Windsor & Richmond Gazette, Saturday, March 10, 1900 - page 1 THE "GREEN HILLS." The Bridge One morning I stood upon the bridge - Windsor Bridge - and I became lost in thought. "I stood in Venice, of the Bridge of Sighs ; A palace and a prison on each hand ; I saw from the wave her structure rise As from a stroke of the enchanter's wand." So sang Byron of Venice ; so thought I of Windsor - for assuredly the structures which will some day adorn Windsor-town must come from or through (along), the river. I do so now in spite of sand-banks insidiously creeping towards the opposite shore ! In spite of the dismal croaking of people who never can see anything but the shady side of a question ; in spite of Ministerial apathy and Departmental doddering. In spite of the manifold obstructions placed in the way. I can see a deepened river, its tide bringing passengers and cargoes to the town - the town itself is a fair city of comfortable mansions and villas - of opulent men, of fair women, I could quote whole quotes from Byron's beautiful poem to illustrate my feelings on this much vexed question. But the Bridge - what of it ? My idea of a bridge over the Hawkesbury at Windsor is an iron bridge of one span from shore to shore at high water, springing on the Windsor side from about the hand-rail in Thompson's! Square overlooking the river. Some day a Ministry will give us such a bridge - also a navigable river ; and only for the madness of Windsor electors in electing a man to represent them who had actually opposed a high-level bridge, when proposed by another man, it would be there now. The objector was Richard Driver, then member for West Macquarie ; the proposer was the Hon. W. Walker (then Mr. Walker, Member for Windsor). The Government then proposed to borrow £20,000 for a high level bridge. Mr. Driver said "He did not know by what hocuspocus influence the item for a bridge over the Hawkesbury, at Windsor, was placed on the Estimates, but he would move as an amendment the omission of that item." That was on the 22nd March, 1866. The House divided, and the item was lost by 22 to 12. On June 12, 1871, Mr. Byrnes moved the item £7000 for a low-level bridge over the Hawkesbury at Windsor. Mr. Driver again opposed "The people of the Hawkesbury," he said ; "were already ! well off and had no reason to complain." The item was carried by 25 t o 4 (Messrs. Driver, Brown, Samuel and Stewart) against. And yet Mr. Driver was elected a year or two later to represent the electors of Windsor. No one has ever suggested a monument to "Our Dick" - though the wonder is that his friends did not. At any rate, to have done so would not have been more barefaced than electing him after his twice opposing the bridge. I do not play chaneys in the same political yard as Mr. Walker, but I do say that for his attempt (at bridge building)alone, he should have been held dear in the memories of Windsor men and women. Mr. Driver was a "Sport" and as such had many friends. Thus, in politics principle and well meaning effort avail nothing against the hippogriffs. However, there is the bridge, in all its ugliness, and the same wasteful expenditure year after year of redecking and renewing is entailed. May I ask why, if it is necessary to metal with tarred stone Fitzroy Bridge (which is iron), it is not also necessary to similarly me! tal Windsor Bridge (which is wood) ? Surely coating the wooden floor a fair depth with tarred metal or asphaltum would protect the timber, both from weather and wear. Bridge builders may not know best, though I confess I am obstinate enough to doubt it. Auld Acquaintance Ten years make men - and women too - look older, and I find many white heads in Windsor that were not white in 1890. White is a good standing colour, anyhow - not likely to change again, and a "snowy pow" is, or should be, both respectable and honourable. I found them quite young - physically, anyhow - in ideas some of them have always been old. True, I met many wrecks - social wrecks are everywhere - and only on close inspection did I recognise them. Among the white-headed ones are the livest men in Windsor, my old friends William Moses and F. J. Mortley, to wit. Messrs. William Walker, D. Holland, W. F. Linsley and R. Huggins are not yet white, though grizzled. The senior alderman - the Patriarch of the Council, and Newtown's chosen one - is, however, both white and bent, and by far the oldest looking of the men I knew years ago ; while ex-Lancer Berckelman and Mr. Peter Carroll are getting on, if they have not passed man's allotted time on earth. Many I met, ! both of the town and outlying parts, who did not seem a day older ; they were brown, strong and hearty, thus showing that the sun, plenty of ozones, pumpkins and peaches, and long beers in moderation have enormous invigorating powers. In fact, the district is famous for its old men and women, many of whom approach the age of the Italian, Connaro, yet who never heard of him, or his dietary scale to secure long life.