The daily Gate City., 1855-10-31

MrssRs. EpIroRs

Payements.
| MESsRs. EDToRs:
| As the subject Of payements appears to be
attracting considerable attention of late, and
from two Or three articles ia your paper there
appears to be q wrong impression as to what
has been proposed to be done, it may be wcll
! enough TO be informed on the subject.
The morning after the first article appear
ed N your paper against widening the side
walks. petition was circulated for an hour.
which was signed by nine-tenths Of the per
sons called upon, who were interested as
owners Of property to be affected, asking the
City Council that all sidewalks put down af-
ter the date Of the petition, should be eight
cen feet wide on Main street and fifteen feet
wide on all other streets in the city. and the
sidewalks already put down should be made
% conform to said width. at such time as
the City Council might deem aayisable-say
two years.
This IS all that was asked to be done ana
i was done for the purpose Of bringing the
matter properly before the Council nobody
asked or expected that payements already
put down, should be taken up or disturbed
until they were worn out. so that there would
DE no additional expense except the removal
oi eurbstones in reaying the pavement, as
the expense Of the additional width would
oe saved in the lcssened quantity Of macad-
amHing to be kept in repair. The width
mentioned IN the petition was adopted after
consultation with city engineers, and sup
posed e be proper; but il was expected that
the City Council would examine the matter.
aud might make il a little wider or narrower
than asked for BY the petitioners.
Our Main street is one hundred feet wide,
and all the other streets sixty-six feet wide,
while the sidewalks on Main street are only
twelve feet, and on the other streets ten feet
| wide: and some four feet of these sidewalks
next 70 the buildings, are permitted by ordi-
hanee y be used for other purposes than
sidewalks, such as cellar doors, stairwavs 10
easements, &c.
The width for sidewalks was established
many years ago, when keokuk was but a
vliase and scarcely aspired TO the rank Of n
CITY, and the error, if error it be, should be
reetihed at as early a day and at as little ex-
pense and Inconvenience as possible, which
would be done BY applying the new rule 10
the new pavements 10 be laid down.
Il was supposed that almost every person
was IN favor Of wider payements but II
II.
seems that some have great fancy for turn
'ng tue streets into wagon yards, and place.
Tor fcedlns horses and oxen. and are greatly
distressed for fear they viii not have suIi-
cieht room Tor such purposes; but sixtv-four
ieet N width on Main street ought 70 be suf.
hctent, Besides, we expect to have som,
Railroads TO keokuk, when the number 81
iafge wagons in our streets will be greatly
le-senod.
The experience Of other cities is all in ia.
'efa abandoning single file sidewalks whcr,
they have sufficient width Of street 10 per.
nat Y Broadway, New York, is eighty fee
wide, while the sidewalks are each twent,
teef n width. The rule in phIladelphia. 4
5 tint two sidewalks shall equal the balance o
] the street, ana Chestnut street. which \
about sixty feet vide, has sidewalks hftccl
] teet wide. IN Chicago, Detroit and Clcye
iand' they are much wider in proportion /,
the width Of the streets than ours: and s.
theF are in the newly improved streets in St
: lonls, such as Fourth street and Broadway
Sidewalk payements are understood to i
iof iAe accommodation 81 foot passengers
and i heokuk is u remain mere village
j nfohably We can eet along with the prcsen
with butif il is y Be i commercial city
thafe shoaldbe room for persons 10 pass eac
other without Inconvenience. But If fou
? feet can be occupied for steps. cellar doors
@e.' ana another portion next TO the curb
stones Tor an awning post, and a box or tw,
a rolled out Of store to he put into wagon
tae side walk i blocked up, foot passenger,