to the depot, and
it was so badly damaged that ii was
not considered perfectly safe, besides
doing thousands of dollars of damage
TO streets, alleys, fills, sidewalks, etc.
The mayor and council keenly felt the
great loss the city had sustained and
the large amount OF money ii would
require TO put everything in running
order again, and the necessity OF re-
building the bridges.
1t was decided to petition the coun'
ty commissioners 10 build two out OF
the four bridges. Their reason for
making this request was this: BaX-
ter Springs had helped 10 build every
bridge in Cherokee county. Her peo-
ole had paid their share of the bridge
taxes without Il grumble, and in all
the past the city of Baxter Springs
had never directly received one dollar
for any kind of public Improvements.
She had paid $500 toward building
the township bridge across the slough
on the road TO the river, which ought
TO have been built by the county. A
petition was circulated and gned by
9S per cent of ihe lax payers aud cit
izens of the city and county TO whom
it was presented. The petition was
laid before the commissioners and,
after due delibcration, the prayer of
ihe petitioners was granted. Estl-
mates were received by the commits
sioners as to the cost of these bridges,
but al their meeting in July, the COM
missioners agreed TO give the city an
appropriation not exceeding 5000, in
stead of binding the two bridges, so
they voted the city the $500 without
any qualifications.
Now right here il must be distinctly
understood that the citizens of Baxter
Springs did not petition for 5000 to-
ward building these bridges, but for
two bridges, the size of which was
given then. The commissioners, out
at friendly feeling for the people of
Baxter Springs and that her people
might build their own bridges they
granted the city this money. We had
been without bridges during the
months of June aud July. The peo.
ple who lived on the north side of
Spring branch aud the farming people
who come in from the north side up
braided aud scolded the officers tor
being 81 slack about putting in these
bridges that they almost dreaded
meeting them.
After the 500 by unanimous vote
of the commissioners, had been voted,
the rounril set about trying tn gel
some bridges aud getting them quick
~, for the reunion wSs fast canning
ON. and the bridge on Tic street 10 The
depnt was unsafe aud actually dan-
qrrOus. Tho rnuncil met al once aud
talked over the master. The clerk
seIi uut lciters 10 SEVERAL hriixe euin-