Bonners Ferry herald. [volume] (Bonners Ferry, Idaho) 1904-current, 1920-04-13
NEED MORE
BRIDGE MONEY
LATEST ESTIMATE is $4,000 Fol
BRIDGE ACROSS K0OTENAI
AT LE0NIA
ASKFORSlO, 900 APPROPRIATION
Forestry Department Plans To Pay
Half of the Cost

A delegation of Leonia citizens were
in town yesterday to confer with the
board of county commissioners in re-
gard to the proposed bridge across the
Kootenai river at Leonia.
The delegation is asking the county
to increase it's appropriation for the
proposed bridge from $2500 to $4,000.
AS yet no action has been taken by
the commissioners but it is doubtful
if they can comply with the request of
the Leonia folks unless a special bond
ing election is held. This year the
county tax levy was not raised and the
commissioners are carrying on the
business of the county on the same
amount of money used last year in
spite of the fact that labor is a great
deal higher and all materials are
nearly double in price. The money
asked for would not be available out
of the general funds if it were legally
possible for the commissioners to
make the appropriation.
1t will be remembered that nearly
two years ago the people of Leonia
began their endeavors TO get a bridge
at Leonia across the Kootenai river
in order to provide rail facilities for
many thousands of dollars worth of
timber and farm produce not now mar
ketable. The forestry department
was interested in the project and the
engineers employed estimated that a
bridge could be built for about $780,
100000. Then the Leonia people Sc
cured appropriations from Idaho and
from Montana for $4,000 each and all
so $2500 from Boundary and Lincoln
counties with the understanding that
the forestry department would put in
like amount towards the bridge. 1t
seems that some changes in the plan
of construction were deemed best by
the forestry department engineers and
these, with higher costs of materials,
ran the cost of the bridge to within
the neighborhood of 100000. Hence
the request for additional money from
Boundary county.
Mr. Ghur one Of the men from Lee
onia. stated yesterday, that the Lin
coin county commissioners had agreed
/ to the $4,000 appropriation for the
Leonia bridge providing the approp-
ration is approved in a bond vote to
/ be held soon in which it is sought to
raise some $4,000 of which 10000
is to be used in construction of the
new Roosevelt highway in Lincoln
county.
There seems to be every assurance
! tidt lnlo DOllN ISSUE Will carly anu
that the $4,000 appropriation will be
available this fall.
Mr. Fitzwater, of the forestry de-
partment, was also in conference with
the commissioners yesterday in regard
to the Leonia project. He told that
the forestry department now had S25-
600 available for the Leonia bridge
but that if this money was not used
this year it would be turned over to
some other project He stated that
if the Chamberlain bill. now in Con-
gress, providing for several million
dollar appropriation to be used for the
construction of roads and bridges in
and out of the forest reserve. is passed
there will be no question but that the
forestry department will be able to
appropriate half of the 100000 needed
The proposed bridge will be con-
structed very close to the Leonia sta
tion on the Great Northern railway
and it will benefit many settlers of the
Leonia district and will open up for
development manv thousands of ac-
res Of land in the district.