Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 31.djvu/89

 FIFTY-SIXTH CONGRESS. Sess. I. CHS. 29, 30; 1900. 37 and be completed within three years from same date, the rights and privileges hereby gr·anted shall cease and be determined. Approved, March 1, 1900. ` CHAP. 30.-An Act To authorize the Natchitoches Railway and Construction March 1,1900. Compariy to build and maintain a railway and traffic bridge across Red River at ——·——··— Grand core, in the par1sh of Natchitoches, State of Louisiana. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United. States ofzimeriea in (/bngress assembled, That the Natchitoches Rail- Natchitoches Railway and Construction Company, a corporation duly incorporated and X,§’§‘b§§§g1$§.§°;§’?,£,¥ existing under and by virtue of the laws of the State of Louisiana, be, “* Gmnd E°°’°·· W and is hereby, authorized to construct and maintain, by itself or through its assignees, a railway and traffic bridge across Red River at a {point suitable to the interest of navigation, at Grand Ecore, parish o Natchitoches, State of Louisiana. Said bridge shall be constructed rama, mn, ea. to provide for passage of railwa trains, and for all legitimate traflic of foot, horse, ve icle, animal, andy all other legitimate purposes, and for transmission of the mails, at such legal rates of toll as ma be fixed by said railway company or· its transferees and appr·oved by tbe Secretary of War, except to the eo le of the parish of Natchitoches, to whom phe use of said bridge sbalfat all times and under all circumstances be · ree. - Sec. 2. That said bridge, built under this Act and subject to its To be lawful Bmw limitations, shall be a lawful structure, and shall be recognized and *“"’ md P°S”°“‘°· known as a post route, upon which also nolhigher charge shall be made for the transmission over the same of the mails, the troops, and munitions of war of the United States than the rate per mile paid for the translportation over the r·ai1r·oad or public highways leading to the said bri ge, and shall enjoy the rights and privileges of other post roads in the United States; and equal privileges in the use of said br·id e shall be granted to all telegraph and telephone companies; and re;egmph,em.,c0m. the United States shall have the rig t of way across said bridge and P’““°“‘ its approaches for postal telegraph puréposesz Provided, That the promo. _ _ bridge herein authorized to be constructe shall be so kept s and man- ·‘·“"‘ *° “““g“°‘°”- aged by the company owning or operating it as to afford proper ways and means for the passa e t roug or under it of vessels, bar es, or rafts at all times, both S day and by night. And if said br§ge be Draw. constructed as a drawbridsge, the draw shall be opened promptly upon reasonable signal for the passageof boats; and upon whatever kind mshrs. of bridge is built there shall be displayed, from sunset to sunrise, at the expense of said company, such lights and signals as the Light- House Board shall prescribe. - " Sec. 3. That if said bridge, erected and maintained under the opmpemms to authority of this Act, shall at any time substantially or materially ““"g“"°“‘ obstruct the free navigation of said river, or shall, in the opinion of tl1e_ Secretary of War, obstruct such navigation, he is hereby author- —alterations. ized to cause such change or alteration of said bridge to be made as will eifectually obviate such obstruction; and such a teration shall be made and all such obstructions be removedat the expense of the owner or operators of said bridge; and in case ofany litigation arising from —migati¤¤. the obstruction or alleged obstruction to the free navigation of said river, the case may be brought in the district court of the United States for the western district of Louisiana: Prmiided, That nothing 1>»m·ae. . in this Act shall be so construed as to repeal or modify any of the pro- fe§tgf;“¤g law “¤“‘ visions of law now existing in reference to the protection of the navi- ` gation of rivers, or to exempt said bridge from the operation of same. » Sec. 4. That all railroad companies desiring to use the said bridge mghm;,.m,,,,,dm shall have and be entitled to_ equal rights and privileges relative to the “S°-