Clarke courier. [volume] (Berryville, Va.) 1869-1997, 1903-12-16


nearly everybody thought was. the end
OF the matter. But there seems to have
been some mysterious and occult influ-
ences al work which no one yet has been
able 10 fathOm. The engineer after
these bids were found 10 exceed so largely
The sum available. was permitted to visit
again in the company Of one or the bid
ders, and he not the lowest one. the To-
cation Of these bridges and try and make
such changes as would allow them 10
come within the appropriation. or. in
other words 10 cut the garment 10 suit
the cloth" No doubt these gentlemen
thought the people were so anxious r.,
have these bridges built that they would
accept any old thing" they might offer
them. There is no doubt there are a few
people, hope not many, if they could
gaze but for one day upon the bridre
with the certainty that they would 20
down in the river the next. would 20
home satisfied and happy.
shall now endeavor 90 show that. bv
the evi.ence Of experts. and Col. Mari
himself that while they might stand
longer than a day. they viii not be safe
from high waters such as we frequently
have on the Shenandoah river.
+ Col Mari on the 9Th of August. 1903
three days after the bids were opened. in
a letter addressed 10 the board OF super
v'sors. and written at BerryyilIe. saws
+ The flood water of the Shenandoah
/ river OF 1870 would endan-er the ao-
proacheS ana bridges of either plan. but
/ ] believe both plans viii safely resist
such water as far as the bridge proper
are concerned. In the second plan the
approaches would suffer more damage.
but this part is the minor part. As q
rule the wash out Of approaches does
not damage tie metal so that r. cannot
be replaced at moderate cost" lie saws
the fills NAV wash out but can De re-
placed az moderate cost" With these
facts before them the board on the same
day august 6thl entered into condi-
tional contract with the Nelson * Blu
chanan Co. Co build these bridges for the
sum Of $4,000 exclusive of approaches
The thing was done I'm "hot haste.
without advertising for bids from any
other contractors. In our local admin.
istration The board Of supervisors occupv
the most important office I'm the state Of
Virginia. They levy upon the people
al county tax for county purposes. and
% IS their duty 10 see that all money so
levied is honestly, properly expended.
There il no duty on earth more sacred
than this. 90 see that the peoples money
/ is not squandered in wildcat schemes
/ or in works where 10 is likel, 90 he lost
/ ! do not charge these gentlemen with
willtully neg Getting their duty. because
/ know them 20 Dee honest. upright men.
Whether they were hvpnotized or hoo
dooed into this contract Is not for me 10
say. The conditional contract state,
that The county will not DE held in dam
ages IL the franchises have 20 be paid
Tor. The court having decided that the
franchises would not have TO De paid
for, il sustained bv the Court of Appeals.
the contract stands good, although the
lawyers differ about this When the
vote was taken 10 build these bridges IL
was the universal belief that tile owners
of the ferries would have 20 Doe paid for
I their property, and believe now that IL
/ that question could have been fairly pre-
scented 90 the votors, 10 take them with
out compensation. 1t would have been
voted down. The modification &C these
bridges from the original plan shows
such a dangerous condition of affairs
that the money put into them would
\ practically be lost, or "a good deal of !,
10 say the least Ii does not require an
expert 10 see this. At Casuemau'S ferry
/ the conditions are these Starting at The
/ Castleman blum there Is a tiU out into
the bottom 30 feet, then there is trestle
work for 80 feet, with tresties 20 feet
apart. From the starting point these
trestles are TO feet above the bottom in
height. The sworn evidence shows that
the food of 1870 would. run over the top
of thiS - feet. and eNteudinr perhaps
as far Is Mr.. Orborne's store .as the
fridge i "a gradual ascent from the west
sideto The river proper Withthe pow
e'ful current that passes down the Cas-
/ tieman bottom. with drift OF every de
ScriptiOn floating upon lis surface. il
will be seen that the bridge would have
10 80 down and drag Osborne's store
and dwelling with it The same condi-
tionS exist on the east side OF the river
/ though there are no houses 10 be washed
away. At Berry'S ferry, according 20
/ the experts. the results would Zee the
same, an the house of Mr.. Lindsay 40
the same road as the Osborne. TIKI, is
/ no eNaggeratiOn, because mans COM
mon sense and experience Will teach him
that il would be inevitable Iti~ no uu-
common thing for railroad companies
20 load down their bridges with heavy
engines and loaded cars 20 keep them
from washing down. But Col. Mari
says this can be replaced AT small cost.
/ The people do not want 20 be subject q
TO this expense every time there is "a Hood
in The river. and they are not uncommon
as people who live on the river can ,es-
I tifv
The board of supervisors met ON Sat
urday, December 9Th, 10 he&r testimony
of experts and taN payers as previously
arranged. They had before them MIR
Kennedy, AN experienced engineer and
D..