The daily morning Astorian. [volume] (Astoria, Oregon) 1883-1899, 1897-02-04
THE BRIDGE BIDS
WERE OPENED
County Court Spent Yesterday and
Last Night 10 Discussion.
WHAT GOOD ROADS MEAN
-
state Might Well Copy After Her East
ern sisters--Incrcase Of Population
by Proper improvements.
WHAT GOOD ROADS MEAN

by Proper improvements.
AT the session ~ the county court
yesterday. and the adjourned meeting
Inst evening. The principal subject un'
discussion was The Younga RIVER
bridge a large number OF farmers
we're IN from the The Lewis and Clarke
10 urge the early completion OF the
bridge They advanced the argument
that n Clatsop county. or any other
portion OF the state Of Oregon hoped
10 people and develop its farming dis
,ricts. good roads are a necessity. Not
only do the farmers need convenient
means of access to the city. but the
cities need good dr4yeways for the
pleasure and recreation Of their ciu-
zrnn. Astoria. particularly. needs good
country roads The city Itself II bullt
on a series of hills, has no boulevards
or public parks. and while being only
about ten miles from the ocean beaches,
has no driveway or even bride path
over which i,s citizens can reach the
ocean by team. horseback or bicycle
The farmers believc that " they had
good roads and bridge connections
across Youngs River into the city. the
population Of the peninsula between
Young's River and the Lewis ana
Clarke would be quadrupled In less
than four years time.
II seems 10 be the opinion Of those
ycrsed In general business matters that
roads are 10 community az essential
as are the blood veins 10 the human
body. There are some who think that
IL IL unnecessary 10 spend any more
money on roads al the present, as our
intricate system OF interior waterways
which have already bull, up the city.
win continue TO serve the purpose This
r,ny be- true, 10 n certain extent. and
II Is also probably true, as suggested
by certain Astoria business men. that
this city and county needs several other
things In the immediate future more
than Il does Rn additional expenditure
on rugds and bridges. II remains the
fact. however That what roads the
county has have hecn Of greatest ben
cnt. and the waterways have reached
their llsnit Of usefulness. II there Is
10 be an increase of population In the
country districts, II must come through
additional and improved roads,
The more channels of trade that are
opened In any community, the greater
and better the general business. Even
the running of regular trains across
from Clatsop Plains daily has enlarged
10 nm apprcciable extent the traffic OF
the city. II people are furnished quick
and cheap means Of transportation Tor
passengers and freight II cannot rL
20 increase business all around. Where
cities like Baltimore. New York. Phlla.
dclphin, Chicago ST, Paul, Omaha
Kansas City. San Francisco. Portland
Seattle, Tacoma and Astoria have both
water and rail transportation, they
reach the highest stages OF develop.
mcnt, But with 1t all those cities are
the most successful which have good
country roads The people In the West
do not seem to have realized the i'm.
portance OF this matter, as yet but
down In New Jersey they have brought
things to a fine point.
Tho following statement OF the bids
opened In the county court yesterday
for the construction Of the proposed
Young's river bridge will be found most
interesting;
The bids cover spans to be built or
piles, with abutments and pile pivot
and steel cylinder piers with 30 to lS(
feet opening spans 2Oi to 996ls feet
and the entire length OF the bridge &c
be $500 feet, with l6-foot trestling, and
l6 To 90 foot roadway. Wakefield 6
Jacobsen. Sl9,I6l; Pacific Bridge Com
pany, Sl2, $50, Sanderson & Nancy 49,.
SOO Wakefield and Jacobsen. $LSSi
Pacific Bridge Company, SlS, 800; Pacific
Bridge Company, sls,9sO; Sanderson &
Nancy. $1,000; Sanderson & Nancy
$780, $50; Wakefield 4 Jacobsen, 500. $50
Pacific Bridge Company, $l7,S9O; Pacific
Bridge Company, $l7sSO; Sanderson
Nancy. s2s,OSO. s25,25O. si6,SOO, and s17,
6OO Pacific Bridge Company. sl6,561.
The entire attention of the court wa
occupied up to II o'clock last night II
considering the various bids made b!
the different contractors ON the severa
styles of bridges. The two county com
nIissioners We're opposed TO building
any bridge unless they could use tn,
special road fund tax Imposed on cit!
property. II II is found that this car
be done, work win proceed at once Al
bidders withdrew their certified oheck
and gave bonds instead. giving tn,
county court thirty days in which I,
consider the matter. It being under
stood that the bids are to be resealeC
and placed I'm Clerk Dunbar's custody
II 1t is decided that the work can &,
forward the matter of choice between
the different bids, It Is understood. viii
be submitted 10 Chief Engineer ia
mieson, OF the railroad company.
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