One of the worst cases of utterly dishonest bridge-building that we have had of late years in Massachusetts, was that of the iron highway bridge across the Merrimac River at Groveland, a few miles below Haverhill, one span of which broke down in January, 1881. This bridge was built in 1871-1872, and consisted of 6 spans, each about 125 feet long. The whole cost of the structure was $80,000, and the contract price for the iron-work was $28,000. The company which made that bridge, agreed in their contract to give the county a structure that should carry safely 3,000 pounds per running-foot besides its own weight; but they built a bridge, which, if they knew enough to compute its strength at all, they knew perfectly well could not safely carry over one-quarter part of that load. In fact, the weight of the bridge alone is more than it ever ought to have borne. The company warranted each span of that bridge to carry safely a net or moving load of 165 tons, and it broke down under a single team and a small amount of snow. The company warranted that bridge to carry safely a load which would strain the iron to 50,000 pounds per inch, when it knew perfectly well that 15,000 pounds per inch was the most that could safely be borne. There are several concerns in the United States which make a specialty of highway bridges, and which, taking advantage of the ignorance of public officials, are flooding the country with bridges no better than that at Groveland. On an average, at least twenty of these miserable traps tumble down every year, and nothing is done to bring the guilty parties to punishment. Dishonest builders cheat ignorant officials, and the public suffers the damage and pays the bills. Is human life worth enough to pay for having these structures inspected, and, if found unsafe, strengthened or removed? Can we do any thing to prevent towns and counties from being imposed upon by dishonest builders? We certainly can, if those who control these matters care enough about it to do it. There are two ways of buying a bridge,--a good way and a bad one; and these two ways are so plain that no one can misunderstand. To buy a bad bridge, just as soon as your town or county votes money for a new bridge, certain agents--and they are as numerous as the agents for sewing-machines or lightning-rods--will call on, or write to, the town or county officers, and will offer to build any thing under heavens you want of any size, shape, or material, and for almost any price. They will produce testimonials from all the town and county officers in the country for the excellence of their bridges, and would not hesitate to give reference, even, for their moral character, if you should ask it. If they find that you don't know any thing about bridges, they will, to save you the trouble, furnish a printed specification; which document will commit you to pay the money, but will not commit the bridge company to any thing at all. When the bridge is put up, you