Arizona republican., 1909-04-07
IA HOUSING MASS MEETING
Longest Concrete Bridge In the World Will Span the Salt River If the Popular Vote Is Favorable to the Project.

That S5O,0OO has been subscribed | toward a s1OO.OOo bridge to be built. If the project is sustained by a vote of the people. across the Salt river at the foot of Center street, was the most ! important announcement made at the big, rousing mass meeting held yes terday afternoon at the Board of Trade. Of this amount the Bartlett Heard company will contribute S20,OOO; the holders of some twelve, thousand acres of land on the south side will con- tribute $l5,000; the merchants of Phoe- nix. 5000; the government another $5,00O. and the Indians on the south side reservation the same amount in labor. This will leave but s55. 900 to be raised by direct taxation.
 There was an almost unprecedented enthusiasm in the bridge project shown at the meeting By 3:3O o'clock the Board of Trade rooms were almost completely filled and all the avaiIa- ble chairs had been reserved long be- fore. Almost every speaker was in favor of two bridges-the more the bet ter-but it was the concensus of opin- ion that Center street was the proper place to begin the first one owing to advantageous conditions brought about by the large bonus that has been rais- ed and the fact that such a bridge will open up a vast tract for settlement.
 Among the speakers of the day were H. H Mayberry of the National Bridge company, of Indianapolis. and H l.. Smith. of the Union Ironworks. of Los Angeles. The third set of plans for the bridge, which arrived here from Los Angeles yesterday morning, were exhibited and explained. Others who addressed the mass-meeting were Eu- gene Brady O'Neill. Roy Goodrich. E. A. Fowler, Dr. J. A. Gelssinger. Dwight B. Heard. District Attorney Bullard. Judge Ainsworth and Chaplain Scott
 The announcement by MT Heard of the big addition to the bonus that has already been raised, thus insuring to the valley a s1OOO00 bridge at half price. was received with prolonged cheers.
 MT. Heard stated that the Bartlett Heard Land and Cattle company was always willing to do their full share and sometimes more in any work for the development of the Salt River val ley. and stated that if the concrete steel bridge at Center street, as now proposed. costing S10O.O0O. were built, that the Bartlett-Heari Land and Cat tie company would contribute s20.000 in cash toward the bridge on the un- derstanding that the remaining $500 acres of cultivated lands lying south of Phoenix contributed half as much per acre, or S5.000. and that the desert lands which will be directly benefited by the bridge, amounting to eight or ten thousand acres. contribute $10,0O0. and the property holders and mer- chants of the city of Phoenix contribute S5,OOO. This would make the S5O.0OO bonus. composed as follows:
 Bartlett Heard Land and Cat
 tie company ..... S20.OOO $500 acres of cultivated land
 across the river south of
 Phoenix directly benefited
 by the bridge. 5,00G- 5000 acres of idle land south of
 Phoenix directly benefited by
 the bridge ...-- 10000 Merchants and citizens of
 Phoenix ................. 5000 Contribution by the U. s. In-
 dian service and Indian guar
 anteed labor .......... 10000