Baraboo weekly news. [volume] (Baraboo, Wis.) 1912-197?, 1925-04-23

necessarily mean that the city win
not be required at some time in
the future to issue bonds for pub
lie improvements. During the
present year a substantial concrete
bridge viii span the Baraboo Riv-
or on Second Avenue near the Is
land Wooden Mills. This bridge is
being built from funds previously
set aside by the council known as
the public Improvement fund, and
with the aid of the state and coun-
ty government, under Il provision
of the law permitting state and
county funds to BE devoted towards
building bridges in cities on high
ways that are established as part
of the state highway system. City
funds are now available amply SUI
ficient to pay the city's portion Of
the cost of the Second Avenue
bridge, and with county and state
assistance, the bridge may be com
pleted without resort being had to
other public moneys than those
presently available. In this con-
nection wish to observe that in
my Judgment and opinion a new
bridge should be constructed to
span the Baraboo River on Ash
Street during the year 1926. This
bridge should be of sufficient width
and strength to provide for the
heaviest vehicle or vehicles now
known to mankind. The present
bridge was constructed long be-
fore the days of automobiles and
other motor behicles Of greater or
less weight and without regard to
present day requirements. While
the present Ash Street bridge 10
safe for almost any traffic to which
the same may be subjected by
travellers in the exercise of ordi-
nary care. it is not of sufficient
width to meet present day require
ments of traffic and of travel. The
Ash Street bridge is not part of
the state trunk highway system,
and hence the cost and expense OF
constructing the same must be
wholly met by the city government.
In my Judgment and opinion this
bridge should be constructed in
1926 without a bond issue, and |
believe by the practice of econ
omy in the conduct of the city's
business during the present year a
sufficient fund will be available for
use in 1926 to construct and COM
plete such bridge without an in
crease in the present tax rate.
Eventually a new concrete bridge
must need be constructed span
ming the Baraboo River on Oak
Street to supplant the present ir-
on bridge. While Oak Street is a
part of the state trunk highway
system, the cost of constructing
and completing the new bridge will
not be so large as to require bond
issue. That fact is self-evident. J.
am recommending the construction
of the Ash Street bridge first that
a ready means of travel may be af-
fOrded the public during the con-
structiOn of the Oak Street bridge
and i'll order that the heaviest traf
ffc may be diverted from the pres
ent Oak Street bridge to the new
Ash Street bridge when completed
Experts on the subject say that
the present Oak street bridge is alb
solutely safe for almost any kind
and every kind of traffic and trav
ell but having been built in 1890
was not designed to meet modern
traffic conditions
Since 1907 the city of Baraboo
has been operating quarry and
crusher plant on the old Seaman
property two miles west Of the cor
poration limits. At the quarry site
there is an unlimited supply of
quartzite rock suitable for mod
ern road building purposes. The
crusher plant represents an invest
ment of approximately $8,000.00.
The machinery and equipment
from long usage are considerably
worn and each year q considerable
sum of money has necessarily been
expended for the upkeep of the
crusher plant and to make the
same subject to normal use and
service. Without computing de-
probation, the crushed rock has
cost the city at the plant, 1 am
advised, something like $500 per
cubic yard, while the city has dis
posed of it's surplus product to the
trade consisting principally of ce-
ment contractors for $1.85 per cub
ic yard. The city so operating at a
loss has decided to lease the quar-