The Calhoun chronicle. [volume] (Grantsville, W. Va.) 1883-1984, 1897-06-22

! Parties from Lee and some from
Center districts requested us a few
days ago TO advocate the building O,
repairing of q bridge across the mouth
of Barnes run to be paid for out Of
the county treasury. We agreed &c
give the matter due consideration,
and if possible find some laudable rea
son why the County Court should ap
propriate a sufficient amount of mon
ey out of the county treasury to d.
the work. The absolute necessity for
a bridge across the stream no one will
attempt to deny. The bridge will
have to be built or travel up and
down the West Fork virtually sus
pended. But the business of the
County Court is purely ministerial
and it should be their desire, and we
doubt not that it is, to carry out all
questions Of public policy in accord
ance with the expressed will of the
people. Taking this view of the
matter and taking the vote of 1894
on proposition to lay a levy and
build two bridges, one across the riv-
er at Grantsvilie and the other across
the West Fork at Arnoldsburg the
County Court would not be justified
in making appropriations of this kind.
The court has under personal super
vision about AZ miles of road, in the
making of which bridge was built
across the mouth of Milestone, aud so
far as we know is the only bridge of
any consequence on the eutire line.
This road runs for some distance
through four districts of the county,
and has cost, in round numbers, not
less than ten or eleven thousand dol
lars. The district through which i;
does not pass il compelled to pay its
portion of this enormous sum, besides
keeping in repair its own roads and
bridges. The bridge across the mouth
of Yellow creek has been condemned
as unsafe, and we look tor strong
delegation from Sheridan to 60 be-
fore the court and ask for an appro-
priation for new bridge. a strong
argumer will be put up in behalf of
an appropriation for the purpose. II
will likely be argued that Sheridan
gets no part of the money expended
OH the county road. But on the 9TH
er hand the County Court pro sided
a bridge few years ago at Brooks.
vile and one at the mouth Of Lead
ing at a considerable cost. Some
bridges in this and Sherman district
were washed out, and surveyor Wal
do rebuilt one near the Farnsworth
farm down the river with span of
80 feet at cost of about $40, which
was paid for out of the road fund of
Center district. a just opportion-
ment of receipts and expenditures
might show the business IF ali appro-
priation for the Barnes run bridge,
but it will require great deal of la
Dor to get up such statement. We
believe in making appropriations and
improvements as nearly equal through
ont all parts of the county as possible,
and will only say in conclusion tina,
we are not in possession of sufficient
information on the subject to say that
an appropriation out of county funds
to build either or both of the bridges
would be just to all the taxpayers.
Time and again we have called atten-
ton to the needless expenditure of
money in the various districts, which
consists Of having a gang of men
scratching around in the hot and dry
days of August, or what is even worse
throwing up dirt piles in September
and October only to make deep mud
during the winter. Whatsoever a
man soweth that shall he also reap"
The same rule will hold god US to
districts.
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