The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1879-06-03
THE WAGON ROAD MEETING.


PAou'siy 6espcDueu- After vInui.
eating hinself from a personal remark
some one had made about him, he took
up the subject Of the wagon read across
the mountains st its starting point.
He had been working for the said road
the past twelve years. In 1868 he
oattied for one whole session IN the
Territorial Legislature. and succeeded
IN getting An appropriation of $1,000.
on condition that King county con-
tribute like amount for the road
which che did. This, with one thou
sand dollars more subscribed By lodi
Tiduai citizens in and about Seattle.
swelled the sum to five thousand dol
lars. which Was expended in making
the first and only road over the Cascade
Mountains through Snoqualmie Pass
1t required hot fighting to get the bill
through the Legislature; but. assisted
by Christian Clymer and a few OF her
persistent workers, Mr.. McGilvra car
ricd his point and got the appropris-
ton. The following summer the
speaker. A A. Denny and another
gentleman, crossed over the mountains
on the new ros' The opening of that
route now for a good wagon road or
railroad is an absolute necessity.
Wagons have passed both Why's over
the present road, but it is impracticalbe
for such traffic in its present state. In
1873, when the N. Y. Il. R. Co., false
in its promises and own interests, To-
Gated its terminus ut 9 place on Gem
mencement Bay. the people woke up
to the necessity Ct helping themselves.
and the result was the unsided build
ing and equipping Of twenty one miles
Of railroad which is now o paying in
stitution. We SEQ in the immediate
future no prospect of carrying the rail-
road across the mountains, and consider
it expedient and wise to improve the
present wagon road. Jay Gould is
pushing on . narrow. gusge from Ogden
to the Columbia river; Portland will
try to prevent the road coming to the
Sound. If our people have good and
convenient communication with the
eastern portion Of our Territory we
will be in position to help ourselves;
did not believe the N. p Il. X. would
build one mile of branch road till after
their main line across the continent
was completed. which would be many
years. In making the proposed road
there would be 10 difficult hills to
climb. The route is through heavily
timbered section all the way. and the
cost Of keeping q road open would be
the greatest expense. The speakers
plan was to arouse popular sentiment
by holding mass meetings. by the aid
OF the press and by talking and work
ing. aud after all FOR every man to con
tribute oil he is possibly able to. Mr..
NJ. stated that he had contributed over
So, 500 to the building Of the S s W.
W. K. r.. and advised all who could
afford it to give literally to the enter
Prise under discussion. Unless we
move, and speedily too. Jay Gould and
the N. L II r. Co. will bind US hand
and foot
MIR. kenwOrthy arose and said Yaki-
ma would subscribe at least ten thou
sand dollars toward the road. leaving
twenty thousand dollars for King county
to raise. This statement is made on
good authority. The wheat crops Of
the eastern portion of our Territory are
enormous. One man raised last year
10000 bushels, for which he received
only 20 cents per bushel, while in Port.
land the same grain would have brought
$l.10per bushel. With this road across
the Pass, wheat can be landed on our
wharves at Oh expense of 10 cents per
bushel. No man along the whole route
but will give something toward the
good work.
DR.. Weed arose from his seat in the
audience and made very terse little
speech right to the point. He said he
had been in Seattle nine years, and
when he came here he expected soon to
sec . railroad constructed across the
mountains, but no road hsd yet been
built. We had made faces at Tacoma
and growlcd ut tho y. 8. N. Company
long enough. Now let us do something
that is within our ability to help our
sclves. With our natural advantages,
and railroad across the mountains for
q lever, We can move the whole business
of the eastern side Of the mountains
towards us. thereby placing o sceptre
in tho hands Of Seattle that will not
pass away. We are ut tho end Of .
trail let us widen it into q wagon
road, hoping that by aud by the rail.
road will follow. Every enterprise has
to carry dead weight. A brilliant wri
ter has said that Que Of the most mar
vellous things in the world is the tons
and tons Of dead weight it takes to keep
our genius in his orbit. Seattle has by
her location superior natural advan-
tsges to those that are bornto genius.
The question now is whether she shall
be weighted down by the dead weight
of indifference, and so fail to achieve
her destiny. or whether her citizens
will 60 to work unitedly to secure her
future.
THE TOTAIS-The County Commits.