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,, («If‘ " f e Crinpin Bridge ’ ' ‘ r ‘rey Mc'Tuii) . Polio.ng IS a correct history of ‘ 'first'brid'ge built at the late Mr. pfn‘s. , As 1 have been naked so alien how that bridee was built and who built; I thought it wise to tell the rendering; The. Post. and it may he oi some 7 to the councils a! both Eran £91 - Bentlnck, - < k This bridge was built some little before the county of Bruce was taken from Huron county. and was put up; with a number at mistakes. like many other Jobs that the ratepayers do with- out my and without an inspector. The bridge was put several rods down stream on private property that belonged to the late Mr. Crispln. and in those very early days there was solid hush on both sides of the river where it was erected. and the timber in that. vbuah was the very best at cedar, pine and but litie did We early settlers midi: that it would bring the pile 0! Jimmy it would to-clay. They made a mistake when they built that bridge, (like many another thing in those days; in not keeping it on the town line. but as Messrs. Crisâ€" pin and Metcnile were so keen to get W -/.Z ‘ any”; “9%! ' a; e sew“ k mluafilk‘d. 4 miles. iram"M1ere the bridge ataod._.But only think. those abutment; were ,all'made 01‘ cedar.’ thou Line trees that. must have-been 3 or 4 feet. in diameter. and all wont‘ i any a passage out they tell; like giving all the land the Iew settlers wanted. I'm told by Ed. Lines that his late tether got Mr. Macintosh. ol' Walkerton. to draw up an agreement between the parties, and how it was among his papers or sent to Goderlch to be regis- tered. And ii the above bridge had been built in its right place what trouble might huvu been saved. Those sandy hills at Crispin's could easily have been (lug nut, and in time, by doing a little each year, they would. have been all light. But it is a fault much like our county roads. The fathers in those days thought it much better to pay two, three or (We hundred dollars to ill»: owner or the land where those him were. and tn~ciny anyone with hail on eye can set- their blunder. The first bridge at the late Crispln's was ‘ouill by the first settlers. Some brought their teams. some their axes, and all brought their dinner poll. with. no doubt. pm‘k. bread and potatoes in it. In those vrry edriy days the river was nun-n knuwn to get very deep. The country being nil hush. the snow and ice left very slowly. and chose til-st settlers little thought of a his flood. and they built. this bridge much too low, so much so that it went down the river the next year, Perhaps the Bhutâ€" ments might have stood Lhe strain, but the foolish settlers did not put stone to them. Stones were very hard to find inflame days. and the poor struggling settler: had their hands in.“ in order to m a bit oi innd cleared for crop.‘ It appears that the span over the river was nearly '70 feet wide. They put Me pine stringers ovar the river, made, or squared. 16 or ill inches. and those g‘udngem were said to be 75 feet long. Tiny were got out oi“ Mr. Mem’f bummer by. and it they were stands? ’ in; tn-day they would be worth over . {101:1 iii-Ch, but I151 said, in rinse earlii any: oil the new settlers Wanted wing: ingot them on the land. .r em told my. a little mi. 01- Mi: Metonlf's plane, a man gave out a f (merit and plea: five acres. or ‘ film ummin. on me am! than We! the timhoe‘mu _ lint:an lam: tram. was tall and wouldhave rpm/(o5 of l shingle}, and the man who ' ' contract hunmt an up magi Jame place. No doubt the council unlit? ‘50: that it would be there tar as or an .‘ye'ara. Just like the bridge at Maple down the river. never to he heofi tram again. and the dear old join:1qu were ielt to get their necessaries o‘er? the best way they could. » , y; But the above bridge was.not. [‘4‘ only one inst.,In the course of h yearn“ or so then was spams: one built. built on private property and in stab: the second one, and one wimld‘ no thought that; those smart picked mam on; would have pdt’the second one no Hill. all built by the wfltér, and has awed longer than any public bridge on that wild river. V The second bridge only stood the strain some 2. or 3 years, and avmy it went. just like the flat, but I think they put sortie stone “Lit. But about this time the settlers had made olearâ€" 31:35, the Elm had to to shine, although some years it was menu-w May beiore it didg‘snd by that time it was so power-j fullthe river went up by lumps; of trees. stumps. milligram. me were mountains high. and this second in! i was very little higher than the firs so down the someon- itwem. . i Alter they 'got a lesson they bull the third triage. wmouatogu my reasonable time. Bend tin-day ' .cil has got it put into a handling, thatnoteamuangettopoonfien u and how I pm than: old pioneers the Salim Lino.) -. > I could tell you in CFC: