The public ledger. [volume] (Maysville, Ky.) 1913-1968, 1916-07-08
i. i. + + I. j. i. + + + + +
MASON COUNTY TURNPIKEs



turnpike question, in Mason County, 1t
has been suggested to me, several
times, that the conditions existing In
connection with the Northfolk bridge
at Lowell, justified investigation.
On July 4th, drove to see this
bridge via of Germantown. l had
heard so much about this, that / ex-
posted to find an impossible PROPOSE
ton, however, this affair is being
handled in the same way that every
thing else that | find in connection
with the turnpike business.
believe | am safe in saying, that
this bridge could have been fixed with
in 80 days from the date of the first
slide, which occurred on December
10th, 1915. 1t is simply a matter Of
building a new abutment to one end
of this bridge. This abutment stands
probably 20 feet above the creek, and
there has been nothing to keep work.
men from handling the job whenever
it was not raining any time after the
winter weather was over.
never saw as much good stone in a
place in my experience. Large neavy
stone inches thick and from IL inches
to feet in length, just the very best
that can be used in this class of work.
AS figure this job, there is about 341
perch of stone in the whole foundation,
taking for granted, it would be neces-
sary to go feet below the surface in
order to get good footing. Three
stone masons would have laid this
wall up in so days and do not be-
lieve it would be necessary to pur-
chase any extra rock, at all. 1t might
be interesting to the public to know
that this foundation has been stand
ing for 7S years in this indentical To-
cation, and what has occurred now is
the falling out of wing wall and set
Ting of the earth and pike at the
bridge approach.
What do you think Mr.. B. F. Cliff, or
Col. w. w. Baldwin, or William Lut-
trell- or William Smoot would have
done il this accident had occurred on
a pike over which either had supervis-
ion? 1 do not believe either man of
the four mentioned, would have wait
ed even for good weather to have
opened to put workmen on the job, and
the good people of this vicinity would
have been travelling over Lowell bridge
four months ago but instead our Ma
son county officials have spent $500
to $4,000 in automobile hire and pro-
badly $500 in Magistrates fees and
$4,000 in having danger signals put
up each night and probably $500 to
have 1.-The big truck" to go down and
while away a few hours, and am told,
paid party $4,000 to scrape the mud
off the extension of the Brandywine
pike, so that automobiles could get to
the bridge without sticking. In all,
Mason County is out almost 100000
and the bridge is in as bad condition
as 1t was when the accident occurred,
and the good people in Lowell vicinity
have no relief in sight yet,
The county has not even spent any
money in building a temporary road
around this bridge so that the people
might get partial relief. and it might
be interesting to know that this bridge
is IL miles from Maysville by the near
est route, that is, via of Clarks Run
and Brandywine pike, and the people
now have to travel from Is to II miles
in order to get to Maysville, and l ask
the question right here, do you think
Maysville people are interested in
this? 1t is 8 miles closer TO Mt.
Olivet.
Now as to the expense of this repair,
| know of stone work that has been
done in Mason county, in the last year
or two. for which the sum of 75c per
perch was paid, but that job was close
to the home of the man doing the
work. II was not as high job as this
one, so to be safe, suppose we make
the price $500 per perch, the expense
of repair on this bridge would then
be not TO exceed $S5O.OO. Now / know
that our officials made up their minds
immediately upon hearing of this job
that it had to be done of concrete and
want to say, TO do this job in con-
lcrete. 1t will take, at least 200 yards
and maybe 800. and it will cost, at
least, 900 per yard, or to do this work
in concrete, II win run from $500 to
$4,000. This job can be done economi-
cally we'll and enough to stand
for at least rs years. for the
price have mentioned. and the differ
ence between that and a concret job
would be. at least $4,000. which the tax
payers of Mason county certainly need
to be put into rock applied on the
sardis or Lexington turnpike. so that
when the tobacco season opens and the
pixies become wet, they can get to town
with their loads OF tobacco.
want TO ask the innocent public
a. thE. A.. an. o.ua...k - /. flatre tkat fo