Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1886-10-15

OLYMPIA, FRIDAY EVENING. OCT. Is, 1856.
THE PREVAILING TOPIC.
Our Harbor Improvement.
Can We gives way to Will We.
Even the Barnacles see q New Order
Of Things.
Let rs Hope there is no Dog in the
Manager.
A Brief History of Progress and :

There has been considerable excite
ment the past week arising from COM
plications growing out of the excellent
progress that had been made in solv-
ing the vexed harbor question. As
long as deep water at the city front
was a visionary hope, with scarcely a
prospect of fulfllment, the people were
united in their prayers for deliverance
and determined in their purpose to act
in that perfect accord and harmony
which might best secure the service Of
some Iapetus to bring Promethean
fire and place it on the altar of their
hopes. No sooner, however, than had
some of our public-spirited men Sc
cured the services of an expert at
dredging apd demonstrated the FEAST
bility of making deep-water channel
to the foot of Main street, at a cost
the people could by q liberal special
tax meet, than all at once that har-
mony was broken by two or three in
dividuals interested in "high-water"
wharf property, whose agitation has at
last led to complete suspension of
work on the proposed improvement.
1t seems that Mayor Gates, of Port
land, the engineer who has SO success
fully prosecuted similar work on the
bars Of the Columbia, and who came
over by invitation of the City Council,
TO examine and. report upon the feast
bility of the undertaking, after thor
ough examination of the waterfront,
reported that the easiest and cheapest
approach could be cut from a point at
deep water in a direct line with the old
Main street wharf; that 20 dredge a
channel further west terminating at
the draw of Long Bridge would cost
several thousand dollars more, and
probably be less serviceable from the
deposit Of silt that the waters of the
Deschuttes would in the course of time
create, and render the work of re-
dredging necessary. A canal cut be-
tween the proposed points would not
be liable to this result, as the current
from the flow and ebb of the tide
would be steady and unaccompanied
by the sediment carried by the fresh
watercourse. The cost of the cut to
Main street with the wharf extension
was estimated as low as 5000, and
the assurance was given that if at any
time it was deemed desirable, a chan
mel could be cut from it to the draw at
a corresponding cost.
At meeting of the City Council
held on the 4th instant, the suggestion
and estimate of Mr.. Gates was ap-
proved, and the Street Committee
was authorized to enter into a contract
for the work, and with the assistance
of the City Surveyor, locate the metes
and bounds of the canal. In fact they
were given full authority to act on be-
half of the city. The Street Commit
tee consisted of Messrs. Young,
O'Brien and Hartsock, to which the
Mayor was subsequently added. They
proceeded to work in perfect accord
and harmony, until the west row of
piles was driven to afford anchorage
for the steamer while engaged in the
work. Then it was that the spirit of
dissention arose, and before the east
row was begun, quite a feeling was
aroused for relocating the cut $50 feet
further west, leaving the line of Main
street, and making the cut through
ground portion Of the distance about
four feet higher than that of the origi-
nal location and of much more densely
packed earth, mud and shells. Not
withstanding the committee had been
given full authority to oct, = specia