The Road to Prosperity Is Still a Sea of Mud

Editor Newport Miner—Allow me to congratulate you on the fact that the agitation of the matter of the Calispel road in your paper has borne fruit, in that the powers that be have eased a short grade on the Bobier hill of the old road, taking out a 22 per cent grade and giving a 12 per cent in its place.

The balance of the road is a sea of mud in most places, which is all unnecessary, for by expending a little time it would be comparatively easy to turnpike the road so that water would fall into the gutters at each side, instead of settling into the wheel tracks, there to be churned up by every passing vehicle till the mud is a foot or more deep.

I was pleased to learn that Mr. Tiger had made a trip from his namesake town to Newport over the road, which shows that such a trip is possible. It is pleasant to learn that they have any kind of a road. But the next thing in line is to get a good road.

No one thing helps the prosperity of a town more than a series of good means of transportation to all parts of the country with which it is interdependent. Newport has two railroads leading to points east, west and south. She should have two more connecting with the lower river valley and Colville. And there should be a series of wagon roads not less than 20 feet wide and on a maximum grade leading in all directions from the town. There ought to be accommodations for farmers' teams aside from the high-priced livery barns, and there should be rest rooms for farmers' wives at all stores.

The Commercial Club could not do better than to make the farmers of the Calispel country feel that the farmers' interests were considered at all times in Newport. It is essential that the officials of railroads and other corporate interests should be dined, but the farmer whom you expect to trade at your store should be considered as well.

J. R. Patterson.