The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1874-04-01
CONCERNING the Highways and By ways
al thc cay Of Dailns.


10 the Editor of the Dalns llcrald
Being nominated by the democratic
party in this city rs their candidate for
the Office Of city engineer at the COM
ing election, take advantage Of the
opportunity TO make some suggestions
on the above subject, without being
considered prcsumptuous.
Old Ii is said that Dallas has to-day ten
thousand inhabitants, having doubled
It's population In the past two years,
treblei it in the past three, and prom
iscs to contain twenty thousand in the
next two. With this remarkable in
crease in population, business and
buildings have kept pace, and through
ont the city limits, and beyond it on
all Sides are seen substantial and
handsome residences, where only one
year ago were fields and prairies.
This has nccessitated the opening of
many new streets, and the location of
many new blocks with sundry "addi-
tons to the town of Dallas" until it
has assumed the proportions of n city,
with metropolitan improvements, such
as the street railroad, gas works, pros
pective water works, etc.
Now, with all this, your little city,
for want of timely attention, is the
worst laid out city in America, resem-
bling ON u map, the ground plan of the
labyrinth of Crete, with its many intri-
cate windings, and before it is too late,
this must be remcdied, as far as posi-
bic, to avoid future litigation and en-
nifty between neighbor and friend, and
TO provide wlde and uniform streets
and alleys.
. The city seems to have been origin
ally laid out on base line parallel
with the east bank of the Trinity (be-
tween Pacific avenue and Columbia
street, and run out regularly from the
river bank to the Grigsby league line,
and afterwards continued to the Cen
trail railroad; within this space regu-
larity has been attempted, but all the
additions, both north of Pacific avenue
and south Of Columbia street, are laid
out on the said league lines by chance
or caprice.
The streets run to all three hundred
and sixty points of the compass, some
change direction every block, many
offset every block, some run up
stump, and some down into hole in
the ground. Swiss, White Oak and
San Jacinto streets run into board
fence, Miranda street runs into box
culvert under the Pacific railroad and
is lost, while Lamar street, coming
from Judge Hollands hall door, runs
into the Episcopal church, there offsets
towards Block, Jet & Co.'s, and makes
three turns in three squares, then
seems undetermined where to go.
Some streets have neither beginning
or ending, simply run out; some have
various widths along their length;
some have no names, and many have
several names.
The boundaries are i'll defined. Cor
ner marks or designating points are Of
ten dependent OH hear say, guess work
Or chance.
Many streets were made by some tao
It understanding between neighbors,
not matters of record, and in case of
misunderstanding may be closed up
again. Many that are on the city map
ire not located, and many are located
hat are not on the city map.
The serious cause of discrepancies in
netes and bounds occur by the use of a
compass in running original lines. as
10 two magnetic needles agree exactly
o Il degree, while no uniform variation
GEMS to have been adopted.
This may beavoiced by the use of an
ngineer transit, by which all angles
md lines may be accurately defined,
hat not even the mistake of an inch
an occur in the entire width of the
ity, and by the use of a steel tape,
which never varies.
All new blocks and additions should
e located as much as possible at right
ngles, and conform to existing streets ,
nd alleys, mapped and recorded with
boundary points.
The natural lay of the land is SO ia
orable, that the gradesus win never
3 q matter of much anxiety or ex-
ense. ~.
But, as to the drainage of your city,