The Alaska daily empire., 1914-08-20
WAfERFONT STREET
 COMPLETED TODAY

The last gap in the long contemplat.
 ed waterfront thoroughfare connect
 ing the docks and business section of
 Juneau with the government road and
 the territory to the north of town was completed today. The last stretch con.
 sisted of $50 feet lying in front of
 Aux Indian village and reaching from near West Sixth street to the north.
 westerly limits of the Alaska Light and Power company's property. This
 stretch was commenced about eight
 days ago and the work has continued night and day,
 This gives the City of Juneau a much needed highway g water level street from the docks and down town
 business section to the government road running north from town and which formerly could only be reached
 by passing over a tortuous and mar row congested road leading over the hill. It offers direct communication to the attractive territory north of the city and will offer Inducements for home builders to settle there.
 The building of this street has been the dream of many of the older citl- zens of the place, but the attitude of the Federal government and objec- tions of the inhabitants of Aux In- dian village have been a stumbling block in the way. The city council immediately preceding the present body committed the city to the plan and took some first steps toward the accomplishing of the work but were halted for lack of funds and other req sons. The present city council prom. ised before election that they would put the street through and have work ed as steadily toward that end as a depleted city treasury would permit
 William Geddes, members of the former city council as well as the pres ent, has given the work his undivided attention. When the city adopted the policy of furnishing the lumber as far as the property owners cared to so on condition that the latter furnish the piling and do the work, it was up to somebody to see that money was raised to meet the city's agreement in front of Aux village. The inhabitants of the village of course would not pay and there were other stretches where government property could not be lev jed on for this purpose. Councilman Geddes and Tom Knudson went out among the owners and settlers on the property beyond and secured the ne- cessary funds and they have watched every cent of the money expended to good advantage.
 The Alaska Electric Light and Pow CT company built the roadway in front of their holdings at their own expense and the owners of the Casey-Shattuck are building a good solid street from the present terminus on their property to the government Sal mon creek road.
 Plans are now being considered for slips and mooring quarters for the growing fleet of small craft at some convenient place along the Already much building activity is in evidence along the new street by owners of private interests.
 The native Indian population and owners of the property of Aux village will profit greatly through the con- struction of the new roadway. It is estimated that the improvement will increase the value of their holdings to three times it's former worth and make new ground accessible for them besides offering better waterfront fa- than they could ever have un- der old conditions. The city is bound by agreement not to claim title to the ground occupied by the thoroughfare and to protect the Indians from inter- lopers or jumpers if any should at tempt to secure possession of any of the tide lands abutting on this stretch of roadway or parallel to it. Resi- dents and owners of property beyond who worked so hard to get the road way through also feel very strongly on the subject and will lend full sup port to the protection of the native Indians in their rights to this proper ty,