The Topeka state journal., 1904-11-21
Resolution to That Effect Is
Adopted Today.
IT is THE FIRST ONE.
Others Destroyed in Flood to Be
Reconstructed.
Plan Is to Keep from Going
Farther into Debt.

The Sardou avenue bridge will be
built at once The board of county
commissioners will at once decide on
the plans to be followed and will then
call for bids to be received and the
contract let within thirty OF forty days.
Two months ago the State Journal
announced that the first of the Kansas
river bridges to be rebuilt would be
the Sardou bridge and that the contract
for the building of the bridge would be
let by the first of next year. The board
decided on this course some time ago
and ratified the decision by the follow
Ing resolution. passed by the board at
today's meeting:
In view Of the fact that the board of
county commissioners deem it unwtse
at the present time TO issue interest
bearing securities in order to rebuild ali
OF the bridges across the Kansas river
that were destroyed in 1898, and believ-
ing that such bridges can be rebuilt
gradually without placing any addi-
tional taxes upon the people, ii is re-
solved by said board that they proceed
TO use the money now in the county
treasury levied for bridge purposes to-
ward the rebuilding of what is known
as the SardOu avenue bridge
IF. ". HARRISON. Chairman"
Since the five Kansas river bridges
were washed away by the flood of
1903 there has been some demand for
the rebuilding of the bridges. The
commissioners decided that the county
should not go in debt for the rebuild
ing of the bridges and the commission
ers at once set to work TO pay off the
Indebtedness incurred by the building
of the bridges which were lost The
last of the bridge script was paid off
some time ago
The demand for the Sardou bridge
has been greater by far than the de-
mand for the rebuilding of any Of the
other bridges The commissioners
rx-ha SrrfT Ti-fa
funds on hand for the rebuilding of
bridge the Sardou bridge should be
rebuilt The salvage from the old
bridge Will amount to considerable
One OF the spans is standing. some of
the tubular piers are still in place and
some of the wrecked spans Will AFFORD
considerable material The original
bridge cost about SIS, 900 and the new
bridge. by using the old material and
the one good span, will cost about
$4,000 The new structure will be
raised and will be built one foot clear
of the highest high water mark set,
by 5ast years food. \
The commissioners now have two
plans for the SardoU bridge The COM
missioners will confer with County
Surveyor Rodgers, and some other eX-
pert, and decide which plan shall be
followed OF if another plan be neces-
sary. When the plan is chosen bids
will at once be called for.
Paying on Indebtedness.
commissioners
w. E. Sterne became a member of the
board to decrease the county indebted
ness. Already about $4,000 of bonds
have been paid on and next week the
board will take up $40. 900 worth of Kan
SaS avenue bridge bonds held by the
state school fund commission and not
due until 1915. This will mean a saving
of $4,000 a year IN interest. This leaves
$54. 600 Of the bond issue unpaid
This year the commissioners made no
bridge levy and made but half mill
levy for permanent road Improvement
which allowed an increased levy in the
interest and sinking fund without in
crease the total county tax
In 1907 the Missouri Pacific 6 per cent
bonds amounting to $4,000 viii come
due and in 1905 the Rock Island 81 per
cent bonds amounting TO $4,000 will be
due The commissioners have figured
that by not assuming any more county
indebtedness, for bridges or any other
purpose, and by leaving the road levy
at half a mill and keeping the interest
and sinking fund levy up to the maxi
mum without raising the total rate of
county tax that these two bond issues
can be taken up when they come due
and after that IL will be easy sailing
for the county TO discharge its entire
Indebtedness in A few years.