The New Orleans crescent. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1866-1869, 1869-01-29

New Orleans has always been roted for tn
readiness with which its citizens have seized upo
and adopted improvements which would add +
the wealth, comfort and beauty of the city.
1t was almost the first city to put into use stesn
and horse cars, and before the war the attention
of the people was energeticaIly directed to tn,
Improvement OF the roadways of the city By
paving them with square stone.
Prior TO the adoption Of the square stone there
were but a few streets which were paved, ant
| they were only paved with the cobble stone
which was only little better than the mud.
We can remember that the two Levee streets
Calliope, Prytania, Rampant, Common, Caron
dolet, Esplsnade, and one or two others of ouI
most important streets, were sold by the city tc
our stone contractors; but the work was stopped
during the war by order of the City Council
Since the war the contractors have been forced tc
ask for continuance Of the tine of their con
tracts because it is impossible to lay the square
| stone at the contract prices.
The high price of the square stone paving, aud
the uselessness of the cobble stone, have pre-
vented our city from being paved, and the conse
| quence is that we have the worst mud streets Of
any city in the country.
| The streets of our city are public property.
Every citizen owns and makes daily use of them.
and they are the only parts o.; city in which ali
| are practically interested.
In point of necessity no other public work can
equal them, yet the advantages of good pave
ments are overlooked and neglected.
Property owners, who are anxious to adopt i'm.
provements which will add to the value of their
property, should not overlook the importance of
having good roadways IN front of their property.
The cost of paving falls upon the properly
owners, and they have the liberty of petitioning
for pavements. and the City Council has no au-
thority TO pave with shells, stone, or any other
substances, save when as petitioned by the own.
ers of property. hence, all of the abuse which has
been heaped upon the city authorities because
our streets are impossible and useless for all
practicable purposes, is absurd and unnecessary.
The CRY expends annually over (s4O0, ,00O) four
hundred thousand dollars for cleaning and repair.
ing the streets, besides the amount which is paid
TO Contractors for the same work. The contract
for cleaning and keeping in repair the streets of
each ward is sold every year. aud the city
railroads are bound BY, their contracts to keep all
OF the streets, through which their cars pass, in
good order Yet the street commissioner ia
forced TO expend for his department alone nearly
If not more than the amount above named.
This is one of the most important features of
our city government, and should engage the atten.
ton of taxpayers more than any other.
There ought TO be- and there is a way to escape
this immense tax, and 10 devote II to some other
end, ifnot to lessen the tax upon our people.
This way is simply 10 pave the streets of the
city with the best pavement that is known-vith
pavement which will answer all the purposes OF
treffc, and yet afford the highest comfort to the
people-with one that, while it is durable will
Lot iDjure the horses and vehcles-which, while
IL possesses the solidity of rock, does not pro.
duce noise or dust or mud.
The property-owDers, as we have asserted, have
to pay for the whole expense OF the paving in
front of their property, while the city pays for
the intersections. But when the pavement has
once been laid the city has to keep ii in repair
ever afterwsrd.
Now, if our property owners will have their
streets paved they will save the city, and there
fore themselves the expense Of keeping the mud
streets in repair and will add to the value of their
property much more than the cost of paving.
besides increasing the comfort of their homes.
These remarks have been induced by our desire
10 urge upon the attention OF the public the i'm
portance and absolute necessity of adopting the
This Nicolson pavement has been in use now
fourteen years, and the evidence, both oral and
written, which has been submitted to Us, exhibits
the fact that it is. where well laid, good o-dsy
as it was when first lsid-ssy fourteen, ten and
i've years ago.
We find, that, where it has once been adopted.
II has superseded all other psvements, and has
given general satisfaction. Many efforts have
been made to introduce other pavements of wood,
but IN no instance have We learned that such
Efforts have been successful. Our best engineers
nent for this soil, and far superior in every re.
spect to stone.
The only point Of rivalry between the stone
paving and the Nicolson, s the question of dura.
bity. The advocates of stone assert that wood !
will not last, and they will not listen to argu-
ments or statements which are based upon scieu. |
tifc facts Yet, they admit that the wood pave. |
ment Is better adapted TO the preservation of AMI.
mails and vehicles that il is noseless and without
dust, and therefore much superior TO stone. Many
property owners will never have stone In front Of |
their dwellings and stores, because of the noise
and dust, hence they must resort to the Nicolson.
But those who have watched the progress OF |
the Nicoson since its Introduction are satisfied of
its durability. Blocks of the wood Of this pave
ment which we're laid In Chicago have been ex.
hibited in this city. and show q wear Of one inch
and half in eleven years-and the wood was Of
soft white pine.
In this city the Southern Paving Company have
laid the Ncolson with pitch pine, and we have
the fact before our eyes that, after q severe use
for two years, the blocks have not been worn at
all-the wood has not even been abraded. Can
not our people take the trouble TO note these
facts and determine for themselves?
One side of st. Charles Avenue. Jefferson City, |
has been paved, and we can assert that the |
heaviest hauling has been done upon that street
for over eighteen months, and there has been no
wear or injury to the pavement.
or course the crown Of the street and the
bridges are defective; but the first was not the
fault of the pavement and the second was not put
down by the paving company.
NOW, II our people are willing to advance the
interest Of the city, the proper method is Just as
we have above indicated Good roads ana well.
paved avenues in New Orleans will do more TO.
wards increasing the value Of real estate, swelling
population and enhancing the revenues Of the city
than all other Improvements combined.
The cost of paving will not only not prove an
1nerous burden upon our people. but will be easily
borne, and will confer lasting benefits uDon the
whole city.
Among the many merits of the Nicolson there
no greater one than the sanitary effect which it
PRODUCES. Our people have had certificates pre-.
ented to them time and again through the papers,
which attest the fact tnat the Nicolson pavement
5 conducive 70 health, as well as comfort. Now
s the time to take up the question of improve.
nents, and we hope that our efforts to bring the
natter before the public will be rewarded by an
nergetic movement on the part of our readers.