The Athena press. [volume] (Athena, Umatilla County, Or.) 18??-1942, 1906-05-18
BUY BARLOW ROAD
FARMERS URGE STATE TO MAKE
PURCHASE.
Barlow Road Across the Cascades and
Farmers Are Not Able to Pay
the Tolls Charged.

The Press is in receipt of the fol-
lowing letter purporting to be from a
representative of the farmers living
along the old Barlow road across the
Cascade mountains, which it is pro-
posed to buy for the state for the sum
of $24, 900:
Welches, Clackamas County, Ore,
May 15, 1906.
Athena Press, Athena, Oregon.
Dear Sir: There has been no dis
cussicn in the Oregon press of the law
which is to be voted on next June,
abolishing the Barlow Toll road and
providing for its purchase by the state
and its conversion into free public
highway.
Tie farmers who live along this
road and who have to pay the tolls
were able to raise enough money to
circulate the petitions to get this law
on the ballot, but have no money left
with which to make campaign. We
must, therefore, rely upon the news
papers of the state for discussion Of
the matter, and believe that the en-
tire community will sympathize with
| us in our effort. We therefore write
you an explanation of the situation.
The Barlow road crosses the Cas-
ca6e mountains just south of Mt.
Hood. There is no other road be-
tween it and the Columbia river on
the north, and not for 100 miles to the
south. II you want to CROSS the Cas-
cades you must travel over the Barlow
road-and pay toll.
The Barlow road is strip Of land
go feet wide and nearly 70 miles long.
The owners hold it under a grant
made 40 years ago by the federal gov
ernment. Their right to charge toll
has been upheld by the supreme court.
The farmers in Clackamas and Was
co counties who live in the country
tributary to this road, have to pay toll
on every head of sheep or cattle they
drive to Portland. They have to pay
~ every time they cross the mountains
in wagon. There is no other road
crossing the Cascades.
Every immigrant wagon must pay
~. Every settler driving from the
Willamette valley to settle in Eastern
Oregon and there are lots of them,
must pay 80 on his little grist of furni-
ture.
The owners of the Barlow road did
not initiate the law abolishing the
tolls and providing for the purchase
OF the road. They did not even know
it was to be done. They agreed year
ago with our representatives to sell
the road for certain price. We
then initiated the law ourselves and
rSiaed the money to circulate the peti-
tions The owners of the road, un-
derstand, do not want now to sell
the road, at the price agreed on, $24,-
900, but they will be compelled to sell
If the law passes, and we hold their
agreement. If the state does not buy
the road next June, we will never have
another chance to buy the road for
twice this amount of money. Nor
could it be built over again for $780,
600.
There is no way to get rid of this
toll road except to buy it As the
sCate grows it will become an immense
ly valuable piece of property. In five
years when this country is thickly
settled it will be worth fortune TO
own the only pass across the Cascades
and to have the right to charge toll
on it. And the state will have TO buy
it sooner or later.
The farmers cannot buy the road
themselves. There is no reason why
they should. The road is great state
highway the same as the old Dalles
wagon road was. The legislature ap-
propriated several thousand dollars to
build the Dalles wagon road. No one
would complain if the state were to
begin to build new highway over
the Cascades at a cost Of at least $780,
900.
We hope the Oregon press, which is
usually ready to help the common peo-
pie, will help the unfortunate farm
ers out in this matter by publishing
this ,explantion. [ We have got to get
rid Of the toll road. Its existence
is hindrance to the growth Of cen
tral Oregon. The state should help
us and 1t will never have better
chance nor as good chance, as
now. We have no money with which
to make campaign, and will have
to depend entirely on the merits of the
case.
Yours respectfully,
O. w. KERN,
Chairman Of Farmers Committee.