The Cairo bulletin., 1904-02-13
CONVENTION
ENDS WORK
Concluded from First Page.)

beneAting just such an audience az Is
/ here assembled.
Perhaps | have performed my full
bhare of the work Of explaining the
kalue OF improved bridges, and in the
beginning, the merits Of iron bridges
hs compared with wooden bridges
needed just such arguments and ex,
plantations as | was prepared to fur.
hsh, but the time for such arguments
has long since passed and need to
Say but little to this audience under
the head Of bridges.
Steel bridges are now demanded in
stead OF wood in all except perhaps
1.-TWO or three counties in Illinois, and
lin all of the townships and road dis
itricts with the exception Of few
Edozen or few score.
III The march Of improvement is, how
fever, still forward and there is now
Ialmost as great an opening for i'm
lprovoment in bridges as there was
forty years ago. What is the proper
Improvement for one locality is not
the most sensible demand for all
cases and all places.
In wealthy and populous city, town
or county it may be best to aim
at constructing the most important
bridges OF steel and concrete CT per
haps of concrete arches entirely, con
| fident in the belief that the proper
period has arrived for building per
maaent structures to endure as long
as the Pyramids.
In another locality, with less wealth,
and where other improvements must
lag In case costly bridges are erected
sound business policy viii urge the
construction Of good masonry piers
and abutments, with entirely safe first
class steel superstructure, containing
as little perishable material as posi-
bic.
In few localities with light prop.
crty valuations, even the latter good
bridges ought to be sparingly con
structed and lighter steel structures
and cheaper styles Of substructurea
should be substituted instead.
It is therefore good public policy
in my opinion to carefully study and
weigh each case ty Itself and make
snch improvements as can be affordct
taking care always II error mus. b
made. to err on tha side Of building
a little too well rather than alttlo to-
poorly.
These general statements, according
to my notion, are more appropriate
here than an attempt al q long an
technical dissertation Oh the Kind Of
bridges you should construct and
believe ] can use ny allotted TINE
10 more profit to Won By talking 3
some OF the bridge laws of Iliinci1
and making such remarks thereon as
ny business experience has fitted me
TO prepare
There are lawyers in this audience
and such persons and others will sec
many occasions for serious and per
haps laughable criticism before an
through, but have found in my bust
ness career that most of what til,
common people and ordinary town ant
county officials or contractors have
learned about law. has been dug out
Of the statutes by the practical car
rying out of the laws as they read
them. | do not now feel so much in
awe Of lawyers is dd in the begin
ming.
remember an incident in my early
experience which illustrates very well
the way ordinary people look at law
One Of the first contracts made was
drawn in 1867 by lawyer in Liyings
ton county to whom paid s. to DRAW
just such a contract as he thought the
town ought to have, because | wished
to show the commissioners was not
trying to do lightning rod business.
The contract stated in the proper
place that time is to be the essence
of this contract Our firm was ignor.
ant of the lawyers essence and went
ahead in the usual way, which, as
most OF this audience realize. was &c
be some weeks behind time in the
] completion of the bridge The law
yer was on hand at the time of the
acceptance and blandly explained tC
the commissioners that as we were
behind time, and time being the es-
sence of the contract. the town was
not obliged to pay anything for the
bridge, The commissioners were rs
much astonishcd at his turn as ! was
myself ! was in quandary and felt
like getting a new lawyer, but was
afraid | should only pay another fee
and then lose the bridge The com
missioners asked If our firm had not
done their best to finish the bridge on
time, and you can all see what an