Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1906-10-15

ent it costs one 20 cents to reach
the court house at Montesano from
either the. depot or boat landing.
The difference in distance between
the new and old court houses and
pcstoffices, banks, ETC., can be meas
ured in feet, but, measured in time,
the economy will be found in that of
the new location. TO paraphrase the
Vidette, I'VE would like to have the
Vidette or any other opponent of re-
moval give any other reason than
the selfish interests of few indi-
viduals and corporations.
The Need of Roads.
The subject of a wagon road out
of Grays Harbor to the eastward is
one of extreme Importance to all in
terested on the north side of the
Harbor, but has no bearing on the
question of county seat removal. Or,
IL it has, that bearing would be in
favor of the removal. For, If the
lack of this road is to be such an OBJ
reaching the new court house, the
same obstacle confronts the other
four-fifths in going to the present
one.
However, since the Vidette and
other opponents of removal have
elected to inject this road matter
into the campaign, it will be we'll to
inform the public fully in that mat
ter. Note the following from the
Vidette of october 5:
1.-The overzealous efforts now be-
ing made by the Aberdeen Chamber
of Commerce, or rather those of it's
members who are personally inter-
ested and plainly conspicuous in the
county seat removal question, to i'm
mediately complete the Aberdeen
end of the road, are both commend
able and suspicious, if the paradox
may be permitted. Commendable,
in that the result of such action
would give Aberdeen what it has
never enjoyed, direct communication
with all the people, in the eastern
end of the county. Suspicious, be-
cause it is known to be a sop thrown
to the hundreds of voters up this
way to give their consent and votes
to movement that would result in
tho transferring of the county seat
to a site where it would not be a
public convenience, but a source of
income to the supporters of such a
change"
In emitting the foregoing, the
editor of the Vidette betrays his ig-
norance of the historical facts con-
corning this road. Were he fully in
formed, that paper would be the last
publication to twit Aberdeen, and
the entire north side Of Grays Har-
Dor, with having been dilatory in
that matter. For the information of
our benighted friend, as we'll as the
general public, it is Opportune to
give brief sketch of this projected
road. Twenty years ago-about the
time Montesano was promising the
earth and the fullness thereof for
support to move the county seat, q
road was legally laid out and a trail
opened between Montesano and
Aberdeen. Later, private greed
caused the plating of land along the
bluff east of this city, and the advent
of the railroad placed the natural
difficult situation in a position that
required nerve to surmount. Still,
Aberdeen, in the dark financial days
of the early 90s, had the grit to
build four miles of railroad for the
Northern Pacific in order to put that
road into the city proper, and in
1889 that same Aberdeen spirit
stood ready to make this wagon
road connection. A petition, circu-
lated by the Herald, was signed by
AuOA shuA AbVVO toAptySiS ~ GIL
sections of the county, asking the
county commissioners to build the
county's part of that road. That
the petition was ignored is not OF
SO much Importance in this discus
sion as is the fact that while Che
halls county. from Oakville to
Quiniault. were represented upon
that petition, but twelve names
could be secured in the City of Mon
tosano. This petition is, or should
be, in the archives of the county.
and we suggest that the Vidette look
it up when somebody comes in to
give the editor a "fill" on the "over-
jealous efforts" OF Aberdeen to put
through its part Of this road. Aber-
deem never violated a promise to the
public, and it comes with i'll grace
from the place that promised free
court house. and then collected rent
for 1t. to seek to impugn the motives
Of the citizens. not alone of Aber-
deem. but of the entire Grays Harbor
country. II is said by LAWYERS that