Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1919-05-15
n,lEEvIv.: PROJECT
OF new BRIDGE;
PRAIRI ::DUS c
Special Meeting Held at the VII
Iage to Consider Plans for Pro-
cedure

The Prairie du Sac-West Point free
bridge project was revived Tuesday,
when Hon. J. 3. Ragatz and G. |.
Kindschi of this city and John f. Bon
ham OF The town OF West Point, to-
gether with Attorney G. E. Blake OF
Madison conferred with the state high
way commission on the matter.
The reviving of the project meets
the now popular demand to stimulate
the reconstruction work of the nation,
and the building of the long planned
free bridge here will be in entire har-
mony with problems which are being
discussed for restoration of industry
Ct after war conditions in America.
There is an absolute need of public
works to tide over the industrial sran
of change which is inevitable when a
country goes from a war basis to one
of peace.
A special meeting of The board Of
trustees was held yesterday evening
and the state highway commission
was petitioned for authority to Dulld
9 bridge across the Wisconsin river in
conjunction with the town Of West
Point. Sanborn & Blake of Madison
lave been engaged as attorneys and
] B. Ragatz and G. |. Kindschi have
been appointed a committee for the
village of Prairie du Sac n regard to
all questions arising in connection
with the obtaining of state a'd and
the building of the bridge. The town
board of West Point has also complied
with the provisions of the law in the
matter and has appointed J. E. Bon
ham and Elvin Chrisler as a commit
tee for the same purpose. A hearing,
for which notice will be given next
week, will be held soon.
Although several elections have
been held in the course of the years
since the free bridge project was born
in 1913, it now bcomes necessary to
hold another election, both here and
in the town of West Point, for the
purpose of authorizing the proper Off
Gals of these municipalities to issue
bonds for their share of the payment
of the bridge.
According to the law under which
the Prairie du Sac-West Point bridge
such structure is divided into five
units: Prairie du Sac village, town of
West Point, Sank county, Columbia
county and the state Of Wisconsin.
The first four units each pay one-siXth
of the cost, while the state pays one.
third. The approximate estimate Of
the. cost of the bridge is $144,0 900 OF
this amount the state will pay $4,000
and Prairie du Sac and West Point
each $4,000. There is available at
this time 100000 state aid and on
July /, 1919, $4,000 more becomes
available but in order to secure this
3 d, Prairie du Sac and West Point,
which municipalities Tuesday had the
only application entered for such aid,
must vote the issuance of bonds to the
amount of $24 900 each before July 1.
1919, and the procedure is as outlined
above--first the petitions by the VII
lage and town boards, then the hear
ing and finally the elections authoriz-
ing the issuing of the bonds.
Nothing foreseen stands in the way
for bridge in the near future and the
project depends entirely on the voters
of Prairie du Sac and West Point to
carry the elections to a successful con-
clusion who we are sure are thorough
ly imbued with the right spirit in the
matter, the same as in 1913 and 1915,
when the elections for bonds showed
large majorities.
The bridge matter dates back to
December 27, 1912, when the first mass
meeting was held. hearing was
held at HATES hall in Prairie du Sac
on October "a 1913,at which time the
state highway commission declared
bridge necessary. A survey was made
in November, 1913, and a location
somewhat up the river from the pres
ent bridge was selected. (This was
later determined to be the present
Weinzierl property near the depot)
Elections were held August Is, 1913,
which West Point carried for bonds
by vote Of 125 to 81, and Prairie du
Sac by vote of 1913 to 7. The law
under which the above action had
been taken was however changed and
another hearing was held on October
Of the money to be raised. Under the
old law the state was to pay one-fifth
Of the cost of construction, while I'M
4. 1915, and the e location of the
bridge adhered to. The change Of the
Jaw also changed the apportionment
Ter the present act it must pay one
.hird. Special elections were again
held on October 80, 1915, at which
ime both West Point and Prairie du .
Sac carried the bond issue, the former
OF to &c and the latter 1872 to l. Fol
owing this the constitutionality of
he law was questioned by Columbia
ounty and after a long fight the
curtis was finally declared constitu-
lonal by the supreme court. Then :
anne the world war which directed