The Wenatchee daily world. [volume] (Wenatchee, Wash.) 1905-1971, 1910-08-05


of the commercial club committee on
an appropriation for the preliminary
survey of the Observation-Disclosures
road the commissioners this morn
ing ordered the appropriation made.
County Commissioner Pitcher
frankly stated to the committee yes
terday afternoon that personally he
did not look with favor upon an APP
preparation of the county's funds of
$1,000 for the road. He declared,
however, that he felt his responsible
ty as representative of the entire
county and that he and the other
commissioners would give careful
consideration to the petition present
ed, and to the arguments made so
forcibly. No time was set when their
decision would be rendered but it
came this morning.
The commercial club committee
were all present with the exception
of Mike Koran and consisted of A.
z. Wells, chairman; w. T. Clark,
Will Hayward, John A. Gellatly and
Percy Walker. Each urged very
strongly the wisdom of accepting the
suggestion of State Highway Com
missioner Bowlby. That official has
made a promise to send a member of
his staff to check up the preliminary
survey which may be made by this
county and states that the legislature
is almost certain to accept this route
as a part of the state road from Spo-
kane to Seattle if five per cent grade
can be secured as a minimum. Mr..
Bowlby is enthusiastic about the pro-
posed road and if there were any
funds at his disposal he would ap-
propriate them for the survey but in
view of the depletion of the appro-
priation for his department, it would
require another two years before he
would have funds available with
which to make this survey, and the
building of the road would be de-
layed by just that much time.
The petitions presented by the
committee contained nearly all of
the leading business men of Wenat-
chez as well as many of the promi-
nent growers of the valley. Promi-
nent tax payers of Monitor, Cash
mere and Leavenworth were also in
Guided. 1t was stated that only one
man had refused pOint-blank to sign
the petition and that the committee
believe that fully 90 per cent of the
tax payers would sign if the work
were continued.
A strong point was made by the
committee when Commissioner Pit
cher mentioned one name which he
discovered in the list-that of Con-
rad Rose, who only the day before
had told him in conversation that any
man who favored spending the coun-
tvs funds on this road was simply
luny' Mr.. Pitcher was advised that
the committee had called on Mr.. Rose
only a few hours before the meeting
and that he had at first refused to
listen but when told that the appro-
priation was for preliminary survey
and that the state would build and
maintain the road he gave the move
ment his unqualified endorsement,
signed the petition and volunteered
TO telephone Mr. Pitcher his approval
of the proposition.
Commissioner Pitcher showed him.
self quite familiar with the territory
through which it is proposed to make
the survey and he urged every poss-
ible objection but was met by still
greater familiarity with the condl-
lions by VIII Howard, who has spent
a considerable amount of his private
purse hiring surveyors to check up in
a general way the possibility of five
per cent grade for this road. 1t was
proved that the best road would be
on the divide between the sources of
the Stemilt and Squillchuck creeks
on the one side and Mission creek
on the other.
The advantages gained by this
road were ably presented especially
by w. T. Clark He pointed out the
fact that North Yakima receives STU
pendous advertising from the govern
ment reclamation projects and reserv-
ations which are mentioned almost
increasingly in the newspapers
throughout the country. 1t is a fact
that cannot be controverted that the
streets of North Yakima are constant
ly filled by strangers. Many of these
would gladly visit Wenatchee il they
could leave the main line of the
Northern Pacific at Ellensberg and
come over here by auto or stage on