The Florence daily tribune., 1902-10-30
NEW ROAD OR
NO ROAD !!
Will of the People or Will
of One Man.
Brief History of the Road Which is
Proposed to Run Between
Portland and Florence
Up to the Voters.

As the older residents of Florence
well remember, few years ago, Mr.. A
r. Gumaer opened and laid out his
tract of land below town, called
Msrgo Park. He opened it with great
gusto and promise, and solicited the
property owners between Florence and
his lands to join him in making a
grand boulevard and permanent public
throughfare 100 feet wide from Flor
ence extending Sixth street easterly
through these grounds to the road
leading to his hot springs, and con-
Meeting with the main road to the
Beavers and to the east end of the
| county. The throughfare was laid
out and he staked off the lands along
the side into lots. He got up bar.
becue, made it great feast day, ran
special trains to Florence and sold the
citizens and excursionists lots along
this proposed grand boulevard But
his sales seemed to have fallen below
his desires at least for some reason
he changed his plans. So he con
structed his lines of fence put gates
at both ends of this throughfare, put
strong chains and locks upon them and
closed the highway. Mr.. Gumser
locked the gates and the public must
seek their lines OF travel elsewhere
The property holders and the public
then begged, entreated and exhorted
Mr.. Gumaer to open that road rs he
had represented it should be, but lie
stood firm.
After entreaties failed, these people
then got up petition. over 300 citi-
zens signed it, and rs county commits
sioner they presented it to Julius
McCandless, requesting that it he
taken up by the board of county COM
missioners and acted upon under the
laws of the land. AS was his duty
Mr. McCandless took it up and by due
process of law this petition has been
granted, and the road overseer ordered
to open the road.
But in the face of these facts we
are told by Mr. Gumaer that the
road never shall go through. We are
told just as positively by Mr.. Nc
Candless that if the petitioners and
people stay with him the road shall
go through. Mr.. Gumaer is seeking
the election of Mr. Kelso. Does this
control Mr.. Kelso if elected? We
cannot say.
These are the facts and the history.
The original petition was for the new
road TO be the extension of Sixth
street and to follow the Boulevard
throughout Mr.. Gumaer on learning
this fact, at once erected derrick in
the center of Sixth street ana began
sinking an oil we'll. as an obstruction
to the plan. The petition was then
revised so that the new road will now
be an extension of Third street and
passing along the south side of Margu
Park, will enter the Boulevard to the
east of the park, aud follow the Boule-
ward as it was laid out and Llatted by
Mr., Gumaer, before the great feast
day.
At no place does this Portland road
cross land of Mr.. Gumaer except with.
in the boundaries of the streets and
boulevards as laid out and plated by
him, as the maps of Florence and iil,s
in the county clerks office show.
And yet he now has begun "A war
fare by which he hopes to encompass
the defeat of Julius McCandless for
county commissioner. He is spending
large sums of money to accomplish
this purpose.
Now petitioners and voters the de
cision is up to you. A public officer