King s team took him through the railing into the water one time in about twenty years ago, and in the mixup two of his fingers were so nearly amputated, that the doctors finished the job. One time Sherwood Taylor was hauling a load of hay across this bridge, and the wind upset it into the river, with Taylor underneath. He was unable to extricate himself and was drowned. There were other tragedies and near tragedies in the crossing, more than once.

In 1908 the water reached the highest stage in its history and was running nearly up to the bridge floor. W. J. Bryan made his first address in Scottsbluff on June 8th of that year, and had to cross the river to reach Harrisburg and Kimball. He will probably remember that trembling old bridge as Dr. A. T. Crawford drove him across with the Pierce Arrow. The river was so high that many people refused to cross to Scottsbluff, when they saw the menace of the raging water.

Judge R. W. Hobart made a trip across this bridge in the latter days of its use. The new bridge -- which in 1921 is called the old bridge -- was just about complete, and the old bridge on the section line a quarter of a mile east was being neglected. It was full of holes and occasionally a section of the railing was gone. Anton Hiersche was driving a team of spirited colts, and had Judge Hobart in the rig with him. At the approach he put the team on the run and went across the bridge at full speed. It seemed like a perilous ride but Anton knew his skittish team, and took the chance. If kept going there was less menace than if given time to get frightened and possibly going off the bridge at so_me point.