Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1871-01-14
A Memorial


tn the Honorable the Senate and House
Of R.prcsentatires efthc the United States,
IN Coxgress asscmJled:
The Memorial Of the "Olympia Branch
Railroad Company" respectfully repre-.
scnts:
That said Company is dulyipcorporated
under tho laws Of the Territory Of WASH
ingtou, for tho purpose Of constructing q
Railroad from the most eligible point on
Budd's Inlet, in said Territory Of Washing
ton, at or near the Town Of Olympia, to
iuterscct with the line of the Northern
Pacific Railroad, en- route from the Colum.
bia River to Puget Sound.
That at the head of Budd's Inlet, on
which said Town Of Olympia is situate,
fronting said Town is an extensive Mud
Flat, bare at low water with the exception
of shallow, narrow, and extremely tortu.
Gus channel, which may be regarded as
continuance Of the channel or outlet Of the
Deschutes River, which empties into the
Inlet at its extreme head.
. That such Tide Flats extend northcrly
from the Town Front to the distance Of
about ono mile, continuing southwcsterly
to the extreme head of the Inlct, contain
ing an area outside of the Government
surveys of 1887 03-1Oo) thirteen hun.
dred and thirty y-seven aud three hun
dred,hs acres. From the Reports of the
U. 8. Coast Survey and maps an idea can
be gathered Of the extent aud character Of
these Flats, and Of the present condition Of
said Budd's Inlet as to navigability, aud
also of the present approach of vessels sea-
ward to said Town Of Olympia GA depth
ofthree fathoms can be carried on the west
side Of Budd's Inlet within mile aud .
half of the wharf, aud ono fathom within
mile on the eastern sidc. The
mean rise and fall Of tides is 9. 2. feet"
K Coast Pilot, 1869, p. 243.)
That when the tide is out and the Flats
bare, which is the case for several hours
in each twenty four, tho narrow chanucl
formed by the outAowof tho Deschutes
River, affords no facility for navigation,
az It is extremely shallow, crooked aud
filled with Bars.
That the said Flats, in their present con.
ditiou, are utterly useless to Government
and citizens, are serious obstacle to navi-
CATION aud heavy drawback on the ma.
terial progress Of the Town and Territory.
That the improvement Of the ehannel,
or the confinement Of the waters of the In.
let to one channel which may become ser.
viceable to the community, and the reclaim.
alton Of these Flats as consequences. will
be attended with great expense; but their
appropriation for such purpose will become
al hA Gx,A Ak~A
pansion will approach tsnavigable waters.
That to secure IN eligible location for
the Olympia ssvmisss Of the projected
roxd Of your memorialists, wharves, ware.
houses and dep6ts, will necessarily have to
BE- erected, at . point where shipping can
reach At all stages Of the tide. It will also
be found necessary TO secure way across
said fats. To justify such an investment
or7en terprise, attended with benefit to all
and injury to none. it is emineotly desirable
that the title to the soil should be certain
and assured.
That the municipal authorities of the said
town Of Olympia, and the property owners
adjacent to aud behind said Flats within
the meander of said Inlet, are all dcsirous
that these Flats should be reclaimed and
improved, and freely and voluntarily yield
al objsction TO any real or supposed inter.
est they might have ss abutters on said
Flats. ~ will fully appear by the annexed
action Of the former and petition Of the
latter.
That what is valueless TO the Govern.
mcnt, and ~ present situated noxious to
the eitiseu, may by the reclamation - here
in contemplated, become Of valuable a..
sistance to your memorialists in construct.
ing said Branch Railroad, and Of vast ben
eft to our people, by removing serious OBJ.
stacle to the growth aud developemeOt Of
this town and section of tho Territory.
Your Memorialists therefore pray your
Honorable Bodies to pass on act granting
to the Olympia Branch Railroad Company
the Tide Flats in Township No. lS North
Of Range Awo (2) West, comprising tho
southern extremity Of Budd's lulet, dssig-