The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-05-06
YouNG's nv ER BRIDGE.
AR ingrlla Explains tho licason for tho
Failure 60 nuild IT,

Chadwcll. May --tEdltor AstoianD D.
Tho roads arv all dry and with u few
repairs IN Emoothing thom up. We can
have continuous Rad from Young'a
River "a Elk crork for team. buggy
or bicycle Wha, Il insa TO the oitiEoas
~ Astoria that they ara deprived ~
the Use aud benefits of this r0ad. for
tho want of bridge. acr~a small
Htrvam. which could b. built for frbm
six or eight thousand dollars. Hut auv h
10 fate' 10 long aa politicians and real
estate spectators control our courts.
aud malto thom rubscrvicnt TO their
PERSONAL Wishes. ~ long viii the people
have 60 wait and aurcr.
| am dally asked. on the str~st. the
questions. What about that bridget
When win II bo bu,lt' when can We
Ect on the rad ?" and similar questions
answer there IN no pro~p-c, whatever
Of bridgc. no moro than ~ though We
had ~ mad. nntwithntRndln. thcrv was
a unanimous sentiment by nvarly every
taxpayer In Astoria for The county court
lo lsVy a special tax TO build the bridge
Tho causes for the faliurv 20 carry out
the cxprruacd wishes of tlsr taxpayers
To buiid the Young'n Hay bridge arc aa
follows.
when circulated the ls,ition. that
ali the hravy taxpayers signed, asking
tho county court 10 make u special icvy
OF from nnc 60 two mills to bridge
Young's RIVER. many aske1 me he
question. What viii II cost" | an
nwrrrd. fppm seven Co eight thnusani
dollars. haEins my statement upon
conversations had with Fry q Meyer
that they would build u god wooden
trcstlc bridge with 70 fcc, span In clear.
for 5000 a bridge which would have
answered all the requirements OF the
public for the next twelve OF ilftecn
years. iiut when tho pc,ltlon was acted
on tho nurt voted 10 put In steel
draw. thus augmcntinK the onsi come
$1,000. Thcn Judge Gray insisted that
n the bridge was built at DagEe'ts
Point. thcrc should be a 30 foot draw
IN clear, or. II the Fairfield Poln, was
taken u 100 root draw, Either OF which
would nccrrsaifly increase the cost Of
the bridge. would say that Judge
Grays opinion might b. copcurr'~i In
by some steamboat men, but thus far.
1 have not talked with Hlnglc per
son whn agreed with him. and have
talked with many properly holders on
Young'a River. including the owners OF
GiNcnwood cemetery.
IL the third place. the Honnrthlc
County Court levied, and the Ehcrln
I'M. collected. onc-mlll tax for the
purposc II building the bridge, but by
order II the court the proceeds II the
tax was put into the road fund, why
they did that, knowing that large
share ~ that fund would be diverted 10
the treasury of the city of Astoria
through the decision OF the supren'
court on the question "a To whether
city road taxes were under the control
Of the county court or city council, ana
which has been interpreted In fnvor OF
the latter, no one knows, II the one
min levy had been put iato the hridr
fund or II special fund, where II un-
aucetioubly belonged, the money
raised could have been used for the
bridge, Then, n the county court was
too poor to build steel bridge, a good
wooden one could have been built an1
ready for travel now, and the public
from Astoria TO Tillamook could have
got uhe benefit of the road. and other
bridges which are now rotting down