Daily capital journal. (Salem, Oregon) 1903-1919, 1917-01-25
CONCRETE BRIDGE
OR NOTHING SAYS
POLK COUNTYJUDGE
kirkpatrick Declares That He
VIII Consider No Other
Material
JUDGE BUSHEY WOULD
TAKE ENGINEERS PLANS
Apparently Bridge Is In Hope
less Tangle at Present
Time

''Salem can settle the bridge site
to please itself, but as far as the Polk
county court is concerned, it will be a
concrete bridge. That is what Polk
county wants and that is what the coun-
ty court stands for, said Judge Kirk
patrick this morning, at the meeting of
the two county courts.
Views of Judge Bushey
Judge Bushey said, "We put it up
to the state highway commission as to
the type of bridge, and they decided
the only thing to do was to build a
steel bridge and this court stands for
a steel bridge. If there is any other
reason why the bridge should be at any
other site than Center street, i would
like to know. However, this court has
never decided definitely on any type of
bridge. All we want is a bridge heavy
enough for all traffic.
State Commission Roasted
Judge Kirkpatrick opined that neith-
er himself nor the Polk county people
were married to the state highway com
mission. " | do not agree with the state
highway commission, nor do the people
of Polk county We oppose steel
bridge. The Southern Pacific and other
railroads are building concrete bridges
/ The highway commissioners are stee
bridge architects and know nothing
about cement bridges" said the coun
| ty judge of Polk county: "We do fav
or steel bridge encased in cement
and we believe with Mr. Purcell, back
ed by such bridge builders as Mr.
Young and Mr.. Benson, that our opin
ion is right. Polk county doesn t care
about the site. If there is any delay
! it will be on the type. We are instruct
ed to stick for cement bridge and
we will think of nothing else. -
What the R. r. Will Do
+. G. Deckebach of the Commercial
club said Judge Kirkpatrick should be
J thanked for his frank expression of the
situation.
Chas. A. Park chairman of the com
mittee that conferred with assistant
Manager Dyer of the S. P. in Portland
yesterday, said that all that Mr.. Dyer
wanted was for the two county courts
to get together and sign contract fol
the bridge as an assurance that it would
be built as soon as possible. In the
meantime, MIR. Dyer was willing that
the city of Salem should begin at once
the building of the 500 feet of approach
necessary on the Polk county side anC
also the work of panKing, but that the
railroad would not give permission fol
the use of the bridge until the two
county courts had signed a contract fol
the building of the new bridge. Th'
railroad would also require an indem
nifty bond against suits for damage.
Officials were in Doubt
1t developed that the railroad off
cials were slightly in doubt as t.
whether the county courts would ge
together, and did not want to get int
an arrangement for their bridge unit
there was something definite in sight
: Eighteen months was the time limit 70
the use of the Southern Pacific bridge
The Southern Pacific agreed to max
no charge for the use Of the bridge. a
Salem and Marion county win have {
, put up the $4,000 to $4,000 expens
. of planking and building the Polk cour
ty approach, it is possible that sma