The Cairo bulletin., 1909-08-30
AGAINST BRIDGE
: At METROPOLIS
PRESIDENT OF CHICAGO, PITTS
BURG & NEW YORK r. r.
WANTS IT BUILT BETWEEN
BROoKPORT AND PADuCAH.

Paducah. Aug. 29--With the whirl-
wind visit of Mr. Joseph Ramsey, il,
formerly president OF the Wabash
railroad system, and now president OF
the Chicago Pittsburg and New York
Mr. Eli Kiotz, Of St Louis, capitalist
and financier of note, and Mr.. M. n
Burns, of St. Louis, an equally as
well known in various railroad pro
jects. to Paducah Saturday morning
and afternoon, as well as with side
trip taken by these gentlemen to
Brookport and up and down the river
front over the city to various depots
and bridge sights, the Brookport-Pa-
ducah railroad bridge project begins
to take definite shape.
The river was, examined by the
three capitalists. all the way from
Golconda to this city and upon their
arrival here Mayor Smith became
cognizant of their visit and seeking
them out drove them over the city in
his motor car, The right OF way Of
the Paducah Northern was gone over,
all of the possible commercial tracks
and routes we're shown them, and
then Mayor Smith pointed out to the
visitors the many sites possible here
for locating terminals and took them
down to the river bank, opposite the
towhead, where tho immense natural
advantages extant for a bridge were
pointed out and gone over thoroughly
In the course of conversation Mr.
Ramsey was quoted as saying Il be
leve that this site Gust aboyt
Brookport and just below Paducah)
Is the best one | have seen for sew
eral reasons. Across that towhea'
the bridge could be Of concret'
arches leaving but a comparatiVei'
short stretch to be covered with stee
structure. The Kentucky end of thu
bridge could be brought to grade yer!
easily to meet a belt line at theS'
streets here Indicating Tenth an
Terrell streets)s ami could then b
run around to the depot or to far
tory property on the outskirts of tn
city, Then, again, ! have examine
charts of the river channels and cul
rens both here and at Metropolis
and | believe the government woul
be obliged to deny permission for
bridge at Metropolis. OF course
know that bridge permit will b
asked for by the Burlington crow
and il will be a matter to be tough
out. You may say this; if the birds
is built at Metropolis, Paducah wi
be comparatively small city, O
a spur, possibly, but off the mai
line, and wherever that bridge goe
along here, the four railroads acros
the, river, which are trying to e
south. will go likewise, leaving tn
cityto one side.
preferably, continued Mr.. RAJ
sey. Il would like to see the birds
across at Paducah, at this site, b
the citizens win have to get a mo,
on, should say that the thing to ,
would be to push that petition sig
ed BY the river men against &
bridge at Metropolis, and when il
Hill asks permission to build h
bridge for tae burlington, ask Il
government to deny that and gl&
permission for bridge here, WI
thn river is narrow. where the Gu
rent is straight and where Paduci
would naturally desire a bridge bui
will promise that | will do all in n
power for this city And II | can &
that bridge across here ! am goi
to do II
x know Jim Hill and all his tricl
having come in close personal &C
tact with him number Of times, al
there is no more stubborn man in t
world don't believe. But, there
one thing that has just shade mo
will power than Jim Hill. and tn
is the United States government,
will DO all that can, and ii the pc
ple OF Paducah win do ali they ca
together well land that bridge t
paducah and we will build across t
r;ysr right ut this point