The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1907-03-14
2K22@ Fqi!!!2 y =,
@e{T22]B7Q$kz5}2'|'


happened. without leaving their car
riages they turned around and drove
away. The speeches that Mayor Har-
rison and Thomas A. Smyth, presi-
dent Of the drainage board. had pre-
pared to fire at a defenseless bridge
We're not taken from the pockets in
which they reposed. All kinds of bad
luck, it was predicted, would befall
the structure because of its inaugua-
alton without oratory, but, on the con-
trary, it has been freer from acct
dent since its opening than any bridge
that spans the Chicago river.
The bridge was more than a year
in building, and during that time the
business men in the vicinity of South
Water street lost heavily on account
of the traffic being diverted to Dear
born and other streets. Foremen in
charge of the work were bribed with
fruits and vegetables and dairy pro-
ducts to hurry the job along, and some
days as many as three men and boy
would labor industriously toward its
completion. The date of the opening
had been set several times by the
commissioner of public works, or
some one connected with the Office,
but each time something came up to
cause delay.
Business men were tearing their
hair over what seemed to them an
interminable delay, and delegations
made weekly trips to the mayor and
commissioner of public works, plead
ing for at least the employment of
another boy on the bridge.
At last the suspicious day arrived.
Mayor Harrison announced to the re-
porters one afternoon in March that
the State street bridge would be open
ed the next morning without fail, or
he would perform the oft-repeated
threat of eating his old Fedora hat.
With this assurance the long-suffer-
ing business men began preparations
for grand opening" as they called
it. Joseph Keane, whose restaurant
had been practically closed for a year,
was appointed master of ceremonies.
His cashier, a comely young woman,
was given the honor of being the first
person to cross the bridge. Midway
of the structure she paused to smash
bottle of wine on a steel girder and
remark Il christed thee State street"
A little German band, stationed at
the south approach of the bridge, dis
coursed selection of airs including
everything from die Wacht Am
Rhein" to Casey, He Waited With
the Strawberry Blonde" Fifty or
more business men and their clerks
tramped over the bridge and back
again. and all expressed satisfaction
with the new structure. A South
Water street commission merchant
delivered speech, which If there had
been stenographer present to take
down verbatim would have been we'll
worth printing. The merchant, an
Italian, had only limited knowledge
of English, and those who heard his
forensic effort said it would compare
favorably with anything ever written
by George AIDE or Mr.. Dooley.
The band had been hired for IS to
play everything they knew" and if
Joe Keane had not paid the leader
another IS to quit he and his musi-
clans would have remained for
week. The man who played the clar-
met was just getting his second wind
and 1t was with difficulty he was shut
off,
At 3 o'clock in the afternoon two
carriages drove on the bridge and
stopped. The occupants were Mayor
Harrison, Comptroller Mccain and
Commissioner of Public Works Blocki,
representing the city, and Thomas A.
Smyth, Zina r. Carter and Frank
Wenter of the drainage board. Mayor
Harrison opened the carriage door
and beckoned to the bridge tender,
who recognized him and hurried to-
ward the vehicle.
I'VE would like to see the bridge
raised before We begin the dedication
ceremonies" said the mayor. in his
usual dignified manner.
"Indade, thin, yeer honor" replied
the man in charge of the structure,
we needn't get out av yeer cartridges
fr that. Joe Keane an a lot NV da-
goes from South Water sthreet were
here airly this mornin' an they chris
tened tn bridge with champeen
wather."
Drive back to the city hail." said
the mayor, curtly, to the man on the
box. The other carriage followed,
and that is why the State street
bridge has never been officially open