The daily Gate City. [volume] (Keokuk, Iowa) 1855-1916, 1913-04-27
PUBLIC OPINION
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Judge Hughes, Statement.

10 the Editor OF The Gate City:
I noticed in your last evenings
paper the article injunction Suit
Under Advisement' about the Keo-
kuk & Hamilton Bridge and Missis-
sippi River Power case. F1rs., you
say Judge Hughes declared that only
the Hamilton and Keokuk boosters
wanted the bridge; I said the new
bridge proposition was fathered and
being urged by the booster commit
tees OF Keokuk and Hamilton in the
interest of these cities; did not say
no one else wanted 1t. Next, you say
declared that congress could not
authorize the building Of a bridge
using the dam, did not say any such
thing and it is not in the brief that
we presented to the court; said
congress could authorize a bridge
across the river If it saw At, but q
person or corporation who undertook
to build 1t would have to buy or con-
denim the exclusive franchise granted
to the present bridge in 1865 by the
legislature of Illinois and that is the
law and will be done If the new pro-
posed bridge is built. 1t won't hurt
Keokuk at all for the Bridge Company
Or the Power Company to make the
present bridge whole for any loss or
damage it must sustain by the new
bridge, only costs the new bridge
builders little more money, and that
ought to be and is right. The pres
ent bridge was built about '68 to 70
| by the best people in Keokuk and
Hamilton and has always been operat-
ed and is now being operated without
any profit and not paying interest on
more than half its cost There is not
business enough to warrant it. 1t
could carry hundred times more
business than 1t has and what inter
est is it to Keokuk and Hamilton
/ that one of the great investments some
eight or nine hundred thousand dol
lars should be destroyed or seriously
! injured to put up another one which
may do these cities no good at all. If
the present bridge rates are too high
ON railroad business the Interstate
commerce commission can make it
right, this is what understand to be
the law. The present bridge Is ex-
actly where the people Of Keokuk and
Hamilton want it to be and where 1t
was wanted forty years ago when
built. The bridge dam proposition is
only for railroads and no wagon or
footmen would ever dream of going a
bridge to get from the foot of Main
street to Hamilton. The Inter City
Bridge Company, of which Mr.. Joy is
4 president, does not, as I understand
propose to own or operate any engines
and cars over this new bridge. The
Power Company will not have any
4 the thing will be for the Inter City
Bridge Company to have the Power
Company lease its track and bridge
from Hamilton around to Keokuk to
some railroad company. This com
pany will operate its engines and cars
over the track and that Is all. Every.
body knows that this railroad would
not operate their trains over this
bridge one day longer than they could
by buying or consolidating or leasing
the present bridge and then operate
the same at their own toll rates as
they are probably now doing with the
present bridge. | believe the booster
committee of Keokuk had better try
for additional improvements and bet
terments of our city instead of trying
to crush or destroy that which we now
have ito fly to others they know not
Of" fled an affidavit from the 7. P
& w. bridge man with Judge Humph
reys in the case showing that the
bridge is now in perfect order and
will carry any engines or trains the
IT. p. & w. has or any other company
for that matter today. Next, you say
1.-The defendants counsel show that
the charters of the Hancock County
Bridge Company and the Keokuk &
Hamilton Bridge Company had been
cancelled in 1902 by the secretary Of