The Colfax gazette. [volume] (Colfax, Wash.) 1893-1932, 1911-06-02
CIVIC IMPROVEMENT
RIVER IS WALLED IN
Work Marks the Beginning of a
New CoIfax.
With North Main Street Rehahili-
tated, Inland Terminal Grounds
Filled In and a $40, 900 Depot in
Place 1t Will Change Things.

Holiday & Hughes, who have the con
tract Tor building the stone wall fronting
the court house, are getting along
bravely with the work, it being conf
IDENTIFY predicted that the Job will be
completed by the last OF next week.
Five stone masOns are laying stone and
seven helpers respond to the demand for
more mort" Three teams are engaged
in hauling rock from the quarry on the
Almota grade, where an excellent quality
is found seemingly without limit, it be-
ing an interesting process to watch the
quarrymen Dry and pull out the adaman-
tine material. Seven men are employed
in this work. Two teams do nothing
but haul sand. To get the quality of
sand necessary the contractors were
compelled to go up the North Palouse
river about five miles, near the Gerber
place, where an excellent quality was
obtained.
The stone wall is laid in sand and
cement. 1t is apparently as solid as the
Rock of Ages" The wall now under
construction is a continuation of the
wall built by the Inland railway people
abutting their terminal depot property,
where is to be erected their new depot,
the plans of which call for a $4,000
structure. 1t is 269 feet long, six feet in
width on the bedrock on which it rests
the entire distance, and will be IS inches
wide on top when completed. 1t will
average IA feet in height from bedrock,
the bedrock dipping in one or two places.
This wall widens the channel of the river
10 feet.
The old breakwater wall will be re-
tanned in part, the lower 40 feet being
taken out. the rock being used in the
new wall. To take the place Of this
torn out wall concrete piers will be put
in place each Is feet. on which steel
girders will rest to support the planking
intended for bridging the chasm the en-
tire width of the street until terra frma
is reached where the rock wall ends.
The city and county separately have
let contracts for steel girders, some 25
or 80 in number, which will be here in
due time, and will mark the beginning OF
a new Main street in the north end that
will be the comfort as well as the Joy OF
all our citizens. The contract for the
COdd bridge ESQ called) has been let,
work on which will commence as soon
as the material can be assembled. Con-
siderable filling will have to be done be-
tween the north end of the stone wall
defining the west bank of the river and
the Codd bridge, but that will be dead
easy" when the structural work is done.
With north Main street rehabilitated
according to plans. the Inland railway
terminal grounds hlled in and $4,000
depot rising, Phoenix like, out OF the
wreck and ruin that prevailed from the
flood conditions OF March l, 1910, it
may be that what seemed disaster with
out possible recompense was a blessing
in Disguise, resulting in something better,
more durable and tangible, noble work
to hand down to our children.
The work now going on marks the be-
ginning of a NEW COLFAX. The
Doubling Thomases have crept into their
holes. Outside Cynics have ceased to
croak. The traditional Missourian has
"been shown"