Aberdeen herald. [volume] (Aberdeen, Chehalis County, W.T.) 1886-1917, 1911-04-03
Aberdeen and Hoquiam Com
u emerical Bodies Ask For
Road This Year
DEVELOP RICH SECTION
Petition Presented County
Commissioners Today Asks
For State Aid Money

A strong petition, backed by the
commercial organization of Aberdeen
and Hoquiam will be presented to.
the board of county commissioners
asking the board to build a plank
road between Humptulips City aatt
Quiniault lake this year. and Com.
missiOners Hopkins and Davis are
said to favor the proposition 1t is
small wonder the commercial bodies
of Grays Harbor endorse the propo-
sitiOn, when the enormous amount Of
coin that is sent from those cities an
nually for farm products, while so
much available agricultural land is
lying idle right at home for lack Of
road is considered.
There are 5000 acres of land in
the Quiniault country capable of cul.
tivatiOn, not more than One-fifth of
which is being cultivated. as the
want OF road leaves the settlers
unable to get the produce to mar
ket. Ernest E. Fishel and Robt. l.
Locke, pioneer settlers in that section,
came down last week, and attended
the Chamber of Commerce luncheon
Friday. where their project was heart.
lily endorsed. ,,
Speaking of the need of this road.
Mr. Fishel said
"All the Quiniault country needs
is roads for the transportation Of it's
products. These people have strug.
gled along for years now. They have
had little of the advantages of civili.
cation and little of the comforts OF
life. Yet they have lovely cOun.
try and everything conducive to hap
piness, excepting only means of
communication with the outside
world.
"Of the 5000 acres capable of cuI-
tivation about one-fifth, I suppose,
under cultivation. The rest could cas-
lily be brought under cultivation
big Burn"
I've are hopeful, too, that with
the construction of a road, the big
burn will be opened to settlement.
Surveys on that burn are now being
made and l am informed that the
work is nearly completed. If the
government is at all liberal, at least
800 acres will be thrown open to set
tlement, and not less than 400 acres
must be opened. Since the burn,
which occurred in 1891, trees have
grown on at least that much of the
burned-Over tract. 1t Is natural farm
land.
"The resources of this county even
in farming way. nobody knows.
believe that anything can be grown
in the district. But if it can not be
gotten out to market, labor is wasted.
AS it is now there are sections Of
hn Inv IN
Quiniault where mud and water will
cover the wheels of wagon clear
to the wagon box. A load of 1000
cannot be hauled by four horses.
I'VE want planked road now be-
cause we believe planked road is
the cheapest and easiest to build
and because it will afford us imme-
diate connection with the harbor."
Following is the petition presented
today:
I'VE, the undersigned householders
of Chehalis county, state of Wash.
ington, petition for the present avail.
able state-aid moneys to be expend.
ed up the Humptulips-Qu Sec
tion of state road No. 9. for the fol.
lowing reasons:
First That there will be no state
money available for state road No. 9
for at least two years; one year for
plans and three years for cOnstruc-
ton, making six years before We can
get road.
Second. That We represent so per
cent. of the improved agricultural
land in road district No. 9.
Third. That We have the best
summer resort in the Pacific North.
west.
Fourth. That the present road IS
impossible for wagons and
dangerous for pack horses. That
there are no other means of trans.
portation. except the Quiniault river
which is strictly impracticable.
Fifth. That the proposed Copalis.
Aloha road parallels railroad
country unimproved and
unfit for agricultural improvements.
Sixth. That if the state aid
money is not available. then we
would respectfully ask that the coun-
ty saw mill now at the s. E. Slade
logging camp, be moved to point on
the Humptulips-Quinia road and
be operated to plank at least the i'm.
passable portion of the road.
Seventh. We further represent
that the Quiniault valley has been
settled for a period Of 20 years.
Eighth. We further represent
that q considerable portion Of the
present construction work has been
doua hv AnNa<So~