The Greeley tribune., 1909-11-18
PAGE THREE
Gives Opinion ON Events

matter. whenever you begin mon
keying with river bed you have a
job on your hands which is very apt
to extend from time into eternity,
And now while l have perhaps fool
ishly opened up the subject. just
please allow me to say that opinions
differ among really good responsible
men about most subjects which in
terest the public. For instance: the
county was induced to spend some
fifteen thousand dollars to put In a
bridge over the former narrow chan
mel this side of our main bridge on
Eleventh avenue. am consider
able taxpayer and have been travel
ing that road north for thirty-nine
years in the past, and after the dyk-
ing was done on the avenue across
the bottom, and the bridge put in
across the narrow ravine, have
never been inconvenienced to the
value of a dollar in time or money
in going out and in. l did not then
consider, and do not now consider
that |: as taxpayer, and interested
in good roads, would be, or now am.
/ benefited by that bridge to the
amount of 30 cents.
The county, in my opinion, had
no more need of that second large
bridge than a dog has for two tails.
or course Jas | said, opinions differ,
and now | am going to say for fu
ture reference, that all these chang
es in the channel made on the urg
ing of private interests will be SIM
ply child's play when it comes to
any really high water in the river,
That stream has covered the bottom
from bluff to blum time and again
in the past, and will do it again in
Vulnerable times in the future. In
the meantime let those who want to
make experiment, do it at their own
expense. ! notice that when Mr.
Camps brother wanted little
change in the channel to prevent the
river overlooking, he did it at his
own expense, and did not hear that
he asked help in the name OF 'the
dear public, and | have an idea,
too, that he can give the city and
county some points in the futility
of such movements in the case of
floods and high water in the river
And now that | have my hand in
: | will touch on one or two other
matters which make some of us un-
, biased, because disinterested, tax
, payers a little sore end weary. /
, think for one of them. that the Civ
, ing up the whole of Seventh avenue
to the different railways, and allow
ing three sets of tracks to monopo-
: iize that thoroughfare, was an abon:-
Unable proceeding, and if not that.
, certainly an aggregious blunder.
/ notice as one way out of the difficulty
, that the city is importuned to lay
O out another narrow avenue along
Ic;1 &c ipfr 70 yrnrk tracks
and crossings, and if finally the dear
people could be induced through
= their representatives to condemn the
right of way and pay for the build
ings to be torn down to make room
c. for it; and if the county could only
" be induced to buy the whole of the
n court house block and erect new
ar public building upon it to the tun'
a of quarter of a million dollars
lr and il because there is a Swale owe
,r in the south side of town the deal
- people, could be induced to heN
{ down the whole north side leavins
I. houses from two to four feet up II
,, the air" at an expense to the city ant
private parties effected of half mil.
lion more, would, or wouldn't al
that jar us taxpayers just little
~ bit?
!. Now | think l hear someone say
9 ing why didn't the grouchers pu'
- in kick before some of the thing
were done instead of waiting unit
70 afterwards, and then growing about
=, it," That is precisely what |, foi
one. tried to do, Seeing motto,
~ in the Tribune not so many lnonths
/ since that the council was going tt
;, consider the railroad ordinance tha
N had then Just been submitted TO theh
: for consideration. attended th'
&c meeting to put in protest as tax
!, payer against some of the things
s am now complaining about.
But the mayor. certainly With M
=. interior intent made a ruling tina
-, barred everyone from the floor bu
" the two contending parties who wer'
- wanting to grab everything in sight
:, and after listening for couple o
y. hours while the beligerants beloved
- at one another across the table
went home and took to my bed.
another time myself and another tax
payer went before the council an'
. asked our representatives not Il
: grant Brother Spear the iranchls'
=. over which he is now in the court
3. with the city as a defendant. w
=. thought Brother Speer merely want
:. ed to get something to sell, ana "lt'
:. which to hold up any legitimate en-
:. terprise until he got his price, an
: | indirectly. at least indicated m
=. belief to that effect But what goo'
:. did we do? None whatever. IN
:: council went right along, consldere'
:. the unfinished business passe'
:. the ordinance and the city is nov
:. smarting for its foolishness
:, 1t would be an excellent rule 10
:. our city council, and our county com
. missioners. and our legislative as
:, sembly, as well, to make rule holo
ing every person or corporation ap
pearing before them in beha!f OF Tn
!, dear public" to be mere CRATER
pure and simple until they have
n each instance proved their innocence
# Here is place where the commo
a law theory of defense should be re
;, yersed 1t would be better Tor TN
i taXpayer and the general publlc, Ia
ton wise nllnS tCr IN