The Penn's Grove record., 1913-10-17
BRIDGE ACCOUNTS VERY HEAVY
Another State Road Wanted

NhO OSVObCi hlOCOibS vi tIlC SOuIlby
Board of Chosen Freeholders was held in
the Court House, Salem, OH the 9Th. All
the members were present except Mr..
May and Mr.. Burk. Director Gray pre-
sided.
Mr.. Griscom, of tho Committee on Sup
plies to the County Jail, reported seven
prisoners III confinement, five white and
two colored. at a cost of $27. so, or All
average OF l5& cents.
Solicitor Keasbey stated to the Board
that the bridge account had been ex-
hausted, the Board having already ex-
pended all money in hand, or have
contracts made to date that will take it
all, the sum thus expended, or in process
of expanding, being $33, 900, $25, 900 OF
which was carried over from last year
and $4,000 added since by the budget.
This leaves the cost of the Penns Neck
bridge. i'll Salem, of $l0,835, and one
half the cost of the county line bridge at
No%rtonville, $l4, 925, to be provided for
next year, as the Board cannot, under
the law, make contracts for expenditure
OF money beyond what is provided in the
budget, except by the issue of bonds.
10 provide for this unusual condition,
the Board at the suggestion of Solicitor
Keasbey, passed two resolutions, trans
ferring these sums to next year, to be
provided for by the budget OF 1914.
Solicitor Keasbey said that he had coll
suited counsel OF the contractors tor the
bridge work now being done, and that
they were willing to accept payment in
accordance with these resolutions.
Solicitor Keasbey also presented a stip-
ulation as to the amount of damages
agreed upon by counsel, amounting to
"a, 1888, caused to the Penns Neck
bridge by the barge of the Davidson
Chemical Company, OF Wilmington, Del.
under tow of a tug, running into the
bridge last April and knocking the mid
die span into the river, which was ap-
proved by the Board. Mr.. Keasby stated
that this in no way affected the question
of liability of the Chemical Company for
damage to the bridge, but fixed the
amount of the damages so caused.
A resolution was adopted authorizing
the Director and County Collector to ne
gotiate a loan Of $14, 500 with the Salem
National Banking Company for the fol-
lowing purposes: Court $500, Jail $3.50,
Almshouse $1,000, Asylum for Insane
$3.50, Interest and Bank Discounts $500,
Building State Roads SO, 900, Bridges and
Bulldogs 5000.
Solicitor Keasby notified the Board
that, i'll accordance with the Widows
Pension law, ten applications were heard
by Judge Washington recently. and one
application granted, OF SO a month, to
Emma Lopez, of Upper Penns Neck.
Mr.. Borton reported that it is neces-
sary to build the Courses Landing
Bridge a little longer than was at first
thought necessary and that it must now
have a temporary wooden span to cost
about 5000. Travel will be shut off on
the 18th. The work on the Nortonvllle
bridge was reported very satisfactory and
nearly completed.
Engineer Cattell, reported the center
pier at the Nortonville bridge completed,
and also the fixed span, and the work
the best of any bridge he had ever had
under his supervision. The contractors
are the Bridgeton Construction Co.
In reference to the lower canal bridge
Mr.. Wheaton reported that it is Still
standing"
Mr.. CARL brought up the matter OF the
Canton sluice bridge, about which an
agreement was recently made to repair
the bank and the bridge, the county to
pay one-third, the Canton Drain Mea-
dow Company One-third and the town
ship committee the remaining one-third.
The township committee finally refused
to enter the compact, but he said the
washout is becoming SO bad, and other
meadow banks endangered by the in
creased volume of water, that prompt
action is necessary. That there are three
causeways and three bridges affected, and
it is thought wise not to defer action any
longer, as the breach has widened some
twenty feet, until it is now sixty feet.
Representatives were present from the
meadow company to advocate that some
thing be done at once.
Mr.. CARL said that it is proposed now
to put in a concrete sluice, at a cost of
about $4,000, each of the three parties
named to pay one-third OF the cost. This
was agreed to and work is to be begun at
once.
Mr.. Borton reported a county line
bridge near Geo. Woods in ~Pilesgrove.
as unsafe. and that it had been viewed
by a committee named by Director Gray,
of Borton, Griscom and Gray, in con-
junction with a committee from the
Gloucester County Board, and they had
decided to strengthen the bridge, to make
it serviceable until next spring.
Mr.. Keasbey reported the work on the
Penns Grove and Pedricktown road pro-
crossing nicely, and certain charges for
extra work, which were approved.
Director Gray appointed Wheaton and
Lanning as the auditing comittee for the
November meeting.
A petition was presented for a new
gravel State road from Alloway to Fries
burg, Il distance of four miles. The petit
tiOn was received and filed.
The ordinance to grant a fifty-year
franchise to tire Delaware and Atlantic
Telephone Company was again taken up
OH second reading, for final passage.
Nh. Hart, OF the committee appointed.
at the last meeting to see whether the