The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1900-03-23
Improving County Roads.

l AL 'iipit ohbbii Nv W
the country roads that lead into Seattle
The minds OF our people should not be
50 much engrossed with the larger pros
| poets opening before the city that they
| could forget immediate and local needs.
| II is all right TO work for the trans
| pacific trade, for a cable, for our share
OF the federal business and for the i'm
mense traffic Of Alaska. 1t Is Of the
first Importance that we improve and
beautify the city itself and make 1t still
| more desirable as a place of residence.
But we should not underestimate the
| value Of the local trade which city
| draws to It from its environs and from
that portion of the surrounding country
| near enough to reach 1t by team.
This Is a constant reliance. The tides
OF other interests may ebb and flow, but
this tributary territory belongs to us
| always, and its business and our need
are constantly increasing. Every city
which has reached the size of Seattle
offers a market to thousands of people
who cannot use the railroad. There are
the market gardeners, whose produce Is
in daily demand and who should be able
to place II in our stores or on our
streets without paying toll to any trans
portation interests. There are the ven
doris OF farm products, the sellers of
fruit and potatoes and wood. who need
to be able to drive their own teams into
the city and sell their commodities here
Every dollar OF such business is a con-
venience and a saving to us as well as
to these people. And in return, every
dollar Of their trade goes 10 the till OF
the local merchant.
In every city of any size at the East
IL has been thought well to cater to this
trade. The city which secures It Is
found to have great advantage over
that which loses II. Every year It
grows, and through good times and evil
II remains constant factor in the ex-
change Of products and the furthering
OF commercial activity. Every addition
10 our own population, every increase of
settlement In the adjoining country
makes this a matter more worthy 10
be considered And the first require
ment of all is that there should be
good roads leading from the city into
the country In all directions
The need In a country and climate
| like this Is especially severe. The hills
which billow back from the shores OF
the harbor require smooth and solid
highways IL a heavily loaded wagon IS
| 20 cross them. The frequent rains %
| our winters make the ordinary dirt road
| practically impossible. What we should
end must have Is thorouFhfa Of mod
ern and scientific construction. making
Seattle easy OF access. for many miles
in every direction. Communications re-
ceived by the Post-Intenlgencer from
time to time Indicate how really and
severely tho people who live beyond the
1 eity's limits feel their isolation II dts.
couragcs settlement Il lessons trade.
Il ~ an injury 10 the merchant. m IN
eonvenlence 20 the householder. bad Tor
country and bad FOR town.
II is evident that the whole system Of
! road Improvement In thls state needs Al
once encouragement ana reform In
this county itself a inst responsibility
| for the cost Of improvements should
to a1ed between the property-owntr i'm
| the Clty and thr county authorities
I There should be consultation. agreemen.
ana a systematic plan The work q
constructing permanent roadways. NOT
dirt humhuEs, but such roads as they
have In Great Britain and France.
should SO forward constantly al the
/ ruhlte expense Every year should see
several miles % these hard. smooth
I rnads com pleted en- lines rad.Atng FROM
. seattle into the surrounding country. IL
VIII he a good investment II raises the
price IS countD. real estate. opens %
the country a market. and increases the
. trade 90 city merchants by custom
that nothing can ALLEVIATE or destroy. Or
thc interests aDd PISS. b1itios that De
at oar doors there ARE few that take
precedence IN Importance and value %
the construction u modern highways
Cor team travel into and out Of Seattle.
Anything emanating from Mr. Bryan
which fails TO elicit enthusiastic ap-
prova from Jones ~ Arkansas must
needs be very had indeed But Jones
himself IS staggered by the proposed ap-