Rensselaer Republican, Volume 16, Number 40, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 June 1884 — The Bridge Approaches. [ARTICLE]

The Bridge Approaches.

The action of the county commissioners last week in deciding not to made the approaches to the new in Rensselaer, created considerable discussion, much of which was of an acrimonious character, as to whether to the town or to the county properly belonged the duty of making them. There was a good deal of law, argument and authority advanced on both sides, and the final result was in the form of a c<»npromise, by which the commissioners appropriated $75 towards doing th§ work and the town -was left to do the rest. This action of the Commissioners was taken on Saturday, and on Monday morning Marshal Platt set to work with seven or eight teams, with their drivers, and about as many extra men, and began cutting down the grade of Harrison street, between Front and Van Rensselaer, and hauling the dirt into the cavity on the east end of the bridge, and before the middle of the afternoon 160 wagon loads had been unloaded, but a heavy rain then set in, and put a stop to the work Had it not been for this unfavorable turn in the weather, Mr. Platt says that he would have had the approaches in shape to cross the bridge with teams before he quit work Monday night. a On Tuesday afternoon work w y as resumed with as much vigor as evar and before noon yesterday, teams were crossing the bridge. Much of the dirt for the west approace w’as taken from the street back of ;the old school house.