Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1895-05-02
PAWNBE ROCK BRIDGE MUDDLE.

on the Pawnee Rock Bridge. There is
a well-grounded belief that the Barton
county men are playing the Pawnee
county officials for suckers. Barton
county was TO put up $4,000 towards |
paying for the bridge, and the Pawnee |
county commissioners were to have the /
bridge built. Unfortunat elythe COM
missioners OF this county neglected to |
make the Barton county officials pay |
over the $4,000 when the work was
commenced, and no sooner had Walt. |
Gish begun driving the piles than the
Barton county fellows began to find
fault with the manner in which the
bridge was being built. The fact is,
they wanted three instead of two piles
IN fourteen-fOot span, as Mr.. Gisti
put in, and refused to pay up on that
grOdnd. bIr. GiSh would have compile
ted his part Of the work in another day
and would have been entitled to his
pay. He and his men will now have to
want for their money until the difficulty
is adjusted in the courts.
The people of Pawnee Rock are just
ly indignant at the action of the Barton
county officials, and declare that unless
they carry out their part of the contract
that Pawnee Rock township will secede
from Barton and ask to be annexed to
Pawnee county where it belongs. Bar
ton county is doing its best to have
Pawnee county build the bridge and
pay for it that her business men may
reap profit at the expense of the tax
payers of Pawnee county. Barton
county has always attempted TO act the
hog with Pawnee county. and it is time
that she is ''calied down. ."--Larned
Eagle-Optic.
Tho ahoua 10 q ststoroent of one side
of the question only; and we are of the
opinion that the Pawnee county COM
missioners will one day learn that this
bridge matter has two sides to it-like
all other questions. The facts in the
matter, as far as we have been able to
learn, are as follows:
Barton county's commissioners as
certained that the bridge could be re-
built for $3.50. They so informed the
PawRee county commissioners, who
were satisfied with the price, but made
the plea that their county had no funds
with which to build the bridge, and
wanted TO do all the work if Barton
county would furnish the money to
buy the material, half the total cost,
or 1915. This Barton's commissioners
agreed to do, and the plans and specifi-
cations were drawn up agreeable to
both, and were turned over to the
Pawnee county men; Barton county
being ready, willing and ABLE to put
up the cash when the work was COM
pleted in accordance with the agree
ment. Barton's commissioners were
willing and ready to build the bridge
nine months ago, Or more; but the
Pawnee county men haggled and pot
tered, figured and fused about all this
time before getting ready to commence
what should have been done immedi-
ately.
Finally their man Gish began work.
Our commissioners sent a man down
to see how the work progressed, and
he found the following situation:
The specifications agreed upon called
for three piles to bent-same as the
other part of the bridge has; Gish was
putting IN but two piles to the bent.
They called for oak caps on piles; Gish
was putting on hard pine. And in va
rious other ways the specifications were
being disregarded, such as using small
er nails to put down flooring, different
kind of lumber, etc. When our com
missioners learned that the work was
being thus sighted and the agreement
disregarded, they notified the Pawnee
county commissioners that Barton
county would pay no 1915 for that kind
of bridge: that it must be built ac-
cording to the agreement.
Chairman Bruce received letter
from the Pawnee county commission
ers requesting him to meet them at
Pawnee Rock. He went to the ap-
pointed place but the other gentlemen
failed to put in an appearance. They
after wards came to Great Bend and
met with our board, but claimed they
knew nothing about the requirements
of three piles. oak caps. etc., and tried
TO bulI-doze our board into taking
what they saw fit TO dish up. As bull
doing would not go with Barton coun.
tyss commissioners. work on the bridge
was suspended.