The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1893-10-29

The contract with the Kiititas commits
sioners also provides that parties going TO
or returning from Lake kitcheIas lappar-
entity from the eastern end) are not TO be
charged more than ons-tourth Of these
rates, and that bona fde settlers living
within SIX miles Of the gate are not TO be
required 10 pay toll when going TO the
woods for timber 10 improve their farms.
Mr.. Beard then continued:
"Although We have q right 10 collect
toll from everybody. We have often passed
poor people without charging toll and
somstsases. when they have started With
out feed for their horses on this long sew
enty-tnile trip, We have helped them with
feed and provisions, for there is no grass
ia tho mountains above the lake. / never
held gun at any person in kittitas
county, nor have / made any threats of
violence. do not keep the toll gate at
Lake kitchelas myself, for We have q man
there. but went there for q few days a.
the time of this trouble.
1.-The fact that r. A. Hill Is acting as re-
ceiver Of the company by appointment of
the superior court of this county is evil
deuce that the charter has not been for
feited. He IL receiver Of the 0kanogan
Live Stock and Dressed Beef Company,
which owns the stock of the road COM
rany. having been appointed in March,
Is secured both by United States Law and
by the Law of the state.
'.It IL not true that the road has been
allowed 20 become impossible by neglect
20 repair IL. The company has spent over
Ssa.01Q on the construction Of the road and
GA keeping 10 oren and In repair. We had
70 blast out the rocks around Lake Hitch.
elas 10 make the road. At the time
when the King county commission
era began proceedings to forfeit the
charter IN this county about two
years ago. Commissioner Taylor said il
was blocked. but he and Prosecuting At
torney Miller went up seven miles beyond
the tfteen-niie bridge and found it all
clear. There were fourteen men working
on 70 and Taylor and Miller never came
up with them, for they We're working IN
the mountains ahead of them. The only
break WAS at the fiftecn-miie bridge, which
had been washed out and the timbers
were out for rebuilding it. The move TO
forfeit the road was then abandoned and
10 was condemned for public use About
the time the company sold this end OF the
road TO King county the TWENTY-FIVE and
twenty -six-ntle bridges were carried out
by flood aud have not been rebuilt. nor
has any effort been made TO rebuild them.
SO that there are only crossings at those
points. The county put IN the tfteen-
mile bridge again last summer, Kinw
county has run its surveys 10 the summit
and the stakes are right on the summit
There is a summit stretch OF half mile.
all Of which Is In King county, and that Is
where the worst mud holes are and where
you and the rough pnneheon, " hich breaks
the wagons. From there 80 Gold creek
bottoms. three miles down on the kittitas
county side, the road Is perfectly dry aud
though the bottoms arc wet, there Is no
place an them where wagon would stick
in Tho mud. The kittitas part Of the road
Is in good condition. All the bridges are
standing, for we have had tao new ones
built this fail. and there is not tree across
Il unless some have fallen in the last few
days
The company Is not paying q dividend
aad has not paid any for some years, for
the railroads are shipping all the cattle
and only horses and immigrants use the
road. They do ncs pay for the labor en-
pended and emily Begin TO pay the man az
the gate.
THE hiititas county commissioners
have not arranged 10 free the road. for
when the dispute occurred, about
the beginning OF this month ws
offered 90 sell Il Ia them for 5000 bur
they refused % take II They weuld not
keep IL in repair II they had IL, Tor they
say the county j. nOt able 10 bear she ex.
pense. The company viii not abandon II
and will not throw IL open unless The
county does buy IT."