Catoctin clarion. [volume] (Mechanicstown, Md.) 1871-1940, 1916-02-03

ments and to the people, and then 10
place our people in a more honorable light
before the board Of County Commission
ers, offered as apositiye guarantee that
the people were in favor of this site, to
prove under oath by 80 per cent of the
acreage of land owning taxpayers that |
there was practically unanimous senti-
ment in favor of the development of this
territory on these shortcut and most d.
rect routes.
"After the people had exhausted their
patience by long petitions, and many
large delegations going before the Coun'
ty Commissioners for possibly 8 to 10
years without accomplishing anything or
getting any relief, was again solicited
and urged by the people to build the i'm
provements for the county by getting an
Act from the legislature authorizing and
empowering me to do so. I actually can
prove that l never solicited this job, but
| was urged andinhuenced to do the work
by both the people. and the politicians
who were in absolute control at that time.
They said this would take it out of poll
tics, but found after it was too late to
my own sorrow, that it only got It into
politics, but since then, so many OF my
good friends have been coming to my
rescue and prevented any great political
stock being made out of it. am sure
its political advantages are becoming
| I'D rtoiv onH n fQ pt have
proven disastrous to some who have at
tempted for selfish political reasons to
speculate on me by adding insult to in
jury.
1.-THE politicians in power at that time
offered me all the legislation needed to
protect myself. They promised me
mandatory act, that would order and d.
rect the County Commissioners to pay
me as the work progressed but later it
was determined to compel me to COM
plete the roads and bridge, and in fact
the whole enterprise before the County
Commissioners to pay for the improve
ments. The Act authorized me to con-
struct Stone Arch Bridge, l had no le-
gal right to construct any other kind. 1t
was the opinion of different engineers
that nothing less than heavy stone arch
bridge would stand the heavy ice floods.
The river above this point has about 40
feet fall and in case of ice gorges form
ing in this 100 feet deep canyon, together
with the immense water pressure; no
bridge could be built too strong, the gen.
eral opinion was that light Iron Bridge
was entirely out of the question. No
matter how high the stream gets the
water must all be forced through under
the bridge and at very rapid rate
While the bridge has great power and
strength it is not a bit too heavy or strong
for this point. The older residents thot
no bridge could be built to stand the wa
ter and ice pressure in this gulch and for
long time afterwards, during high floods,
they would visit the site expecting to see
the ice batter down or force out this
bridge; but the piers are so strongly built
on solid rock that nothing short of vol
Gallo action will move them. While this
bridge has the water and ice capacity it
also has the burden capacity. A West
ern Maryland Railroad Engineer once
said it would stand all the weight you
could stack upon it, and would last thou
sands of years. Every traction engine
owner wishing to cross the river strikes
for this bridge so as to cross the river
safely Nothing SO completely connects
this end of the county for direct inter-
course as these improvements. Adam
Birely, of Ladiesburg, Md, once said,
1.-THE LeGore Roads and Bridge improve
ments did more to develop and enhance
the value of this end of the county than
all the County Commissioners have done
in the last fifty years, to his knowledge. y
"In 1904 | was authorized and empow-
cred by the legislature to make these
bridge and road improvements. The bill
was appIoved by the majority Of the
members of the legislature from Freder-
lex county and there was no opposition
from the County Commissioners. They
were positively glad to get anyone to re-
lieve them of such an undertaking. The
Maryland Legislature of 1904, or the ma
jority of it's members from Frederick
county recommended the passage of this
Act. 1t became law only by their con-
sent, recommendation and approval. the
Home Rule policy was thoroughly respon-
| Sibla for tho M ssapa of this hill The
General Assembly had their Endorsement
before they passed the Act. l will con-
fess the bill of 1904 was not as was first
promised me. The bill was tempered
with by the politicians and snakes inject
ed into it. When it was Ito pay" they
put in "sell'. Where it was clearly
mandatory they made it otherwise.
1.-THE Act of 1904 clearly authorized
and empowered j. w. LeGore, his heirs
or assigns to build stone arch bridge
for the use of Frederick county and just
as clearly authorizes and empowers the
County Commissioners to issue bonds at
a per cent. sufficient to pay for the roads
and bridge when finished. The Act was
contract conditioned upon the compile
ton of the roads and bridge, as you will
notice in Section 2, of the Act of 1904,
Chapter 342, which says, "And be it en-
acted that the County Commissioners be
and they are hereby authorized and en-
powered to purchase the stone Arch
Bridge now in course of construction