Year: 1875

1t appears from the St. Louis Trade Jour.
nal that Eads' bridge, or rather the Bridge
Company, is not all that was promised. In
the beginning it issued pamphlet of $50
pages. bristling with theorems, problems
and engineering technicalities, but contain
ing one statement which was considered Of
practical Importance. Build this bridge,
SAID the corporation, and down come the
rates of the Wiggin's Ferry Company, for
the bridge tolls will save 100 per cent


But they didn't come down cent. The
Ferry Company kept on charging the old
rates just as if the bridge had never been
heard of. Not only that, but the cast iron
corporation, with soulless diregard Of
what was expected, did a good business iu
high tolls itself More aggravating still
fears are entertained that instead of beng
antagonistic, the Wigginns Ferry and the
Bridge Company propose going into
partnership with it.


The journal says:


We think it proper to inquire in what
manner and to what extent has the Bridge
Company met its promises? 1t was to re.
duce the charges on general merchandise
0ne-half; they have not been lowered at all
1t was to decrease the charge for four horse
coal terms from 81 to fifty cents; it has not
yet reduced 1t cent. In just two items
did the Bridge Company, after their high
way was thrown open to the public, make
any alteration. The old charge for two
horse teams was seventy cents tho round
trip; the bridge rates were placed at sixty
cents the round trip. The other instance
was IN the case OF one-horse vehicles, upon
which the charge was lowered five cents.


1t is difficult to imagine how such gifted
individuals as the officers of the Bridge
Company could make such grand mistake
as that OF thus unnecessarily reducing even
so slightly the old rates. 1t may not, how
ever, be possible that, as the extract quoted
above, failed to bring the desired million
from this city, the Bridge Company feel
that they are under no obligation to make
good their promises. Be that as it may, it
is now evident that they either discovered
the mistake or regretted the action. About
the first OF the present month the announce.
ment was made that in future the charge
tor two horse teams passing over the ge
would be seventy cents instead of sixty,
thus IN certain sense, demonstrating the
fact that ''it is a poor rule that will not
work both ways"


The most delicate part of this movement,
however, is further on. The Trade journal
Is informed on good authority that Mr..
Taussig, the general manager, acting for
the bridge. proposed to the Virgins Ferry
Company that the two corporations jointly |
advance the charge for two horse teams to |
81, instead of sixty cents; and that upon
the refusal of the Ferry Company to take !
such action, the affair was compromised by |
agreeing upon an advance from sixty to !
seventy cents. 1t may be in order to inquire |
how tar this advance in the tariff is TO be |
carried.


That last ls rather interesting to St. |
Louis, which now finds the bridge ism such |
a first class article after all But it is more !
important to New Orleans to know if the |
rule will work the same way on jetties as
it has On the bridge. There will be no |
for water engineers if the prom |
ises of the etty men are no better than |
those of the Bridge Company.


If Captain Eads' works do not change the |
depth Of water any more than his bridge |
changed the tolls they will be allowed to |
tumble into the channel, and when General |
Newton gets through with He'll Gate in I
New York he will have another to blow up |
at the mouth Of the Mississippi