The Road That Was Supposed to Build the Puget Sound Country

To the Editor: I had understood that there was a petition for a state road circulating in Seattle, and being anxious for its success, I visited the city on January 28, 29 and 30, and with the petition called first on the business men of West street late in the afternoon of the 28th. With a single exception, they all acknowledged that a state road is just what we wanted to build up the country and at the same time to give employment to the working men. I visited Second street on the 29th and canvassed that street from the Pike south, and was asked: “Was this road going to be so we can travel on it in the winter? Was it going to be a dry road? Was it going to be a graveled road? Was it going to be made a permanent road so one could take his team and go to Tacoma if he wanted to, without fear of miring down on the way? Was it going to give employment to the working men of this country? Was it likely to have this bill passed this session of the legislature?”

On January 31 I canvassed three or four hours on part of Second street, South Third, South Second and part of Commercial, and the banks of Yesler avenue and one or two other banks were visited, and without dissent all acknowledged it to be work which was very much needed. If we can establish a reform once in the building of good permanent roads in the state we shall have entered on a new era in which our state must make marked progress. I visited with other gentlemen E. O. Graves, president of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce, who seemed to be in favor of any good road system to which the state might be a party, if the money could be rightly expended when appropriated. After reflection, he remarked that this petition calling for a state road from the eastern terminus of the Eleventh Street bridge, Tacoma, to Seattle, being, as it were, right under the eye of both cities, would no doubt be reasonably protected from going very far wrong without some one detecting it; therefore the chamber might recommend the petition to pass the legislature. At their meeting on the 4th the chamber passed a resolution favoring the road, with the understanding that the Tacoma chamber should be requested to do the same at their first meeting. I have read that the people of Tacoma have now in circulation thirty similar petitions, which are being well signed, and that they are fully aroused and enthusiastic in favor of this petition that the legislature should give us an appropriation to build a good and permanent road this present session.

I am well satisfied that this proposed road, if built, will within the next two years settle up the country along the road by small holdings, away from ten-acre to forty-acre tracts, to the number of 500, which will increase the taxation of real estate 100 per cent, thereby fully reimbursing the state by way of increase of valuation sufficiently to cover all outgoing expenses at the present time. Therefore I fully coincide with this proposed road, and trust that we are now on the eve of the beginning of a prosperous era of good roads for the state of Washington.