The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1897-04-24
HARD ROAD TO TRAVEL.
Ssea--
Everything Seems to Combine
Against
The Speedy and Successful Com
pletiOn Of the Bridge.
It is Suspected That There Are Some
Interested People in the Com
bine But the Bridge Will
be Pushed Ahead.

The air is full of rumors about the
erection of the new bridge, and nearly
all Of them are derogatory in their ma
ture. 1t sometimes seems as if there
is a conspiracy to prevent the compile
ton of the bridge, and one of the county
commissioners said today that the in
dications point to a determination on
the part of the people interested to pre-
vent the building of the new style of
a bridge.
1T is evident" said he, that the
men who build other kinds of bridges
will lose some business if the Topeka
bridge is made a success. 1t is some
thing new and has many advantages
over the other style of bridges. It is
much handsomer and will be a place
where visitors to the city will be taken
when they are being shown the sights
1t is not surprising that some people
would like to see the bridge Knocked
out before it is completed.
1t looks to me as if Keepers &
Thacher, the contractors, cannot at
ford to build a poor bridge. They are
the western agents for the Melan
bridge and a failure would mean a
great deal to them, while the success OF
the Topeka bridge would mean nun
dreds of thousands of dollars in their
pockets 1 have no fear that they will
build a poor bridge"
The latest report about the bridge is
that work is to be stopped for sixty
days because the contractors want to
force the county to build the false work
necessary to carry on the work on the
piers.
Superintendent Hinckley says he has
heard of no such intention on the part
of the contractors. There was some
talk of stopping on account of high
water said he, but 1 know nothing
else about the matter
H. G. Larimer, attorney for the con-
ct
rumor: There is not a word of truth
in the report. The work will be con
tinued right along. We thought 1t
might be necessary to stop awhile be-
cause the high water would carry away
the false work, but that viii not now
be necessary. The work on the brldge
will be pushed as rapidly as possible"
There was some talk last evening be
tween Superintendent Hinckley and the
sub-contractors who are furnishing the
stone. Mr. Hinckley says that he
went to the quarry and found that the
contractors were not taking off the
soft coat which covers the blue stone
approved by the superintendent
superintendent Hincl1ley said: L
saw Mr. Kaczynski a the quarry late
Yesterday afternoon and told him that
such stone could not be used. He
WhistIed for the cruSher to stop at once
and said he could not afford to do what
I asked I am determined to have the
right kind of stone, and it is not our
affair whether the contractors can at
ford to furnish it or not-that IS their
business
Mr. Larimer said that he had not
heard of the trouble, and supposed that
it had been satisfactorily adjusted
The contractors say that they viii
commence work on the piers in few
days. All but one of tGe foundations
have been completed, and when that IS
done the work of building the piers
will be commenced The contractors
saw they expect to use 1000 yards OF
stone a week as soon as the work on
the piers is commenced
Superintendent Hinckey says tnaI
there is a great deal of misrepresenta-
zion about the amount OF the estimates
He SAYS that less than $4,000 has been
allowed for work on the bridge and the
rest is for moving the old bridge ana
for material that will be used as soon
as the contractors reach it. The total
amount allowed the contractors up to
date is SIS 900.