The Palatka news. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1905-1908, 1907-08-16
WILL BRIDGE RIVER.
County Commissioners Have
Decided to Bridge 1he St.
Johns at Palatka.

AS intimated in this paper last
week, the board of county commits
sioners at q session last Thursday af-
ternoon passed resolution in favor
of building bridge across the st.
Johns river.
The board will meet at 2 o'clock
this afternoon and listen to PROPOSE
tions. There are several bridge
building firms represented here to-
day by special agents, and it is
likely there will be several PROPOSE
I tions.
1t is the purpose of the commits
sioners to build the bridge from
what is known as Hogeye Point on
the west side, and about one-mile
below the East Coast Railway
bridge, to East Palatka. The river
at this point, as has just been de-
termined by County Surveyor X.
Raymond Price, is 3,1S7 feet wide.
Mr.. Price says he has also surveyed
road to Hastings from the place
where the proposed bridge will touch
the East Palatka shore, and that
with this bridge and q new road
completed, Palatka will be but
trife over miles from the settle
ment of Hastings.
1t is said that the bridge can be
built for $4,000, and that the bridge
building company will give the
county II years in which to pay for
it. The county commissioners be-
lieve they can build the bridge and
not increase taxes.
That the proposed bridge is al
ready source of worry to st. Au-
gustine, is found in the following ar
Qannrd
of that place:
Another staggering blow has been
dealt this city, by which the trade
of Hastings will probably be lost to
the merchants here. Putnam coun-
ty has decided to build bridge
across the st. Johns river from Pa.
latka, to bring Hastings within easy
reach of that city. The news was
brought here by the returning eXcur.
sionists last evening. They learned
from some of the business men there
that the county commissioners OF
Putnam county held meeting yes
terday afternoon and awarded the
contract for bridge to cost $4,000.
The matter had been under consider
alton for some time and the COM
missioners, backed by the business
interests of the county come to the
conclusion that the money would be
well spent and would be rapidly re-
paid by the trade it will defect from
st. Augustine to the nearer city.
The fact that nothing has been done
here to reach this rich section added
zest to the movement and the Pa
latka merchants were no doubt en-
couraged by the Indifference of st.
Johns county.
For months rumors have been rife
to the effect that Palatka would
make superb effort to capture the
trade of Hastings. Recognizing
what the loss would mean to st. Au-
gustine the Business Mems League
vainly attempted to arouse the COM
munity to connect Hastings with
st. Augustine by q hard surface
road The public know the result of
this effort. Palatka is but half as
far from Hastings as st. Augustine
is, but the river heretofore was a
barrier to the farmers. This will
now be removed by the construction
of the bridge and it is safe to assume
that the trade will go to the nearest
and most convenient market" "
The Converse Bridge company is
here by its agent, Mr.. Walcott, with
plans and specifications Tor q pro-
proposed bridge and several other
firms will be allowed the privilege,
by the Converse company, of bidding
on these plans.
A delegation from the Palatka
board of trade, some % strong, and
made up of some of the leading bus
mess men of this city will attend the
meeting today and bring all the
moral pressure possible on the board
to close the bridge deal today,