Twenty-Four Miles of Missing Road Between the Mines and the Smelter
Citizens of Northport, Orient and Metaline pay for their own survey, then head to Olympia to ask the legislature for a wagon road that would tie Metaline's ore to a smelter — and Metaline to Newport.
The citizens of Northport, of Orient and Metaline will use every endeavor to interest the legislature following its meeting in January with the hope of securing an appropriation to be used in the construction of a wagon road from Metaline to Northport and thence on to Orient. The proposed road traverses a country rich in mineral, timber and agricultural lands, and already a greater part has been settled upon by the homesteader and timber claimant. A part of the road lying between Northport and Metaline is also a county road, well traveled by numerous settlers living along the route, and the grades are all that could be wished for.
From the forks of Deep creek to Metaline a new road must be built, a distance of about 24 miles, and according to Engineer L. L. Tower, who has only recently returned from completing a preliminary survey of the route, the grades on this road will not exceed 6 per cent, while much of it is less than 2 per cent and the rock work comparatively light. But few bridges will be required along the entire route — all small — the largest not exceeding 50 feet in length. With this 21 miles of road completed Metaline and Newport would be connected, the mines of Metaline would be given the advantage of a smelter for the treatment of its ores, and the whole of Stevens county would indirectly be benefited.
From Northport to Orient the road has already been surveyed and a wagon road, at present doing service for the farmers, ranchers, prospectors and the general public, extends through a good portion of it.
The expense of the recent survey by Engineer Tower and assistants has been borne by the Northport Commercial Club and other citizens, and the same force, assisted by influential mining men of Metaline and Orient, will use every effort in securing the passage of a bill authorizing an appropriation to be used in completing this work. — Northport Republican.
“With this 21 miles of road completed Metaline and Newport would be connected, the mines of Metaline would be given the advantage of a smelter for the treatment of its ores, and the whole of Stevens county would indirectly be benefited.”
Then as now, the rural corner of northeast Washington had to fund its own studies and send a delegation to the capital to beg for pavement, because the mines, mills and homesteads could not get to market without it. The road argument is identical to every modern fight over rural freight routes and bridge money: the private club pays for the survey, the public treasury is asked to pay for the gravel. Metaline and Newport are still arguing about connections across the same ground.
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