Iron County register., 1922-03-23


last week. awarded the contract for
building the road projects in Iron
county to the contractors filing the
lowest bids with the county court on
March Sd. Two contracts were award
ed to the Lynch Mcdonald Construc-
tion Company, of Moberly, Mo-, and
the other to the Service Construction
Company of Poplar Bluff. Several
citizens from this county appeared
before the Com mission asking that
one of the contracts awarded to the
Lynch Mcdonald Company be given
to the st. Louis Bridge s. Construc-
tion Company, of st. Louis, there be-
ing only $3.50 difference in the bids of
the two competitors. The Commis-
sion, however, held fast for the low
est bidders and awarded the con-
tracts accordingly. The Lynch Nc
Donald Company announces that they
expect to begin work by. the middle of
April.
Poplar Bluff Republican: "Charles
Eldracker, fireman on the Missouri
Pacific Cairo branch, lost his life in
an unusual way while on his run from
Poplar Bluff to Cairo last Sunday
afternoon. The train, 434, left Poplar
Bluff at 2:45 P. NJ. and when just be-
yond Sikeston Eldracker in some way
fell out of the cab window and was so
badly injured that he died soon after
ward, but not, however, until he had
been picked up and placed aboard the
train, the intention being to take him
to his home at. Charleston; he died
before the train reached Charleston.
The first report received here was
that Eldracker's cap had blown off of
his head and in making grab to
catch his cap he lost his balance and
fell from the cab; another report is
that he was leaning out of the cab
window wiping off the glass with a
piece of waste and while passing some
box cars standing on asiding just east
| of the depot at Sikeston his body
struck one of these cars and was thus
knocked from his cab The deceased
fireman was about 45 years old and
had been employed on the road long
while. He was popular with his as
sociates, and his untimely death is
greatly regretted"
Pennington News: "The News is
in receipt of letter from E. 7. Greth-
er, Office Deputy Game and Fish Com
missioner, taking exceptions to, our
article two weeks ago referring to the
return by Rolla Cozean of the money
subscribed for the purpose of defray-
ing the expense OF removing the Sill
yer Dam obstruction in st. Francois
river Mr.. Grether says he showed
lack of information as to what was
really being oone OF course our
readers who are familiar with condi-
tions at Silver Dam know that our
article but very mildly expressed the
facts and the indignation felt in this
country at the failure up to date of
the Game and Fish Department ade-
quately to comply with Section 5671
of the game and fish laws. For 80
years Silver Dam has served no other
use but to wholly block the passage
upstream of the many ell-known
species of fish which are found in
abundance in ST. Francis river be-
low the dam, but which are unknown
in the waters above the dam. Tim
Birmingham, Mir. Middleton's preGe
cessor, promised relief, but did not
give it. At least three deputies under
Mr.. Middleton have examined the
dam or at least said they were going
to. Only one has told us that he did
actually go and look at it. He admit
ted it was real obstruction. Another
told us he was on his way to the dam
and from what he had heard about it
the wonder was that some one had not
dynamited it long ago. No thinking
person wants to see this dam destroy
ed, but every fair minded person
should be willing to see an adequate
fish ladder erected there or else an
opening made in it large enough to
permit of fish passing upstream. Mr..
Grether ssys it isthe duty of the Game
and Fish Commissioner to provide the
plans for a fish ladder and that he is
now working on this very matter. He
says that the type of fish ladders here
tofore used in this state has long since
been discarded by Wisconsin which
originated it. He expects to be able
to devise ladder that will give real
relief at such places as Silver Dam
and that the present Game and Fish
Commissioner will see that it is in
stalled"
Public Sale.