Northern Wisconsin advertiser. [volume] (Wabeno, Wis.) 1898-1925, 1921-09-30

IN ~ Tor autOmODlleS anu loot
MSJSY way for pedestrians strung
across forty or fifty large
ships for nearly a mile, is apt to be
the latest new thing of the nation. 1t
will be new thing only in the United
States. For the pontoon bridge is
centuries old and is in common use
now in Europe.
This pontoon bridge across the Hud-
son is proposed for these reasons: 1t Is
badly needed to relieve congestion; 1t
is entirely feasible; it can be built in
a year; it will cost only S2,OOO,OOO;
ships that can serve as pontoons are
already in existence.
There is no question as to the need
Of the bridge. The automobile con-
gestion is notorious; the New York
ferries are inadequate to handle the
traffic. One of the great sufferers is
the Palisades Interstate park. So u
is natural that the first suggestion OF
the pontoon bridge came from Mag.
w. A. Welch, engineer of the park
commission.
This Palisades Interstate park it
should ba noted, is one of the great
public Fairgrounds of the United
States. The original park was estab-
lished by New York and New Jersey
to save the Palisades of the Hudson
from quarrymen who were blasting
them for stone. Curiously enough II
was the federated club women OF the
two states who succeeded in getting
the park established. After all efforts
by men had failed they induced the
legislatures of the two states to take
the necessary action and to make ap-
preparations. The park was opened III
the area to 10000 acres in 1910 by
gift of land That year there were
a few thousand visitors, many of them
campers. The possibilities of the park
were seen. Since then everything that
money and good management can dc
has been done for this park. More
than $S,O0O,000 have been expended
it. Of this large sum 90 per cent b
come from gifts by public-spirited CT
xens. 1t now contains about 300
acres, with improvements to fill eve
need. The bulk of the attendan
comes from New York city. Childr'
are sent by thousands on river. boa
Boy scouts, Camp Fire girls and hu
dreds of organizations camp Their
Thousands drive there. There are re
taurants for every purse; facilities II
every kind of recreation. The aggr
gate of the summers attendance
enormous.
Moreover, this park enjoys the pd
sition of an object lesson of efficiencI
In public Fairgrounds. A capable engj
neer with free hand has secured hill
moneys worth in the improvements
The management is pointed out as
model. The management is vested IL
a permanent commission of five mem
bers from each state. They serve
without pay and the post is one o.
homer. The late George w. Perkins
who was for many years a leading
shirt of the commission, once sale
that the biggest thing the commission
had accomplished was to keep polite:
out of the park.
AS TO the ships that can serve a:
pontoons, they're ready. AS everyone
knows, the shipping beard slight!
overplayed its hand in the matter o.
building wooden ships during the
World war. There were 81 of these
wooden ships constructed. Only 29t
have been sold. 1t has been costing
the government $4,000 a month tc
take care of the other 275. These
ships cost ION an average 100000
each. For time it seemed impossible
TO sell them at any price. Indeed
Representative Wood of Indiana re
GENTLY said on the floor of the house:
Eve have 275 of these wooden yes
sels down here in the mouth Of the
James river tied up in units Of sever
each. with 40 men TO the unit, each Of
them receiving 500 month and ms
keep. costing the government Soo,oot
o month. or 100000 a year, for 10
of boats that are not worth sinking