Barton County democrat. [volume] (Great Bend, Kan.) 1885-1915, 1910-05-27

a time until they are done.
There is no doubt but that in
the almost forty years that have
passed since the organization Of
this county, that there have been
petitions for bridges, petitions for
roads, petitions for culvertS, and
OTner improvements from all part.
of the county, that have been re-
fused by the commissioners, many
of which, if not all, should have
been granted. This is bound to
have been the case. But, the en-
tire county, or no section Of the
county can or should be held re-
spOnsible for these refuSals.
In this article we shall try to
give a few Of the arguments for
calling this election. We have I'M
bounded faith in the people OF this
county. We are ready to bow to
the will of the majority, and if, al
ter having heard the arguments,
the majority is against the bridge
we will personally be just as hap
by as if it were for the bridge.
Because, we will personally cross
the old or the new bridges no ofA
tener than any of the other
bridges in the county, and have no
more wheat or produce to haul
back and forth oyer one than over
the others. We simply believe in
public Improvements in every see
ton Of the county, and shall al
ways vote and work that way. d.
At EllinwOod there are two
bridges, as stated in a previous
article, one was built by the town
ship, the repairs for many years
kept up by the county, and now,
since the new bridge has been
built, is kept up by private sub
ScriptiOn. The sO-called new
bridge was built by private sub
scription, plus $4,000 donated by
the county. The bridge at Dart
mouth was built by subscription,
plus 81 200 donated by the county
The, bridge at Great Bend was
built by Great Bend township,
with a little donation by South
Bend township. At Dundee there
is no bridge. The bridge at Paw
peesROck was built by the town.
ship, with a donation from both
Pawnee and Barton counties. The
repairs on all bridges, except the
old bridge at EllinwOod are kept
up by the county. The commits
siOners figures for the repairs say
that it will cost about 81 800 per
year. According to the commits
siOners figures they have paid out
for first cost on these bridges
about $4,000. Much more money
has been spent for bridges in the
county, by the county, and by the
townships. The question now is,
is it cheaper for the county to
build these bridges new as talked
about or to keep up the repairs of
the old bridges. That is the ques-
ton to be settled. 1t is claimed
that the money asked for will not
build these bridges. The county
commissioners say it will; that
they have estimates from the state
engineer and bridge building con-
Germs which say they can be built
the opposition says they cannot,
because the bridge at Wichita, a
concrete structure, cost 100000
to build. A telephone cOmmunica
ton from the mayor of Wichita
says that the bridge did not cost
that much money, that the bridge
IS 500 feet long and 50 feet wide.
This is what he telephOned to
Mayor Dawson Of this city.
The bridges talked about here
are to be about $50 feet long and
"a feet wide. The townships to
be benefited by these bridges,
Comanche, South Bend and Lib
erty, have not got a bridge in
their borders. They are entitled
TO something, along this line, and
so is every other township, and if
in the past they have been wrong
ed in this matter, it should and
must be righted, because the mon
ey spent for improvements is gath
cred from the people all over hte
county, and should be spent that
way.
In conclusion we want to say
that from a personal standpoint
it makes no difference to us
whether the bridges are built or
not. We believe in public imprOv