The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-03-25
DECATUR TO HAVE
 ANOTHER BRIDGE Enthusiastic Meetings Arc Held to Discuss Plans $50,0O0 HAS BEEN RAISED Plan Is to Use the Proposed Structure for Foot, Wagon and Elec-
 tric Railroad Pur-
 poses.
$50,0O0 HAS BEEN RAISED

Decatur, March 24-(Special) 1.-The pros- poets are hattering for the early con- struction of a foot, wagon and electric al this city.
 Yesterday there was held one of the largest and most enthusiastic mass meet ings, at the county court hosue In this city, that has ever been held in the coun- ty. There were present al the meeting several hundred representative and infiu ential citizens from the Decaturs, Morgan, Limestone and Lawrence and Madison counties. The purpose of the meeting was to hear propositions from eastern capitalists for the construction of the proposed bridge
 The meeting was called to order by James H. Edwards president of the Busl ness Mems league of Decatur, at o'clock in the afternoon. Col c. C. Harris, presi dent of the First National bank of De- catur, was elected temporary chairman of the meeting, and H. B. Scott of New Decatur was elected temporary secretary. After stating the purpose of the meeting Colonel Harris introduced representa- tive of the Owego Iron works of Owego, N. Y., in the person of w. B. Strong MT. Strong said that his company was willing to build the bridge if the citizens would take something like s5OOOO worth of the bonds He stated that his company, as yet. had been unable to ascertain the actual cost of the bridge, but that 1t would be somewhere between SzD0,000 and S225,- 900. He estlmateed that the bridge would cost about $200000 and the approaches about s25,OOO. It had been stmated that the annual earnings of the bridge would aggregate about $2S,0O0.
 Hon. Henry A. Skeggs. mayor of Deca- tur, addressed the meeting, as did also Hon. Sam Blackwell. mayor of New De- catur. Both the mayors were very much enthused over the matter and spoke of the great advantages the Decaturs would derive from the construction of the bridge and both felt confident that the bridge could be built
 Richardson Makes Address.
 Judge William Richardson addressed the meeting in a speech of more than an hours duration and grew very enthusi- astic and urged the people not to let up on this question until the bridge shall have been built.
 Judge w. II. Hayes of Limestone county spoke and said his people were anxious to see the bridge built and would donate to the cause literally.
 Gen. John II. Peebles of Limestone county made short talk and subscribed $lO,000 on behalf of the people of Lime stone county.
 Waiter J. Nesbitt, secretary of the Bus mess Mems league of Decatur, addressed the meeting and subscribed SlvO0 on behalf of the Decatur Manufacturing and Trans portation company. MT. Nesbitt said that he was in receipt of numerous letters R- fs.. I..N. ton concerning the building of the bridge
 Nelson Campbell subscribed 5000 for himself and in all a goodly sum of the $50 900 was subscribed at this meet ing.
 After the appointment of the following subscription committee the meeting ad- Journed
 New Decatur Sam Blackwell, W. A. Bibb, IT. B. Scott.
 Decatur-W. J. Nesbitt, James IT. Ed wards. l. D. Scruggs.
 Limestone County-General Peebles, Judge Hayes, William Riehardspn, Will liam Hundley.
 Morgan County-Judge w E. skeggs Charles T. Burt. John Lille.
 Joint Meeting Is Held.
 Last night joint meeting of the Busi- ness Mems league of Decatur and the Commercial club of New Decatur was held and MT. Strong, representative of the Owego Iron works. being present, ad- dressed the meeting. This meeting was held for the purpose of formulating plans for the carrying on of this under taking and these two business bodies will leave no stones nn,urned until the bridge is an assured fact The people of Limestone county are as much enthused as are the people of the Decaturs and there is no doubt that it will only be question of time until the bridge Is built.
 The building of this bridge would bring thousands of dollars of trade to the De- caturs that is now going to other places Just across the river from Decatur lies Limestone county, one of the richest farming sections in the entire state of Alabama, and the Decaturs are losing the most of this trade because it is too inconvenient for the people of that county to get their produce to the Decaturs on account of crossing the river in a small ferry boat.
 The electric street car company or this city are also interested in the building or the bridge and If 1t Is built this com pany will build freight and passenger line into Limestone county, w. R. Hall. general manager of the street car com pany, and J. H. Edwards. president Of the