Evening journal., 1914-12-16
aTHE PEOPLE,S FRIEND.v


n x ARTIN f. SMITH, Democratic Levy Court Com
lvl missioner from the Fifth district poses 'the
peoples friend" the watchdog of the county treas
ury," and sundry other things That is his strong
play in politics II has been his political bread and
meat lf he ever again such a platform 1t
is said he will hear something from those who live
in the town of St. Georges and its neighhorhoOd. Be
tween fifty and sixty Of those persons filed remon-
STRANGE with the Levy Court against "the peoples
friend yesterday. They criticized him for the way in
which he had permitted the Chesapeake and Delaware
Canal Company to the old wooden bridge across
the canal at the St. Georges locks without requiring
It to provide temporary brldgeway for pedestrians
and vehicles to use while the bridge being
built
That the public may understand what a real, simon
pure friend of the people" Commissioner Smith is, it
may be we'll TO set forth certain facts. The town Of
ST. Georges is built both sides of the canal The
only channel of communication between the two sec
tons Of the a wooden bridge the canal.
That bridge also forms important part Of the "St.
Georges route" between Wilmington and points in the
southern part Of the county and State
From time to time in tho past prior 10 the advent
Of he peoples friend" in the Levy Court it has been
necessary repair rebuild the bridge Permission
to do so always been granted but it is said with
the understanding that temporary float" or
bridgeway should be put in for while the regular
bridge out Of commission. Recently the canal
company decided that a bridge needed. With
the assistance OF the peoples trlend, ODtaneu per-
mission to tear out the old bridge and close traffic
across the canal at that point for ten days No pro-
vision whatever made for temporary bridgeway,
for pedestrians. The result that vehicle traf
fc between the upper and lower sections was cut OFF
and the foot traffic only could continue by the precar
expedient of walking on top of the drop gate
and the swing gates So much danger attended that.
particularly for the children going to and from school,
that finally the canal company put up hand-rail on
the gates.
That did not serve, however. to restore vehicle
traffic. For a team to get across the canal it
was necessary to go several miles to Delaware City
on the east, several miles to Summit Bridge on the
west Nor the general public properly informed
that traffic up and down the State by 'he ST. Georges
route had been suspended a result of the magnani-
nifty of "the peoples friend. For instance, Sheriff
Burris rode down his automobile several days
ago He found the old bridge turned Off lmpaently
he sat there waiting for chance to get the
canal. Finally friend him. waiting to get
across, shern?' he inquired "Yes; how soon will
the bridge be on? that functionary inquired "oh, in
eight nine days" was the response, and the St.
Georgian had hearty laugh at the sherins expense
Other persons who failed to the inadequate no
tices were similarly caught
Another hardship suffered by the people is that
the coal yard in st. Georges is on one side Of the
canal and many consumers live the other side OF
that II has been impossible to cart coal from
one part of the to the other The situation also
has inerfored with social and business intercourse
between the two sections.
Now the people in ST. Georges have protested
against the work that had been done by "he peoples
friend" Democrats and Republicans join in that
protest II made yesterday and warmly supported
by Commissioner Fouracro, Republican, Of the Sixu
district The upshot Of IL all was decision. by tn
Levy Court that unless the bridge is completed b.
next Saturday the company must do something fo
public convenience.
The outlook is that it viii be long time before
the people ST. Georges forget the Inconvenience the!
have suffered as result of having "a peoples friend
to represent them in the Levy Court.