The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-11-08
NEED OF MORE ROADS.
1ME CMIER OBsrACLETO DEVELOP
MENr or THE STATE

1uE CMIER OBsrACLET TO DEVELOP
NEWT or THE STATE
Coaney Cenmlssioners ii the ssese ne-
G1uns.G % Awsksa 20 this Necessity
81 Pre.sefag Isvestmens snd Settle
meat hy Exsssding Roads Into the
Mountains - what Prospeetovs ana
Gf>srs Nave Dons-Prontsbls Traf-
DC waiting for Railroads In Oksso-
esa ssA shs Cesesds Range.
TIE man Who goes into the mining dis
trscss Of Washington and British Cotumoia
Is confronted on ali sides by the spectacle
OF tmmenoe wealth lying undevesopec' iot
lack OF means Of transportation al any
put prohibStive cost: broad valleys OF rich
AGRICULTURAL land, cultivated only IN spoAs
because there Is no means OF transports
ton ana no home market. great belts OF
timber. untouched for the same reasons.
boundisss stock ranges, where herds are
few and small. because there Is no mAFAes
for them. at home or in other sections =.
the land. The prospector has gone ose
into the mountains and found the stoies
Of mineral concealed there. ana has $500
himself from civilization year AileI
while no patiently burrows away al n's az
seassnsnt work. the farmer mas sons 'o
the valley sown fields and piAnieu OF
chards large enough for his own needs ana
for the small demand from the diminutise
nelxhboriing settlement. called ny coul-
tesy . town. few cows, sheep ana pour
try are raised. enough to supply TINS same
demand. but no more; all are awaiting the
man who win develop the mines ana ouy
"a rR 8
so small that they may be likened TO the
GASES In the desert of Sahara-in Eastern
washington a desert where sageprusn
and Ereasewood attest the lands latent
fertility. In Western Washington wider
ness OF woods waiting the az OF the logger
and the brush hook and grub noe OF the
farmer TO pour its overlooking wealth INTO
mans storehouses The prosperity OF the
farming. mining and lumber Industries
coca hand In hand. for as mining and lum-
ber1ng advance. farming will advance also
10 supply the elementary needs OF the men
engaged In those industries. Until means
Of transportation have opened the way INTO
the country all industries have 10 WALL
Men have been waiting for years. stand
ing on the threshold of natures treasure
housekeeping through the keyhoie. as II
were-untii capital, which holds the Key.
unlooks the door and throws II wide open.
II that door were only unlocked. these
men would rush IN. reinforced by capitai.
with its iegions OF workers. and set free
. stream OF wealth which would spread
over the whole Northwest and silence the
voice OF the calamity-howler. This may
seem the vision OF an enthusiast. but IL Is
warranted by what know. for have seen
the wealth OF the valleys and mountains
awaiting the producers invasion
The Prospector Goes First.
To the prospector IL due the first open
ing made into the resources of the unset
tied regions of the state. He blazes the
first trail Of the valleys and in a year or
two. as the first conner Is Joined by others.
the tran Is cleared through the forest and
underbrush ieveled among the rocks. and
family traced through the mountain
meadows and over the passes After the
first tentative advance OF capital has
proved that there is some truth in the
prospector's stories of the wealth he has
found. there comes demand for wagon
road over which supplies may be hauled
in and ore hauled out.
Then a stumbling block 20 progress 10
encountered. The intending investor goes
10 the county commissioners with state
ment of his readiness to develop a section
OF the county which has served no pur-
pose but to nii space on the map and
swell the total area. but he cannot do IL
without q road. The commissioners de-
pend for their election on the vote of the
settled portions of the county which want
the road fund devoted to extending and
improving the roads already built. and are
apt 10 turn a deaf ear TO a man who wants
n road In a section with few or no voters.
Either meeting with prompt refusal. or
dasgusted with the prospect OF gaining his
point only after a long and distasteful
process Of lobbying. the intending investor
has the alternative Of abandoning the
whole project or building the road himself.
~ ~ nj
tons ne may choose the latter alterna-
tive. and this has been the cass1 in num-
her OF instances. otherwise he gives UP his
whole project. ard the section which he
proposed 10 add 10 the weaith-producing
area of the county remains blank on the
map. marked by the surveyor: Rugged.
mountainous. unsurveyed." OF course
there are instances where broad minded.
puh.ic-spirf,ed county commissioners have
promptly granted a request for the extern
sion OF a road into a mining district
which gave promise Of development. but
generally they have been slow TO build
roads Into undeyeaoped country. The pres
eat year has witnessed n marked improve
raeat In this respect.
Roads the First Requisite.
Yet the extension Of the road system Is
the nrss requisite 10 the settlement and de-
ycfcnment of the vast areas OF untouched
land Settlers will he slow to go into n
district accessible only by a trail over
which they must pack supplies either on
horses or on their own hacks. The assess
nent rods Of the counties have shrank TO
such an extent that only by rigid economy
have the expenses been kept down 10 sueh
figure as 70 avoid an Increase In the tax
levy. A specific levy continues 10 I've made
for roads and bridges. and II the larger
proportion Of this were devoted 10 build
ing roads into new country the amount OF
asss<sahie property would IN a few years
he Increased To such an extent as TO re-
coup the county for its expense and provs
THAT u had made good business invest
ni@at. The opening OF the country nv
rSsads would iet miners .nto shs. mount
aims and farmers into tire valleys, and
they would sstd TO the 4axpaytnv area ,s
tire county Nv their labor. besides increaS-
ing she general prosperity nv their trade.
King Sets the Pace.
This has been a year 81 renewed activ-
s'y In mining IN Washington. and a re-
newed movement, fer the construction %
rssess has been It's natural s,,,,,4urs, ns
nnent. King county. the strongest n, tn~
stste. financially. has taken the Lead IN
this direction II began four years axo
nv the construction ~ the rad sr,sr
North Rend 80 the head OF c.xsar lake
ard ID now preparing 20 extend II 20 fs,.,
mouth OF Bear creek. This extension vfi,
Re followed by the shipment Of ore from,
the May Earhart mine half a mile s,sr-
shsr. tsse owners being ready 10 eenptet~ q
the ccnnecsNn ia thai property The
owners ~ fhe Brown Bear ana sSs, -.
group would also cur a road IN Rear s,,ess
four miles 90 tsesw rv>sr-srsx ARA st.,,s
bring tire css<s ieveicpesi rsssas-~ n. @s,s. ,,,x
trss>t into the county road system E,-v
county has also saswa coErsyn.er,.s. 49,. -.