The daily journal. (Salem, Or.) 1899-1903, 1899-10-21
THE STATION BRIDGE.
A Cause Celebre That May Lead to Hos
ulities Between Linn and Marion.

! Following is the order of the Marion
county court in the Stayton bridge mat.
/ ter:
"In the matter of the bridge over
/ the Santiam river near Stayton,
Oregon. Now on this 18th day of Oc-
tober, 1899, at the hour of 3 O'Clock p.
M, this matter came on regularly for
| hearing before this court to consider
| the bids submitted for the repairing
of said bridge, and it appearing to
the court that the following named
persons had submitted bids for the re-
pairing of said bridge rs follows: C..
L. Royal d Son, 81, 260, and J. b. Til
lotson, S2,2i4, and the court being of
the opinion that both the said bids are
excessive and that both of the same
should be rejected, and it further ap.
| pearing to this court that the county
court Of Linn County, Oregon, has re-
fused to bear any share of the expense
of repairing said bridge i'm proper
manner, and this court finding from due
and sufficient proof that the said bridge
was erected IN or about the beginning
Of the year 1889, and that the ordinary
duration of bridges constructed of wood
in and about the vicinity of this county
is the period of eight years, and this
court knowing of its own personal
knowledge that the said bridge is ut
lerly unsafe for further use and alto
gether dangerous, and is of the opinion
that said bridge should be closed TO
public travel.
at is therefore considered, ordered
and adjudged that both the said bids be
and the same are hereby rejected and
the deposit made by each OF the said
bidders is hereby directed to be re-
turned to them.
at is further considered, ordered and
adjudged that the said bridge be forth.
with closed to public use, and that
Henry keene, the supervisor of road
district No. 80, in Marion county, to
which said district said bridge is located,
be forthwith notified to close said bridge
effectively to public travel, so that no
person may travel upon or use the same,
in order that this county may not incur
any liability for any damages sustained
by any person who may be injured
through the unsafe and dangerous con-
dtion of said bridge"
The following order was sent 10 Henry
keene, supervisor of road district No.
SCAT Stayton:
"You are hereby directed to close up
efiectualiy the bridge over the Santiam
river near Stayton so that the public
may be unable TO use the same, because
the said bridge is unsafe and dangerous,
and Linn county has stubbornly refused
to pay its proportionate share of the eX-
pense Of repairing said bridge
Captain Keene executed the order on
Friday evening, all communication ceas-
ing at that time.
JUDGE BARTON SPEAKS.
Geo. u. Barton, county judge Of Linn
county, publishes this:
notice in last nights Democrat an
item OF news, headed, 4 Bridge War.
Now this last sentence is Il misnomcr,
for To successfully engage in war, re-
quires at least the participation of two
parties who are irritated and lost their
neads, while in this Stayton bridge mat
ter the Linn county court is, and has at
all times, been perfectly docile gentle and
dove like in It's demeanor, pursuing the
even tenor Of It's peaceful way, with per-
feet equnimity, without a Tuillcd feather.
and good will TO all, yea, even 20 our err
ing brethren of the Marion county
court.
our sourt after very careful and
critical examination OF the bridge in
controversy, assisted by Mr.. Frank Mil
ler, a civil engineer and u specially
sklliul and expert bridge builder, are OF
the unanimous opinion that said bridge
is absolutely safe for public use, espec-
ially so since the defective end brace 20
the main span has been replaced by II
new one, which repair was completed 10y
order OF the the Linn County Court on
the 18TH Of this present month.
our court has not been convinced by
bluff and bluster that large sums OF
public money should be uselessly eNpcn-
ded IN replacing good sound timbers OF
this bridge with new ones, and the court
having entered such an order will
maintain the same until such time a. II
becomes apparent that We were IN
error. We will not contend with the
Marion County court in its tearing up or
otherwise destroying the north hall OF
the Stayton bridge, but we will prose
cute 10 the full extent OF the law any
person or persons, tearing up or barricad-
ing or otherwise interfering with that
portion OF said bridge situated In Linn
county, Oregon.