Seattle daily post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, W.T. [Wash.]) 1881-1888, 1883-12-18


p.,, Moody. the western terminus Of
c.,.dian Pacific Railroad, II evi'
s.u,lv very much such plac as Nc"
. ,hs terminus of the Northern
100 in It's earlier days. and is appa'
I.t,v passiue through just such crisis
..hs Puget Sound town passed through
. ,s7a "a and rs. Arecent description
= -. olaoe by the editor of the British
c..mbins will justify this simile TO all
10 are acquainted with the facts. he
says: sh,~.
- ths inlet, and the coast can De seen
" M.;.s, III; dovn to the railway wharf. near
.'n, .n!,s distant. and up TO the low lanss
.Ls head. Immediately across the
..r ' .re three houses owned by Mr.
C W.. prtchart and his two sons, who
u. tsIsn no three claims. These
nsss M s"l - beautifully located and com
J nous .SsrmiuQ view. The town can
nlsIu iass M oS mach architectural display,
10. 10. 80 !. srrsars 10 be growing. The streets
pu' n.;h snil of stumps and mud and
aIe s'., -. ~. M eidewaiks to speak OF. A
i.ros clearing has been made on Cap,; "a p,
Csrke's property, Immediately pack oI
shs | tom. there are probably twenty
.cres out down. burned and almost Tree
from loos. This place slopes gently 10,
vard the water, and Tor backRround
I. has the big bill rising rather abruptly
.c ia HIGHT of probably TWO hundred
- There il room. however, on the
cssyhs and Murray estates for city Ut
ss.rtv or thirty thousand inhabitants,
-;tbout climbing the hill at all. There
= - sood deal Of work still TO be done.
hovcyer. before the plot will become tit
Snr buildinR houses and streets. 1he
sround Is very rough, there are a great
manv large stump6, and ii q very Wet.
"a euspeot that there are springs all
cysr the townsite, and that street max
inc will be found costly work: Quite
: number of men are at work chOpplng
and clearing, and in six months Fort
Moody will present much changed sp-
saarancs. Trees may be heard falling
& I'll directions. Business is reported
hifiy good. There are three things
vhjch at present are chiefly responsible
IA the slow progress of Port Moody: l.
fhs uncertainty of its being the real
iaFminus; 2. the want of good roads;
and 8. the distance from the railway
vhsrf to that part Of the townsite that
: snitable for building. At the wharf
~ bill Is too steep and too near the
vater 10 admit Of a town. The present
snbryo town is nearly a mile up the
traok, and the water Is so shallow for
ING distance out that whafves would
= very expensive. Then there are ac-
tally no roads. The Thompson trail il
II # to take a horse over, and the new
uAske trail il quite as bad. Persons
pinR from this city to Port Moody must
cher walk or 90 by the north road and
ME the ferry from there to the town.
nj the greatest drawback to the devel-
opmsnt Of Port Moody is the uncertain
yof its remaining the terminus OF the
CP. X. Il must be the railway termi-
~ OF il will be nothing. There il no
industry there to mako town, no agri-
mltural land Of which it could be made
~ market, and il has no other re-
oosoes. II il became known tomorrow
tU0 IhIIWly WOutu Do thApAi oWoy
hun Port Moody, 1t would collapse in
= instant, sod the lots which now sell
II hundredS of dollars might be pur
lhassd for Just the price the timber
which now grows OH them would bring.
1he timber is very valuable, however,
I'D before many years will be eagerly
sought after. kut il Port Moody is the
pogmanent terminus, as soon as that faot
becomes definitely known IT will un-
doubtsdly experience snch boom as has
not yet been known in British Columbia.
Tho man who first discovers tho secret
may, II hc acts with prudence, become
O first class millionaire. The new road.
known a. the Clarke trail, seems to as
poeosased Of many advantages HI the
leading thor0uRhfare to Port Moody.
The gradss are comparatively easy. and
the line probably az short as any that
IN bef0und. But u great deal Of heavy
work will be required before this can be
made good road. 1t has been chopped
ct, but no grading has been done, aud
I sfull of stumps and logs, and in some
places very vet. We think the govern
mt and the property holders shoald
mite their forces and make this road
gable. But here, again. the uncer-
lAinty respecting the future OF Fort
Aoody stands in the way of its prese mt
poRrees. There are many settlements
Qtatly in need Of roads, and it is qucs-
hooable il the government would be
tnti6ed In taking any large portion of
- limited amounts available for road
nAkng and spending II ON a road tn
toet Moody. II the place were aban-
enned BY the railway, the road would
hpeactically thrown away, and the gov
a1nent would undoubtedly be held re-
qonsible for this waste Of public funds.
u peeseut Port Moody is very much of
: peoulation. The property il nearly
y hsld by persons who intend to sell
veen the proper time comes. Il is only
nasonable, therefore, that these specu-
Nom should be asked TO contribute a
| mn share toward the cost Of q road.