Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1904-10-12
A NEW BRIDGE.
The County Commissioners Contract for
Much Needed Steel Bridge Cross.
ing Medicine River.


which the county commissioners
had to deal at their meeting last
week was the bridge question.
The people of southwestern Barber
county who have to come to the
county seat frequently have long
been asking for river bridge and
the commissioners have always been
willing to do their rightful duty in
the matter but the question of a
practicable site has always been a
perpleXing one. The place where
the old bridge was, on the regular
road, is impracticable on account
of the width of the river and the
low altitude. 1t would have re-
quired at least $4,000 to put in a
substantial bridge at that place.
Therefore, a site was agreed upon
a short distance west but this will
require a new road which will
badly damage some of Miss Mary
Best's best land, including some of
her alfalfa land. Miss Best asked
for $500 damages which was very
reasonable, in fact less than her
actual damage, but Commissioners
Lake and Grouse figured that if
the county builds the bridge at a
cost of $1,000, the right of way
should be furnished through other
channels. Commissioner Wads-
worth favored the county's defray-
ing the entire expense. Finally,
however, the citizens of Medicine
Lodge, assisted by Commissions
Grouse, took the matter in hand
and raised $3.50 toward securing
the right of way, and prospects are
that more will be raised later, and
Miss Best granted the right of way
and the contract was let to the K.
c. Building CO. The contract, at
the instance of Commissioners
Lake and Grouse, binds the com
pany to have the bridge completed
within four months, without the
reservations usually appearing in
such contracts, and the public will
have the benefit of the bridge at
the earliest possible time.
1t is regretted that a few Medi-
cine Lodge politicians, for political
effect, have heaped unwarranted
censure on Commissioners Grouse
and Lake in this matter, when as
a matter of fact, both have been
fair and honest and courteous with
all parties concerned. The cost is
very heavy at best and their efforts
to equalize the burden in proper.
tion to the people mostly benefited
should be commended instead oi
condemned. Then their action IL
| insisting on the work proceeding
at once is also worthy of great
praise. Usually the company ask:
for year in which to build 4
bridge of this length-275 feet
but the commissioners insist tha
it could and should be done in foul
months and Mr.. Moffett, the con
tractor, finally agreed to have i
completed by that time.
This matter has long interested
the people of the whole county
and it IS, to say the least, migrate
full for any one to impugn> selfsl
kmotives to the commissioners wher
the very reverse is true.
Other business transacted by tn,
board was as follows:
Louis Walton was allowed !;
certificate of error for $73.3e
erroneous assessment on 36-3I-1c
for 1898.
D. NJ. Circle was given a com
promise assignment to lots 1,a,
block Io4, Kiowa, for IS cents PEI
lot and fees.
S. S. Kincaid redeemed the ne
mel of I434-1a for $a3.68.
A. King was allowed to re
deem the mel sw44 81 nw44 nw4t Sc
of 2-34-I5 for fiat tax and penalt,
6. 6. Kincaid nrocured r-vaa