The Mason County journal. [volume] (Shelton, W.T.) 1886-1927, 1889-06-28
The Mason County Journal.
COUNTY OFFICIAL PAPER.
The Bridge Question.

ot last week. / noticed a very
hrainy article, in which you ac-
cure The council Of playing game,
which has done great injustice to
the property Of the larger portion
III the :own. You say five hum
drod dollars were blown into a
scheme in which two of the board
were directly interested, that they
voted for it themselves, (horrid
things) and said the rest Of the
town might "go to thunder" and
lot OF such twaddle as this. At
homo where all the parties are
known, this article amounts to
about as much as a tempest in
teapot, but the paper might get
wrapped around parcel and stray
away from home, and some poor
unfortunate, trying to while away
an idle hour looking over tie pat
cnts in the paper, might accident
ally run across this production,
and, of course he would 60 and tell
his friends to unload their Shelton
property at once, before the foyp
council had chance to steal it.
It is for the sake Of opinions Of
strangers, and not those that are
acquainted with the facts, that |
take the troable to write this ar
ticle. You started in by saying
that the citizens Of this vicinity
ba fondly hoped that some street
work would be done in this part
of town and especially 8 street
opened across to the Court House,
(from the printing oficc) 1t
might have been we'll TO have ex-
planned what you m an by this vi
cinity. From the tenor of your
letter one can only infer that "this
yicinity" means your house, and
the improvement SO fondly hoped
for. is that portion of the street
Immediately in front Of it. Now
this is very good logic for vicin-
ity NAN, but hardly broad guage
enough for citizen of the whole
town. There is not a man in the
towu but would be glad to have a
street graded all around his prop
erty, and [ presume that every vi
entity man could make kick if it
is not done. But is there a sens.
iblc man in town that does not
know that all the streets and al.
|eys cannot be opened this year
this granted and it follows, that
the street in front Of. some ones
house must be left. Now as 8
matter Of fair play in the expendi.
ture Of public money what should
the council do? Should they
commence at one end of the towr
and build each street as they come
to it uu;il the money is gone, and
the next year commence where
they lett off and continne in the
same manner until all of the street:
gre built? Or should they checke,
board the streets, work out in vi
S!nltias all over town? Or should
hoth Of the above plans be neg.
lected, and this council sit coolly
back and permit the citizens O.
this town to be robbed of theil
street money by allowing it to bs
Used to open up the most public
!horoughfares Of the town instead
of the vicinity street? Now, vi
clnity men are not apt to be very
broad thinkers and suspecting
that there may be some so marrow
minced IS not to be able to see the
public policy in opening First stree
instead of Fourth street, | beg to
submit the following facts
While it is true that some public
money has been expended OF
First sereet and none on Fourth
street and it is also true that al
appropriation of five hundred dol
Jars has been made to assist in tn.
building of the First street bridge
and no appropriation for Fourth
street, but is it not also true that
First street has more service than
gil Of the other streets in town
Is it not the only street leading
out of town, to the north, to Oak
land, Union City, Satsop, and al
OF the settlements to the northwest
ls it not the street leading to tht
only public dock and ware house
in the town! Is it not the stree,
leading to the sawmill, and ovel
which nearly all OF the lumber us
ed in building the town must be
hauleda Is it not the only stree,
leading out of town to the south
La short is it not the street owe,
which every citizens goods must b.
hauled and on the conditions O
which every one is interested, but
says some ''vicinity man" it is the
five hundred dollar appropriation
for the bridge that we kick about
there is already bridge across til.
f'eek, and it makes no difference
to as if it is off of the street, in al
awkward position, and in a shak,
and dangerous condition, we dom
care If it should go out tomorrow
and shut off all iugress and egress
with that portion Of the town, il
j. OF ne consequence to Us if thu