The Unfinished Promise of the Lake Washington Canal

Among the many good things of which Seattle can boast is the well-known enterprise of its capitalists. However, while business men are fully alive to enterprises requiring large outlays of capital, other projects of equal importance, requiring much less investment, are being neglected—particularly the cutting of canals between the lakes and the Sound. The cost as compared to other enterprises is insignificant, nature having left but little for man to do. I have walked over the narrow piece of low-lying ground between the two lakes and viewed the proposed outlet to Salmon Bay, and thought how kind was providence to this work.

First, the settlement of a large farming community to the rear of the city is of the greatest importance. This can never happen until Lake Washington is made accessible, as settlers will not occupy the country bordering the lake unless transportation to market is guaranteed. If the canals were completed, I estimate it would give an impetus to business of all kinds. Surely here is something worthy of consideration by capitalists, especially the large owners of real estate. If this were an accomplished fact, at what price would city lots be held in five years? Let the mill owners also consider the immense supply of logs that could be floated to their mills. Delay here is improvident, if not criminal. I am confident that had this work been completed two or three years ago, the population of Seattle would now be double what it is, and real estate held at twice its value.