Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Anacortes, Wash. Ter.) 1882-1887, 1882-07-08
ANOTHER MAIL ROUTE PETITION.

with the steamer going north on
Fridays, has been generally circus
lated during the past week through
out Whatcom and San Juan counties.
AS this is matter of very general
interest, the petition Will no doubt
be numerously signed:
To THE Hon THE PosTMAsTER-G GEN
ERAL-Slr: The undersigned, citizens
and residents Of Whatcom and San Juan
Counties, beg leave to repr, sent that
the mail north from Seattle by the
inside route 43,098), on Fridays,
remaining at Laconner as the trip
terminus, is unnecessarily, and to
this section injuriously, delayed until the
the following Tuesday, when the.contrac-
tor of the same route runs through to Sc
home; that an extension of only twelve
miles from Laconner on his fridays trip
would connect at Anacortesi with the
trunk route from Port Townsend to Sem
iahamoo; that tbezentire northern .main~
land has now semi-weekly mail altern~
ately by the outside and inside routes, and
would be greatly benefited by snch con-
nection, afforling at the same time SEMI
weekly service between the county seat
and the populated southern extremity OF
Whatcom County; that tic group of adj
jacent islands served by route 43,097
would be saved weeks delay in their
communications with the post-ofices OF
the inner route by such connection That
a more efficient service, as direct as pos.
sible, should be afforded upon the outside
or trunk route, which being unobstructed
by any tidal passage or tidal entrances.
can be depended upon to deliver the mails
for the islands and the entire northern
mainland in from three to SIX hours from
Port Townsend, or twelve hours from Sc
attic, while by the inside route, On all av-
erage, Itwenty-four hours are required !;
that the latter, via Swinomish Slough, is
most useful local route, but not prop
erly through route, to be depended upon
for quick connection with Seattle and
Portland. The extension of the inside
route (No. 4309S) on Fridays, should
therefore on no account interfere with or
supersede the present service by route
43,097, but,should be extended and timed
Ia day earlier if necessary so as to make
close connection both ways with 43.097;
while the service 43,O97.. should make close
connection with the dailysservice at Port
Townsend.,at 0 a. NJ. on Friday, and reach
the junction of the rontes at Anacortes,
FIdalgo Island, first, viz: at ~ NJ Friday;
so that all the island and mainland post
Offices west and north can be.equally benz
Gifted by the rapid and efficient service
provided for on the trunk route, bringing
up the Seattle and Portland mails twenty
four hours later than the service by route
43,098 via Swlnomish Slough.
Your petitioners further beg leave to
represent that this extension of ~ miles,
and connection with route 43,Oo7, as pray.
ed for, will render it possible for the two
contractors of the mail service in What
com and San Juan Counties to operate
profitable through routes of communica,
ton to New Westminster and Victoria.
respectively, which are very essential to
the prosperity of this section, and which
by an awkward arrangement of the
routes and schedules of routes 43097 and
4B,09o is made impracticable; that such
through service can be initiated, as we
are informed on the authority of Special
Treasury Agent j. c. Horr, of the Treas
ury Department, at any time by an order
or permit from the Secretary CT Treasury
on showing being made that the wants
ct this section require it. the precedents
fos the necessary customs facilities having
been established in a hundred other
localities along the boundary line be-
tween Canada and the United States, from
Maine to Puget Sound.
Therefore we humbly pray that the
service on route 43,09S be extended u
miles on Fridays, and timed to make
connection as before stated so that
without doubling of routes an efficient,
rapid, and first class weekly or semi-week-
ly through service to New Westminster