The Bridge at the Commissioner's Back Door

The undersigned have learned that the Commissioners of King County have ignored the petition of the citizens of upper White River for a bridge across White River at T. M. Alvord’s, said petition having been signed by over one hundred and thirty taxpayers. Having learned further that in disregard of the public interest, and in the special interest of one of the said commissioners and thirteen other settlers, they have undertaken to build a bridge across said river at a point a little below the Catholic church on William Cochrane’s place, we therefore desire to appeal to the taxpayers of King County to the end that said scheme may be defeated and the bridge located and built where it will do the most good to the greatest number. We assert that a bridge at Alvord’s would accommodate twenty households to one where the proposed site would be selected; and that the bridge at Alvord’s would be on the direct line of travel to Seattle. The location selected by the commissioners is on the land of William Cochrane, five miles distant from the site generally favored, and far removed from any road. It is not difficult to find the reason for this action. Unfortunately, one of the members of the board of County Commissioners is a man named Julius M. Mors. He resides on White River near the site selected by the commissioners for the bridge, and it is to satisfy his desire to increase the value of his land and make easier his journeys to Seattle that the County Commissioners propose to deflect the line of travel, inconvenience and injure a large portion of the people of the county, and throw one thousand dollars out of the County Treasury.