The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1905-11-15
SET FORTH REASONS WHY ELM
SHOULD BE A FULL
WIDTH STREET.
Embodied in Lengthy Petition Being
Circulated-WilI be Filed With
the Council.

council at the next regular meeting.
why the roadbet of Elm street should
not be reduced from A feet to 80 feet
when that thoroughfare is paved L.
w. Roberts, who owns a big frontage
on Elm and Is one Of the active sup
porters of the paving measure. Is 81, :
culating the petition and, with one
or two exceptions every property
'wner on Fourth and Elm has signed
The petition is as follows:
To the Honorable Mayor. City Coun-
sci and Street Paving Committee, OF
the City Of Walla Walla.
Gentlemen: We the undersigned pc
titioners, humbly ask your careful con-
sideration in the matter Of paving
Fourth and Elm streets inasmuch as
to just what width to pave Elm street
and as it has been partly decided to
make pavements of said street 80 feet
wide it is our aim here to show facts
why this street should be made the
fullest possible width.
| First-Elm street is the main arte-
ry of travel from the outside world to
the city.
Second-The natural position of the
streets converging into Fourth and
Elm makes these streets the only prac-
teal route to the o. r. & N. depot 1t
would be about twelve hundred feet
farther by Main and Ninth or any
other practicable route.
Third-From the location Of Fourth
and Elm as regards to the travel from
the o. R. & N. depot; and for the
reason of which North Fourth and Elm
streets are now counted as CONNER
cial streets, and for the belief Of the
property owners of these streets that
said travel from the o. R. & N. depot
will continue and increase and know
ing such conditions would enhance
greatly the value of the property on
said streets the said property owners
have most willingly consented to the
paving of said streets; and for no
other reason would they have been
asked to, or would they have agreed
to said paving, and not then, only with
the assurance that vehicles using these
streets for business purposes would
willingly help defray expenses of the
paving.
Fourth-The traffic on the three
blocks of forty-foot streets between
Fourth and Eighth is now congested
and the travel is even now hampered
by the narrowness of the street here.
Fifth-On the wider portions of Elm
street, where there are a number of
business houses, with the narrow
paved street having the curb far out
in the street would render said street
impracticable for business purposes.
Sixtn-There are now located on
Fourth street north of the bridge,
quite a number of various business
houses and on Elm street between
Fourth and the depot are also bust
ness houses Of various kinds, which
facts demonstrate the impracticability
of a narrow street here.
Seventh-The travelling public COM
ing in to Walla Walla over said
streets, in the proposed narrow and
congested condition would render such
streets dangerous for travel, would
also be an impeachment to the vehicles
which are expected to help defray ex
pense of paving. Such conditions
would also make the first impression
of visitors to our city such as would
be detrimental rather than advantage
eous for the best interest of our city.
Eighth-Inasmuch as the property
owners propose to pave streets at
great expense and sacrifice, consider
ing the present conditions, but with
tna hope of the increased business
arising from greater travel expected
natural growth of business and popu-
lation. with a narrow and longest
ing norton for a few blocks along
Elm street would tend to divert travel
TO some other route or possibly cause
the removal of the depot, which fact
would greatly impede the business OF
all property over the entire proposed
naved district from Main street to the
O. R. & n. depot.
Ninth-The difference in the expense
70 nronertv owners on Elm street be-
tween a thirty-two foot street or nj
w foot street would be immater1al
oomnared with the advantages to be
Gained. The property owners on
Fourth street are required to pave
fortv-eight foot street, and no prop
o,.+v owners between them and the de-
NOT should bring about condition TO
drive the travel from said Fourth
| street.