The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1903-12-23
NOT WHOLLY UNDESERVED.

A few days ago a capitalist from an
a view to the establishment here of
large manufacturing industry giving
employment to many men and making
a home market for products Of this
valley. This gentleman had been in
formed by old acquaintance residing
here of the many advantages offered
by Walla Walla for such an enterprise
as he has in contemplation. After
spending one day and night here TAX
ing enforced mud baths, he left the
city in disgust, uttering imprecations
on the Shiny crosswalks and the miry
streets through which he had been
compelled to wade or drive in looking
for a suitable site for his proposed
factory. Before taking the train he
remarked to one of his old friends,
business man of this city:
You might have a splendid town
here with all your natural resources
and advantages, but l will confess that
the first glance | got Of your neglected
streets knee deep in mud even in the
heart of the business district convinced
me that your citizens lack the public
spirit SO essential to a city's growth
and prosperity and so conducive to the
success of its, industries. You cannot
expect capitalists from the eastern
states who are accustomed to seeing
paved streets and good roads to select
ing in pride and enterprise as to leave
her streets in such an abominable con-
ditiOn, as this. Why, it will take me a
week to get the mud scraped off my
clothes and l doubt whether the suit l
have worn here will ever be fit to be
seen again. If your people expect to
attract capital here you must clean up.
Nobody wants to invest his money in
a mud hole. You would have q beau
tiful city here if you had decent
it is like a palatial residence with a
floor of muck You cannot expect ter
minal rates, good train service or any
thing else worth having so long as
your people lack the civic pride to
clean up the streets. If you want to
ers you must respect,yourselves enough
to keep clean"
This censure from the easterner was
perhaps too severe, but it is not wholly
undeserVed. The visitor no doubt got
the impression that the streets Of
vol,
able condition that he saw, while in
fact it is only during a few weeks of
an unusually wet season that they pre-
sent such a diSgraceful appearance
If we had the freezing weather that
they have in the eastern states the
streets would be as hard and smooth
as a floor, but the open wet season is
what causes the trouble.
However, there is no good reason
why 'town of the size, population and
wealth of W@lla Walla should have
miry, mucky streets at any season of
the year. There is an abundance of
rock in the vicinity of the town for
giving every street a good, solid found
alton, and by proper drainage the
streets could be kept comparatively
dry. In the business district the
streets should be paved. Much smaller
cities than Walla Walla-Colfax and
North Yakima, for example-are far
ahead of this in the matter of paving
and matchmaking their streets.
1t is plain from the instance given
that the present execrable condition of
the streets is driving capital away
from this city and retarding the
growth of the town. For that reason
every citizen should lend helping
hand to the Commercial Club in it's
efforts to promote the paving and
macadamizing of the streets. If Walla
Walla wishes to be regarded as any
more than a big, overgrown, dirty
town, she must shed her muddy clothes
and gum boots and try to assume the
habiliments of modern city.