The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1895-12-07
ALL ONE WAY.
Business Men of Topeka Want
the Melan Bridge.
Edward Wilder's Strong Words
on the Matter.
SEEKING A RAKE-OFF.
Parties Opposing the Bridge
Have a Selfish Reason.
4 Topeka Paper That Once
Worked For Topeka,
NOW VEERS ABOUT
And Tries to Prevent a Great
Public improvement.
Gene Wares Witticism is to
the Point:
"Have to Have a Lawsuit to
Improve Your Mind"
NOW VEERS ABOUT
And Tries to Prevent a Great
Public improvement.
Gene Wares WitticiSm is to
the Point:
"Have to Have a Lawsuit to
Improve Your Mind"


The county commissioners will have
no difficulty in disposing Of the bonds to
build the new bridge. Unless the sale
is enjoined by the man who makes en-
Joining his business there will be plenty
of bids to be opened a week from next
Tuesday.
County Clerk McCabe says that he re-
ceives letters every day inquiring about
the bonds. They come from New York.
Philadelphia, Cleveland and other east
ern cities and they are from people who
want to know when the bonds are to be
sold and how the bidding is to be done.
The business men and heaviest tax
payers in Topeka are almost unanimous
ly with the JOURNAL in the stand it has
taken relative to the duty of the county
commissioners in building the new
bridge.
Mr.. Edward Wilder. treasurer of the
Santa Fe and one of the heaviest tax
payers in Topeka said:
Il have been very much interested in
the bridge controversy in the papers, but
I really believe the JOURNAL has voiced
the sentiment of the tax payers of Tope-
ka in its position on the bridge question
This is a serious matter, and we ought
not to allow any trihing thing to prevent
the building of the bridge the people
have voted for. l think the JOURNAL is
right in intimating the source of the op-
position to the bridge. l, myself, have
seen enough, and heard enough, to con-
vince me that certain parties Il am not
going to mention any names) have from
the first planned to stop the building of
the bridge, or at least mar the proceed
ings. if they could not get rake off
Il am heavy tax payer and feel
that we can't afford to have a cheap
bridge put across the river on Kansas
avenue. l am satisfied that the people
voted for the bridge proposition because
they knew just what they were voting
for They wanted an arch bridge and
they have voted for it and it should be
built if the bonds can be sold. If the
commissioners had submitted a PROPOSE
tion to vote $150,000 bonds for a bridge
saying nothing about the kind of bridge
it should be. or had submitted PROPOSE
tion for steel or iron overhead struc-
ture there is no doubt that the people
would have voted it down. Ihope to see
this bridge built"
Mr. E. S. McClintock of North Toreka
who does business on the south side of
the river, said:
This talk of the Capital against the
bridge is for the purpose of injurng the
sale of the bonds. The bonds are to be
sold on the 18th. and one of the commits
sioners who was in my office this after
noon said that as soon as the bonds ara
sold and the commissioners have the
money to build the bridge in sight, thev
will go ahead and let the contract and
build the bridge The commissioners
tell me there is no question about the
bonds being sold on the 18th, as they are
all right and will draw 5 per cent"
]. B. Bartholomew said: Engineers
recognize the fact that concrete is more
Eerviceable than stone 1t is for that rea-
son that the bases of big buildings are
being built of concrete. When we put
in the foundation of the electric light
plant we made the foundation of con
crete. There is not an engineer nor an
architeci, who does not recognize this
fact and they are making recommends
tions accordingly. There is no doubt in
the world about the bridge being one of
the most serviceable that can be built. A
bridge is needed, and it should be built"
:. Greenabaum said: II want to see
the bridge built As l understand it the
Melan company offers to furnish the
plans for the bridge aud make them SO
clear and com Drehensive that every con-
tractor can bid upon it. This is the first
time that l ever heard of the owners of
q patent making such a concession. They
usually wautto build the thing protected
by the patent themselves. Did
not the commissioners under
stand before they submitted the
proposition that they would have to nav
for plans. If 1 build a house l know
that have to pay an architect to make
the plans aud l include this in the cost
of the building"
W. A. L. Thompson said: 81 want to
see the bridge built. There is no doubt
that one is needed and it should be
built''
Eugene F. Ware: Haven't you learned
that you can not make any needed i'm.
provement in Kansas without law suit?
You have to have a law suit before you
can improve your mind"
A. K. Rodgers: THE bridge is all
right and l am in favor of it by all
means. 1t can not be built too soon"
Postmaster A. J. Arnold: 81 want to
see the bridge built
c. P. Bolmar: "As a member of the
board of trade of Topeka will say that