The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1906-10-05
TOLL BRIDGE that
PROVED A GOLD MINE
Spar Over Snake River in East
ern Idaho Was a b.
nanZa.
Ex. CONFEDERATE OWNER
Practically All the Material Used in
the Developing of Montana and
Eastern Idaho Had to Cross
This Bridge.
Elk. CONFEDERATE OWNER
From the Chicago Chronicle.

From the Chicago Chronicle.
ot all the toll bridges in the United
States it is doubtful If any was moro
profitable than that owned by the Andcr-
son brothers in eastern Idaho. 1t IS doubt
ful II on any other 100-foot section of high
way In the worlds history the owner could
say he ever took in SLIGO before break
fast. or point to the day when the tolls
amounted to more than 5000.
AT the conclusion of the evil war a
number of Missourians In Prices army
who refused to be reconstructed sought Sc
clusion In what was then the almost UNI
known country of the Snake River valley
III eastern Idaho. Among them was a man
named Taylor, who settled at a point now
covered by the village of IDAHO Falls.
The Snake Is one of the most treacher-
GUS rivers in the United States, it tortu-
GUS course being a succession of eddies
Nand undorcurrents, into which many peo-
pie have unsuspectingly gone to their
death. AT the point where Taylor settled
the river bed is contracted to a narrow
channel between high walls of lava rock,
through which the stream rushes. Two
channels have been cut, between them a
high. natural pier of rock. The western
channel is about eighty feet wide; the
eastern one less than forty.
Had to Gross the Snake.
Soon after Taylor settled there the
march of civilization began TO turn peo-
pie n~orthward from the California trail
across the northern part of Utah, to seek
fortunes IN the territory of Montana. In
making this Journey it was necessary to
cross the Snake river. There We're few
places where it could be safely forded and
even ferries we've out of the QUESTION dur
ting the high water season, which lasts
from the middle of June to the middle of
August, the season vixen travel was the
heaviest.
1t was easy for Mr.. Taylor to construct a
two>span wooden bridge across the con-
tracted channel. using the natural pier.
The bridge afforded a safe and easy pas
sage OF the dangerous stream, for which
freightcrs, trappers and ranchers We're
,glad to pay Taylor tribute.
Taylor soon tired of the toll bridge and
was glad to sell it to his two brothers in
law, j. c. and Robert Anderson, like him
SELF confederate veterans. They bought
the bridge at just about the time when
the Union Pacific railroad was constructed
across the northern part of Utah and the
development of the great m-nii.g industri 5
OF Montana was begun.
On the Road to Butte.
Practically all the machinery and sup
plies of the men who wo- Develop s Mon
tana and eastern Idaho came by the Union
Pacific and had to be fre.ghted from some
point on that line in wagons. In this way
siiS h't Itl \
leading from Corinne, the most northern
station ON the Union Pacific in Utah, down
the Malad valley, up the Snake, across the
sandy desert of tho Ctmas 4a.r:c, Owe. the
Bitter Root mountains, to Butte, Alacon-
da, Helena and other settlements in Mon
tana.
The Corinne trail naturally crossed the
Snake river at Andersons' bridge. The
Anderson brothers bought the bridge Just
IN time to be ready to reap the harvest
of the golden decade of the Corinnc trail.
Although the trail has practically been
abandoned for a quarter of a century,, its
ruts. IN many places over a foot deep, can
Still be followed for miles across the san
,dy, saeebrush desert of eastern Idaho
where irrigation ana agricultural improve
ments have not obliterated them.
Together With their bridge business the
Anderson brothers established a small log
store on the river bank at the eastern end
'of the bridge. Although a public iron
bridge long ago took the place of their
wooden structure, their wholesale and re-
tail general store and hank still remains.
as It has been for over a third of a CEN
,tury, the leading commercial enterprise of
eastern Idaho.
Tolls Vary With the Season.
The bridge WAS approached f.o the cas-
by a narrow way dug between the black
lava rock. making a passage so narrow
that 1t was impossible for TWO teams to
meet at that point. The toll to cross the
bridge varied according to the season.
During low water it was possible for
With considerable risk, to cross
the river at other places by ford.ng or by
using their Wagon boxes as boats for fer
ry.ng across their freight and swimming
their stock.
At such times the toll was reduced to
a wagon, but generally it was 50 or SO
q wagon. The regular toll for pedcstri-
ans was Is cents, for droves of cattle 81 a
head and for focks of sheep Is cents n
mead. 1t sometimes happened that droyes
of 5000 to COCO sheep or LOCO or more cat
tie were driven across the bridge. making
1t possible for The Anderson brothers 10
collect in a single day more N tolls than
the average mans salary for a year. I,
was referring to a morning when he coll
lected toll for a drove of nearly 5000 sheen
that ]. c. Anderson once remarked:
II have takenin over $1,000 on that bridge
before breakfast. but it was rather a late
The freighting was lone in great wagon
trains, one or two men driving q train of
rom four to ten wagons fastened together +:
ike a train of cars. each wagon loaded
With several tons of freight and at the s
aead of the train from six to twelve pairs
u oxen, horses or muies for motive power. +,
tor safety and companionship the freight /;
FRS frequently Travelled together, a COM |
of eight or ten or even more such {
rains being banded. G
Disputes over Tolls Frequent. :
Many We're the controversies that result y
I'd between the treighters and the bridge 9
The freighters frequently objected
o what thy considered the exorpitant tolls )
charged by 'O.d j. Co., as the Anderson /.
brother who usually tended the bridge was !
llways known. y
When such differences arose Mr.. Ander- n
on would quietly inform the freighters =
hat they did not have to cross his bricge =
'nless they SO desired. When one consid- y,
RS the warmth of some OF these disputes 9
nd the wild and woody times in which, i
hey took place it is remarkable that the :,
history OF Anderson's bridge does not con-
ain more tragedy.
Sometimes a stubborn %freighter would
Jet the unwieldy ten-oX team wagon train :.
own into the cut at the eastern end of the L
ridge, where ne would take a firm stand. i
his intention to let the Whole u