Evening Republican, Volume 20, Number 291, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 6 December 1916 — SINKING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN PIT [ARTICLE]

SINKING THOUSANDS OF DOLLARS IN PIT

Bottomless Pit Must Be Filled In Order to Maintain Road Grade South of Burk’s Bridge. Jasper ounty has spent 'a great Amount of money in trying to build and maintain a roadway across the Iroquois river and valley tour and a half miles north of this city. Long bridges have been built and have sunk away. Carloads of dirt and debris have been dumped into this hole and it has all sunk away like a prodigal son’s allowance. Many theories have been advanced as to the best way to overcome this great obstacle, but thus far all have failed. When the river was dredged a shorter bridge was put over it. Since this time all the surplus dirt as weil as’“the surplus county revenue has been going into a hole for the purpose of having a roadway. The road north of the bridge is at present holding very well. It remains up to grade. But south of the bridge there seems to be a pit with uncertain boundaries, possibly fifty feet deep and two hundred feet long, with a mysterious exit that seems to be able to swallow up all material fed into it. Some suggest that this dirt is being secretly and maliciously conveyed by an underground channel to the farm of Dr. F. A. Turfler. We are ait this time not ready to believe that the good doctor has been in league with the old boy the purpose of defrauding the county. Some time ago an enterprising contractor, knowing nothing of the supposed design of Dr. Turfler to elevate his farm, took the contract <to build this road up to grade. The engineer estimated that it would take about thirty-three hundred yards of material to do the job. Hurley wjis awarded a contract on his bid of $1,190. Thomas Callahan was suspicious of the farmers who owned land near this road and his bid was $3,600.

Hurley went to work. He would dump a big load of dirt and would then try to see where he put it. He was able each evening to see that he had made a little gain, but in the morning his toil proved to have been in vain. After working a long time, late and early, day after day, he found that his grade was getting no higher and he was as far aS ever from the coveted $1,190. With long, down-cast countenance, Alex took his pencil and began to figure. He discovered that Rip Van Winkle could take another long nap before he would have the grade rehdy to cross. After over four thousand yards of material had been sunk in this the board of commissioners decided that the contractor had done his part and they accepted the work. It has been decided, on the recommendation of Engineer Nesbitt, to continue the filling. Tile work will be done by Mr. Hurley. He will be allowed thirty cents a yard. Mr. Bowman Switzer will yatch and count the loads as they pass on dbwn to