A Sea of Slimy Mud
Heavy November rains leave Walla Walla’s streets nearly impassable as the town struggles with a record-breaking deluge.
The story, cleaned up
A cleaned-up reading of the newspaper page: spelling and layout repaired, one story lifted off a crowded page. It follows the original closely but it is not a transcription. The original page is below; read it if a detail matters.
With 3.11 inches of rainfall for the month, Walla Walla County farmers are hardly complaining of a lack of moisture. November is destined to go down in the records at the weather bureau office as an exceedingly wet month. Country roads are described by farmers in town as being in a horrible condition, and the streets of the city are little better. From curb to curb, many of the best streets are simply a sea of slimy mud, thinned down to the consistency of batter. Main and Alder streets are currently covered with two inches of black liquid.
“From curb to curb, many of the best streets in the city are simply a sea of slimy mud, thinned down to the consistency of batter.”
Seasonal flooding and road maintenance remain persistent urban challenges in Walla Walla, though thankfully we have moved beyond the 'black liquid' mud streets of 1903. This account captures the raw, physical reality of pre-pavement city life.
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