The Sea of Mud on Main Street

It is doubtful whether the streets of Walla Walla have been in so deplorable a condition as now within the last ten years. It was formerly the custom to clean the streets in the business section late in the fall before the winter rains and snows set in. If this had been done last November, it is altogether likely that the mud and slime that now make the crosswalks in the business district almost impassable would have been avoided. It was a false economy that prevented a liberal allowance to the street commissioner last fall for putting the streets in good condition in preparation for winter. The present condition of the streets may serve as an awful object lesson teaching the need of paved streets, but it is a tough experience for everybody who walks or drives in the mire. However, even asphalt pavements would be knee-deep in mud if no provision were made for cleaning them. It is well known that on Main street there is a solid foundation of crushed rock buried a foot or two deep under the mud and it has been demonstrated many times in the past that when the mud is scraped off the street is not at all bad. A street cleaning department should be organized without further delay for fear that the bottom of Main street will be lost entirely soon in the overwhelming sea of mud.