Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-08-31

and 10 cause them an amount Of mental diStur-
bance quite inconsistent with self-possessiou.
They think of it, talk of it, dream of IT, assai
vlruIenhy its prominent leaders, and, in many
ways. show that they regard it as one Of the
most porteutous "small affairs" they have ever
encountered. What does this mean? Is it
wholly disease of the nerves? The movement
may be as insignificant as they say; bat we can
not avoid seeing that it has remarkable effect
upon them.
A committee of the Cincinnati city council |
having been directed to visit eastern cities to |
learn what they can about making and paving |
streets the Gazette OF that city suggests that all
the information they can hope to get is access
ible already in books and reports, what is want
ed is not information SO much as honest and
competent contractors and superintendeuts. The
difference between the best pavement and the
worst is not greater than between good
pavement well laid and the same laid badly. A
committee might travel for months and learn
less about road making than a competent engi-
neer could tell them any day al home. There
is no secret or mystery in the business of road
making, which we must learn by extensive travel
and watching closely how it is done in this eityor
that Its governed by principles well understood
and demonstrated by successful practice. A
good pavement eau always be had for money
mtelhgenty and honestly expended, while the
same amount, or even more, ignorantly or cor
ruptly used, will give a very bad one, which
may perhaps look well enough at first, but soon
wears out and becomes worthless There is
hardly any other city expenditure in which poor
work is so common, Or in the long run, so
costly. A thoroughly competent engineer who
knows what a good street is and how to make
it and keep it in repair, would save
many times his salary to any city. We have
some good pavement in this CITY. 1t is good
now certainly, and if it is as well laid as it APP
pears to be, it will continue good for a long
time; but except those paved within a few years
with small blocks, there is no street in the city
in good condition, so far as we know. Some
have been macadamized, or subjected to a treat
ment so-called, which we suspect Mr. Macadam
would dsown, but the mud in wet weather and
tie dust in dry are as deep as they could be if
nothing bad been added to the natural surface.
Yet the Cincinnati Gazette says:
"Then we would suggest to the board of city i'm
provements that they send polite invitation to
Henry Probasco, Esq, and ask him what he
knows about making streets in Paris. He could
give them vast amount of valuable informa-
ton. He would tell them that the best roads in
the world are made of broken stone and gravel,
but they are roads to last and not to cheat tax
payers; consequently the work is not done as it
is done here and hereabout."
In regard to the possibility of making good
pavement of cobble stones the same article says:
'Ifthe committee of the board of city improve
ments that propose to travel at the public ex
| pense would visit the intersection of Race and
| Eighth streets, they would find first-clasS
bowlder pavement. TWAS put down nearly two
| years ago by NJ H. Cook, the material used be-
| ing rejected powders, gravel, and cement. 1t
| has been severely tested, and is to-day the
| best piece of pavement in Cincinnati, and as
| good as anybody need desire. A day or two
/ ago the street destroyers broke into it for the
| purpose of putting down an extra crossing, and
| replaced the powders IN the usual bad way, but
the rest of the street is there TO show that even
rejected powders will make frst-class streets il
| put down properly. This little experiment, how
| ever, has never been referred to- Ifitwere loca-
| ted in Boston or New York it would be deemed
worthy of two or three visits year"