The Road to Riches: Seattle’s $33,000 Gamble on the Snoqualmie Pass

The growth in population and wealth of a city is always in direct ratio to the trust in people and possessions of the country tributary to it. A city can never outgrow its tributary country and remain healthful and prosperous; whatever advances the interest of the latter advances the former directly.

It is like a tree, the growth and strength of which depends upon the richness of the soil in which it is planted; its rougher fibers are like the roots which draw these elements to its support. Now, in the abstract, the whole of Washington Territory is tributary to our city, unless we may except a small section bordering on the Columbia river. Every enterprise started in the Territory, any considerable immigration into any section, and the advancement of any particular locality, benefits us more or less indirectly.

Every section will, to a measure, act as a feeder to the Sound metropolis; but there is one section, rich in its resources and in area, which, by virtue of its location, is directly tributary to our city and for which Elliott's Bay is the only natural outlet. This section comprises the great stretch of country directly back of us, and the vast grain region east of the mountains stretching away east into Idaho.

The amount of wheat that would be produced there in a few years if a good road were established to this city would be simply immense; and it is upon the production and trade of this great region that our city must rely principally in the future. We have quite as rich agricultural sections on the Sound, it is true; but they will all have their towns, whose traffic will be principally with San Francisco, and whose commercial advantages will be quite equal to our own. As the section in question is our only direct tributary we should put forth every effort to secure its trade and for its advancement.

There is but one way to do this and that is by opening the Snoqualmie Pass; and this can be done, get some enterprising, competent man head the project and our citizens subscribe $33,000 ($15,000 more can be raised across the mountains, and, we think, $20,000 got from the Legislature. This would be sufficient to secure a good toll road. The road would be a paying institution, and the stockholders would receive a handsome return for the money invested.