The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1894-11-05

y
aud owning property within the district
they would consider the matter and nego-
tiats for the building of the road Mr..
Townsley circulated . petition, and on
January 2. 1893. presented il to the county
commissioners rs follows:
To the Honorable Board OF County
Commissioners of King County, WASH
ington-Gemtiemsm. We. the under
signed petitioners, living in road dis
trics No g.. and who are par
ticularly interested in the development
of the mining interests and the opening up
of the Cedar lake country, believing II TO be
20 the best interests OF King county TO own
ali the roads in King county. would re-
spectfully ask the county commissioners
to take such steps SIS necessary 20 purchase
and control the wagon road now being
built by private capital from North Bend
TO Cedar lake mines.
And your petitioners would respectfully
call the attention of your honorable body
TO the fact that toll roads in the hands of
corporations are q detriment TO the county
and its people rs was clearly shown in the
matter OF the Seattle & Walla Walla trail
and wagon road. Respectfully, w. C.
Weeks. T. +. Townsley, Z. h. Robinson,
A. III. Jose. A. g. White. J. ID. Coppersmith.
Harry White. +; Z. Flood. =. 4. Gingras.
Frank King, Theodore Mills, W. w.
Irwin, E. E. Mills, Angus Mclean. A. III.
Turner, j. NJ. Hamilton, Mike Powell. 4.
Huessey, A. A. Fisk, Fred Turner. Felix
Dambracht, d. Il. Sanders. W. /. Nc
Kown, II. j. Sanders, F. w. Ger
fen. Charles E Lacy. Frank Ritch'e.
Ludwig Anderson. August Peterson
William Woods, E; w. Jose. D: J. Stump.
B. L. yoyner. g. w. Joyner, Fir. Schuch-
ger. W. II. Began. 8. ID. Gustin. S. +.
Scott, NJ. l.. Jose. l. s. Burk, Joseph
Wakefield, d. Coykendall. Herman Pat.
zold, James NJ. Hill, J. NJ. Rut-
ter. S. L. olben. Edward Kenny.
]. Moore, J. Salmon, W. Kelley. J. Nc
Kinney. A. +; Randall. d; W; Rses. J. o.
Glipatriei. ]. Hubel. Fl. 5. Long.
A. ". McKeen. ]. W. Revlngton. J. Jacob
son, ]. c. Blair, e. w. Bedding. ID. /. Rev
ington, James f. Perry. William Hol-
brook, W. II. Brown. Riley Rice, c. +.
Johnson, George III. Andrew, w. NJ. john
son. Thomas Gordon, Mike MeGilvary. 4.
III. keenan,.
1t Is an interesting circumstances that
among the signers of the above petition
was Frank King, who at that time was
candidate on the Democratic ticket for
commissioner from the Third district, the
district In which the road was to be built.
The petition being satisfactory, the
commissioners then entered into con-
tract with Mr.. Townslev whereby the lat
ter agreed TO build eighteen and q half
miles of county road from Kings crossing
on the south fork of the Snoqnalmie river
to Cedar lake. along the lake to
the Bear creek mining region. The
road was to be built along
route surveyed by Albro Gardner. the
weli-known engineer. The route led
through a country in which bodybuilding
is very difficult and part of the line along
the lake necessitated that the road be cut
out Of the rocky shores. These things
considered, the board agreed to pay
Townsley. as part of the cost of
the road and to assist him in the
construction. the sum of $500 per
mile for tho first five miles and to
pay for the remainder of the road in sec
tons of i've miles as the same should be
ompieted and approved at a cost per
mile to be determined upon by both parties
after 3 personal inspection of the road.
As part of the consideration from Towns
ley the contract also quirclaimed TO King
county all right, title and interest
that he might acquire by reason of laying
out and constructing the road. Something
over fourteen miles of the road was COM
pleted when it became known to the COM
mssioners that the California people who
promised to put up money for the concen-
traitor had changed their minds, and as
this was one of the principal
conditions on which the commissioners
agreed to purchase the road they notified
Mr.. Townsiey that the agreement and con-
tract were void, and the latter immedi-
ately ceased further work. 1t was then
that Mr.. Townslcy transferred all his In
terest in the claim against the county
for warrants due for as much of the
work as had been completed over
TO Harry White. The second contract
referred to was made when the concen-
traitor deal fell through. and, ~ Mr..
Townsley says, vas not at all to his liking.
No fault OF all can be found with the road
az completed. for 1t opens up splendid
country. and in many places it cost Mr..
Townsley over $1,000 per mile to build.
Ii Is said that Mr.. TownsIey lost
money on the deal, but that was no
fault Of the commissioners. lie accepted
the terms as stated. agreeing 10 turn his
claim against the county for the road
over At nominal sum. expecting to reap
benefits from his mines, but his plans mis-
carried in a manner not expected. aud the
county was not in any way responsible.
The whole thing from beginning to end
is of record in the auditors Office and no
attempt was ever made to conceal any por-
ton OF the transaction. In the second
contract is an express provision TO the
effect that Mr.. Townsley will be allowed
TO complete the road as soon as he
can live up to all of the terms of the orig
inal agreement with reference to the con-
centrator matter. The attempts of Harry
White, aided and backed by the telegraph.
to cast discredit on the commissioners and
others named can in no way cause injury
TO those attacked.