The San Juan islander. [volume] (Friday Harbor, Wash.) 1898-1914, 1904-06-04
THE PATTERSON
BOSTIAN ROAD
COUNTY COMMISSIONER BOSTIf y
EXPLAINS HIS POSITION
Mr., Patterson Says Petition is SCAR
bled'' and Thinks the Petitioners
Violate the Golden BuIe--ConsiGS
ers Road Important.

|
ers Road Important.
AS the ISLANDER published last
week, solely as a matter of news
and not by anyone's request, a peti-
ton against the construction of what
was designated in the petition as the
"Bostian road it is due to County
Commissioner Bostian that his posi-
| ton in the matter be made clear. liz
the first place the road should be
called the Patterson road, instead
of the 'Bostian road, as the princi
pal object of'its establishment was to
afford an outlet to Mr.. Patterson and
connect two public highways by a
cross road so as to avoid a detour OF
six miles via East Sound in travelling
from the end of one road to the end
! of the other. The new road bisects
Mr.. Bostiau's place and dainaFcs'him
far more than the small amount
which he finally accepted from the
county as compensation for the right
of-wav, rather than force neighborS
whom he desired to accommodate to
compel him to grant the right of-way
by resorting to the condemnation
! law, although had he done so he un-
doubtedly would have been allowed
a considerably larger sum than was
paid him. Personally he was op-
posed to the road end is now and
frankly expresses the opinion that lis
construction, with the expensive
bridge called for by the surveyor
specifications, will cost more than
the commissioners would be justified
in authorizing in single year. He
others are Justly entitled to the out
let asked for, but he does no. favor
awarding a contract on the basis OF
| the surveyors specifications, which
would require the completion of
the road this year and draw too
heavily on the district road fund.
| The commissioners reserve the
right to reject any or all bids and un-
less a much lower bid than is eX-
pected is rendered, it is improbable
that any contract for the construc-
ton of the road will be awarded this
year In the event that all the bids
are rejected some work ON the right
cf-way may be done by days
labor. This is Commissioner Bostian's
side of the question as he stated it TO
the editor this week, Mr.. Patterson
replies to the petition in the follow
ing communication:
| Editor ISLANDER: In the last issue of
the ISLANDER there is garbled state
ment Uf what tie writer termed Tho
| Bostian Road" which is direct perver-
sion of the truth. If the person who wrote
| it had had Ananias and his sad fate in
4 nlltlu uc CcltuAht 'NS H"'~
such thing. A clause in that article
reads thus. "Whereas, The construction
of said road would obviously be for the
convenience oftwo or three persons who
reside in the. locality and who al
ready have access to two county roads
adjacent" In the first place, the truth Is )
the aforementioned road is not simply
| for the convenience of two or three per-
sons but for the public generally and To
unite two county roads, so as to obyiate
drive of at least ten miles trip for num-
ber of settlers when duty calls them in
the direction of West Sound, Orcas and
other POINTS. And in the second place,
the two or three persons mentioned by
the writer have 10 access to ANY county
road. but if they wish to traverse any
road are confronted with two things,
either 10 stay at home or impose on the
generosity and patience OF others to allow
them passage through their place, and
every exit of those two or three persons.
means the opening and shifting of hye
gates and bars. l do not blame said petit
TONERS for objecting to the amount OF eX-
penditure, as called for by surveyor
Vaughn's specification. n good, sub
stantial bridge could &c built for half the
s~th faaO