Waterbury Democrat., 1901-03-02
ANOTHER BRIDGE
George Driggs Wants to Span
 Naugatuck at WaterviJle.
WATERBURY TO PAY FREIGHT

ASkeu 10 Fay Hall the Expense as .
 Town and Then It's Share as 8
 Member of New Haven County-A
 Well-known Citizen Expresses Him.
 self Forcibly on the Proposed
 Measure
 The bill introduced into the legisla- ture asking that "a suitable highway bridge be constructed and maintained over the Naugatuck river in the town of Waterbury, at some convenient polnt to be designated by the board of county commissioners of New Haven county and the selectment of the town of Waterbury, between the iron bridge, so-called. and what is known as FroStS bridge, the expense to be borne by the town of Waterbury and the county of New Hayen.'' has occasion ed whole lot of talk and appears to be opposed by every man that has heard of it.
 George A. DriggS wants it located a trlf1e north of his factory in Water vile and has written q strong letter to some of the legislators endorsing the project. It is pronounced as gigantic scheme on the part of few land spectators and is also said to be offered to the people of that sec ton with a view to keeping them qulet over the matter of consolidation. One objection. it is said, is being raised against it already that may give it a | black eye. It seems that where some | people want it located is in IitchfieId | county and if this be true the repre- l SentativeS of that town will fight it tooth and nail. But no matter where 1 it is finally agreed to place it. it is l certain that in case it passes half the l expense will have to be met by the | taxpayers of Waterbury whether they like it or not. It is said that private individuals tried the scheme years ago. l commencing opera tionS near the Vel l ton property. but the thing fell through | for some reason or other. probably on l account of the enormous expense, | something which the framerS of the bill very wisely omitted from the 1 draft.
 | George Driggs,'' said a man who | had read the bill. to a Democrat re- porter, ''is the sharpest fellow in this
 town. He moved his factory out of | the city because he didn't want to
 pay city taxes and if he keeps on he'll l soon have d city built up around him | at very little expense to himself If | that bridge scheme works ii will en- l rich MT DriggS and others at the eX-
 pense of the public. l have no ob- jectiOn to the passage of the act pro-
 vided Waterbury would not have to | pay anything for it, but considering
 our own needs 1 think that we are in
 duty bound to attend to other things
 before we go into the bridge building | business for the benefit of q few peo- 1 pie who own large tracts of land be-
 tween Waterville and Frost's bridge. | There is lots of work in thickly set 1 tied sections of Waterbury that de- | mandS attention. but owing to the fact hot wi, q | present as we are able to meet. these l matters have been Staved off. but l think they should come up before we
 decide to build any more bridges oven the Naugatuck river. Why not let those people do the same as we have l to do in the city when we want pub lie Improvements. foot some of the l bills. A man can't get sidewalk in front of his premises in the city that | thousands of people use every day
 without paying practically the whole
 cost of doing the work, but our neigh-
 bors think they are entitled to bridge
 across the Naugatuck river that will
 cost-no one knows how much-which | would enhance the market value or
 their property q hundred per cent | without contributing a penny piece to it themselves. And they mean busi- ness. too If the bill passes it will be a game of hold up your hands with
 the people of Waterbury. See this-'
 Here the speaker handed the report- CT a slip of paper on which was print.
 ed the following:
 'Sec g. The duty of said county
 and town herein provided for shall be
 enforceable by writ of mandamus- The reporter read the section and
 then raised his eyes to look at the nlan 1 who had handed it to him and found
 him so worked up over it that he was
 unable to utter another word and
 there the interview ended.